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This is the 4th lesson in the series of lessons on the 23rd Psalm. To view a list of all the lessons in this series go to the 23rd Psalm Bible Themes Page.

I Will Fear No Evil - Psalm 23:4
Written by Carolyn Warvel

Bible Reference:Psalm 23:4

Printable Bible Verse Cards - Print Card onto card stock, write the Bible verse on the cards and make copies.

Stickers for Psalm 23:4-6.

Teaching Concept: Children learn that we don't have to be afraid because God is watching over us. He protects and and comforts us when we are afraid.

Early Arrivals Activity

1. Work On a "He Comforts Me" Color Sheet - Print out the Picture and make copies.

2. Make a Shepherd's Rod- Before class roll up newspapers to make the staffs. Place a piece of brown paper, the same size as a newspaper on the table in front of you. On top of the brown paper, place three sheets of newspapers. Roll all three pieces together starting at one corner and rolling to the opposite corner. Tape it closed in the middle. You should only have to use one piece of tape around the middle for the whole thing. Tuck in the top and bottom points. You can secure them with a hot melt glue gun. In class have your children decorate their rods anyway they want. They may want to use markers or crayons, sticker, paint, or roll tape around it to make candy cane stripes. Print out the Sheep Pictures onto card stock, and cut them apart. Punch a hole in each one and thread some yarn through the holes. Tie and tape the pictures onto the tops of the shepherd's rod when the children are done decorating them.

As the children work explain to them how important a rod was to a shepherd. In Bible times when a child was old enough to tend his father's sheep, he would be so excited to go out and look for a sapling that would be perfect to make his first rod. The sapling would be dug from the ground and then whittled down to just the right length and width to fit the child's hand. The young boy would spend hours practicing with his club, learning how to throw it fast and accurate. This was very important because the staff was the shepherd's main weapon against wild animals to protect himself and his sheep.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

The Lesson

Preparation: Dress your sheep puppet in a shepherd's head covering and make a small staff and rod out of brown pipe cleaners and secure it to its hands.

Woolie Pretends to Be a Shepherd

Teacher: I have invited our special guest back today. Woolie, where are you?

Sheep: (Woolie pops up).

Teacher: Woolie what are you wearing on your head? Is that a shepherd's head covering? Are you pretending to be a good shepherd?

Sheep: (Woolie shakes her head yes.)

Teacher: What do you have in your hands? Is that a shepherd's staff and a rod?

Sheep: (Woolie shakes her head yes.)

Teacher: You look like a good shepherd Woolie. All good shepherds carry a staff and rod. Does your shepherd carry a staff and rod?

Sheep: (Woolie shakes her head yes.)

Teacher: The sheep don't have to be afraid because they know that the shepherd will protect them with his rod. The good shepherd protects the sheep from snakes, bears, coyotes, wolves, cougars or stray dogs. They also know they don't have to be afraid because the good shepherd comforts them and rescues them if they are in trouble. If a sheep gets stuck up on a ledge or in some briars, the shepherd will use his staff to pull them out of danger.

We have been studying the 23rd Psalm. Does anyone remember where we find the 23rd Psalm in the Bible? (Open your Bible (or let a child try to find it) to Psalm 23 and read the fourth verse.) This verse means that when we are afraid, God will comfort us. We can know that God is with us and protecting us just like a shepherd protects and comforts his sheep.

Woolie, thank you for showing us your rod and staff. I hope you have fun pretending to be a shepherd. Can you come back next week and tell us more about the good shepherd?

Sheep: (Woolie shakes her head yes and waves good-bye.)

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

Prayer

Father, We thank you for be a good shepherd, for guiding and protecting us. Help us not to be afraid because we can know that you are always with us. Amen

Activities

1. Play a Shepherd's Relay Race. Place snakes, bears, coyotes, cougars, or any other type of stuffed animal you can find in two rows on the floor in your room. If you don't have stuffed animals, you can use blue material for fast moving water, fake plants for briars, etc. Mark out two paths zig zagging through each row of stuffed animals using masking tape. Mark off starting lines for each row of animals. Make shepherd rods out of rolled up newspapers. Or have the children use the rods they made during the opening activity. Divide your children into two teams. Place them at the starting lines. Give the first player of each team a balloon sheep. Tell them that a good shepherd uses his staff to protect his sheep from wild animals, (Point out each animal on the floor) and other objects such as cliffs, fast moving water, briars. Tell the children that they are to guide their sheep (balloons) along the paths and back without letting them touch any of the objects on the floor. If their sheep touches an object, they have to go back to the start line and start all over. The first team to have all their shepherds guide the sheep through the path first wins.

*If you have children that are kindergarten or younger, just have them hit the balloon around the animals and back. Don't worry about if they touch the animals.

2. Make Edible Shepherd's Staffs - Buy biscuit dough or bread dough before class. Give each child a section and show them how to roll it into a long roll and then bend down one end to make a shepherd's staff. Bake them and enjoy. If you don't want to bake in class, you can use a no bake peanut butter recipe dough to make them, but make sure you don't have any children that are allergic to peanut butter in your class.

Peanut Butter Dough: 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk. Mix together until smooth.

3. Play a Bible Verse Review Game - Print out the Cube, cut it out and glue of tape it together. Have your children sit in a circle. Each child takes a turn throwing the cube. If the cube lands on a Bible verse picture, the child should say the appropriate verse. You can also give a small snack reward. If the picture of the shepherd holding the staff is facing up, the child says the verse and becomes the "shepherd". He gets to hold the shepherd's staff. (Use the pipe cleaner staff that you made for the Woolie puppet.) He is the shepherd until another child rolls the dice and gets the shepherd picture or until he fails to tag a child who rolled a wild animal picture. If a child rolls a picture of a lion or snake, he gets up and runs around the outside of the circle back to his space trying not to get tagged by the shepherd. If the child gets tagged by the shepherd, he goes back to his space. If he doesn't get tagged, he becomes the new shepherd until someone rolls the shepherd picture again.

How to Print or Copy these instructions.

Songs

Walking Through the Valley
Sing to the tune of "Do Lord"
Written by Nancy Foss

Walking, oh walking, oh walking,
Through the valley.
Walking, oh walking, oh walking,
Through the valley.
Walking, oh walking, oh walking,
Through the valley,
Thou art with me all the way.

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Comments

We would love to hear your comments about this lesson. If you taught this lesson, we would love to hear how it went, if you changed anything, added anything, what age you taught and was it appropriate. Any comments that would help others teach this lesson are welcome.

The lessons so far I have used EXACTLY as you have them. I taught this unit 2 years ago and this has been the easiest for them to understand. I made the puppet (Woolie) and the children LOVE him. This past Sunday we have the peanut butter staff and the children were bouncing around with so much excitement. Thank you sooooooo much for taking this on. I am saving everything I can to use when this unit comes around again because it will be new children (September is our move ons) and they can enjoy as well. Sharon