Psalm 23 Week 5

MAIN IDEA: Because of His abundant love for us, our Heavenly Father feeds, honors, and blesses us before a watching world.

Head Change: To know that God is able to provide for our every need and vindicate us before our enemies.

Heart Change: To rejoice in the overflowing blessings of God.

Life Change: To lift our heads fearlessly in the face of opposition because God is with us and for us.

1. Read Psalm 23:5. Suddenly, there is a shift in the metaphor from outside to inside. Why does the scene change? How does the shift reflect our relationship with God?
   
2. Read Galatians 4:6. How does it make you feel to know you are a son or daughter of the King? What does it mean to be invited to His table?
   
3. Read Matthew 3:17. Was God pleased with Jesus because of what Jesus had done, or because of who Jesus was? What does this teach us about the unconditional affections of the Father?
   
   
4. The Father invites you to His table simply because you are His son or daughter. Do you feel like a child of God with a place at the royal table, or do you feel like a slave clearing the plates, or sweeping the outer courtyards of the palace? 
   
   
5. If you are a parent, have your kids done (or not done) something to ever make you love them any less? Do you believe you’ve done (or failed to do) something that has made God love you less?
   
6. Brad describes the table in this verse as a table of unity, laughter, and family. Does your table at home reflect this same kind of table? What changes can you make in your home to create this type of table for your family?
   
7. Oftentimes, people have a skewed version of the Father because of the characteristics of their earthly father. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus taught the disciples to pray “Our Father who art in Heaven”. Brad describes Heaven as a quality of the Father rather than a location. How does this description change the way you view God?
   
8. God invites us to feast with Him in the presence of our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. How might you explain this metaphor to someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus? Could you share a story of when the blessing of God overwhelmed a force working against you?
   
9. Throughout the Bible, oil was used for anointing people—setting them apart and empowering them for God’s purposes. How has the Father set you apart for His purpose?
   
10. What revelation of the Father have you had during this session?