Come Follow Me 2026 · Week 34
Family Activities
August 17–23 - Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46
This week's one thing
The Lord tends His people like a shepherd: guiding, protecting, and restoring them through every hard season.
Opener: Hold the Rope
Blindfold one person and have another family member hold the opposite end of a rope. The blindfolded person walks from one side of the room to the other, guided only by feeling the rope's tension. Then ask: 'What would you do if you were walking through a dark forest alone and someone offered you this rope, connected to a guide who knew every step of the path? Would you hold on or try to find your own way?' Let a few people answer before you tell them this is exactly what David is describing in Psalm 23.
God is the guide on the other end of the rope, and staying connected to Him is what gets us safely through the dark valleys.
Scripture Story
David grows up watching sheep on the hills outside Bethlehem. Night after night, he sleeps under open sky, counting stars and listening for danger. He knows what it feels like to walk into a dark ravine where shadows swallow the light and his heart hammers in his chest. But he also knows something else: he is never alone out there. One night David picks up his harp and starts to sing. 'The Lord is my shepherd,' he sings. 'I shall not want' (Psalm 23:1). He pictures God leading him beside a cool stream after a blistering day. He pictures God walking right beside him through the darkest valley, a staff in hand. He pictures a table spread out for him in the middle of enemy territory, and God pouring oil on his head like an honored guest. He writes it all down. Thousands of years pass, and we still read his words. What do you think David was feeling when he realized the same care he gave his sheep, God was giving to him?
Discussion Questions
Little Kids (ages 4–7)
- If you were a little lamb and you got lost, what would you want your shepherd to do?
- What is one thing God has given you that you are really glad to have?
Big Kids (ages 8–11)
- Psalm 46:1 says God is 'a very present help in trouble.' What is the difference between God being real and God being present? Which one matters more when things go wrong?
- David says in Psalm 27:1 that the Lord is his light and his salvation, so he is not afraid. Have you ever felt scared and then prayed and had something shift inside you? What changed, and what did not change?
Teens
- Psalm 8:4 asks, 'What is man, that thou art mindful of him?' If you are being honest with yourself, do you ever wonder why an infinite God would pay attention to your specific problems? What do you do with that question when it shows up?
This Week's Challenge
Each night this week before bed, one family member names one specific moment when God acted like a shepherd for them that day: something He guided, protected, or restored. Write each one on a slip of paper and drop it in a bowl. Read them all aloud on Sunday and count them.
Song Suggestions
God's Names Chain
Ages 3-10~10 min- 1
Step 1: Cut paper into strips about one inch wide and six inches long. Make at least eight strips per person.
- 2
Step 2: On each strip, write or draw one name or picture of what God is in the Psalms: shepherd, light, rock, refuge, fortress, helper, king, strength. Little ones can draw pictures instead of writing words.
- 3
Step 3: Loop the strips into a paper chain by threading each one through the last and taping or stapling the ends closed. Hang it somewhere your family will see it all week.
Every link is a different way God shows up for us, and together they show how strong and connected His love is.
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