Come Follow Me for Teens: "The Lord is My Shepherd" (Psalms 1-46)
“The Lord Is My Shepherd”
This week’s Come Follow Me for Teens episode begins our study of Psalms 1–46 and explores not only what these psalms teach, but also how to read Psalms, how to make them personal, and how to find the psalm you need.
We begin with Psalm 1 and the image of a person who delights in the law of the Lord becoming like “a tree planted by the rivers of water.” We discuss how God’s commandments can give our lives roots, stability, protection, and lasting happiness, while also modeling a simple way to study Psalms by noticing contrasts, images, and the central truth of the passage.
Then we turn to one of the most familiar passages in scripture:
“The Lord is my shepherd.”
Psalm 23 teaches what it means to personally allow Jesus Christ to lead, protect, restore, and remain with us. We explore the many voices competing for our attention and why learning to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd can lead us toward peace, righteous paths, and strength through life’s difficult valleys.
Finally, we study the image:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
God may not always show us the entire road ahead, but His word can give us enough light to take the next faithful step. Through scripture and the words of living prophets, the Lord can provide direction, comfort, correction, courage, and hope when we need it most.
The episode concludes by inviting teens to search Psalms for themselves—to find words for their fears, questions, gratitude, repentance, need for peace, and faith in Jesus Christ.
Psalms is filled with truth waiting to be discovered.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is learn where to cast the line—and then open the scriptures and find what the Lord has waiting for us.
Psalms — “The Lord Is My Shepherd”
This week’s Come Follow Me for Teens Study & Teaching Guide introduces teens to the book of Psalms in a slightly different way.
Rather than only teaching three principles, this guide also helps youth learn how to read a psalm, how to make a psalm personal, and how to find the psalm they need.
Psalms is filled with prayers, praise, fear, gratitude, repentance, questions, hope, and trust. Its words give voice to nearly every human emotion and help us see how believers throughout history have turned toward God in both joy and difficulty.
This guide focuses on three simple but powerful principles:
“His Delight Is in the Law of the Lord” — How to Read a Psalm
Psalm 1 contrasts two ways of living.
One person is influenced by ungodly counsel and becomes like chaff driven by the wind. The other delights in the law of the Lord and becomes like a tree planted beside rivers of water.
This principle helps teens explore why God’s laws lead to greater safety, peace, stability, and lasting happiness.
It also models a simple way to study Psalms by looking for contrasts, images, repeated ideas, and the central truth the writer is trying to teach.
A personal story about asking a father at age 75 what he had learned most deeply in life reinforces the lesson with one simple answer:
God’s laws and principles work.
“The Lord Is My Shepherd” — How to Make a Psalm Personal
Psalm 23 becomes even more meaningful when we stop reading it only as David’s testimony and begin asking what it means for Jesus Christ to be our Shepherd.
A shepherd leads, protects, provides, restores, and stays with the flock through dangerous places.
This principle explores phrases such as:
“He restoreth my soul.”
“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.”
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”
Teens will consider the many voices competing for their attention and how learning to recognize and follow the voice of Jesus Christ can lead to peace, direction, spiritual nourishment, and strength through difficult valleys.
“Thy Word Is a Lamp unto My Feet” — Find the Psalm You Need
Psalm 119 teaches that God’s word can provide light when we do not know what to do next.
A lamp does not always reveal the entire road. Sometimes it simply gives enough light to take the next faithful step.
This principle helps teens understand how scripture and the words of living prophets can provide direction, comfort, correction, courage, and hope.
It also moves from teaching into personal discovery.
The guide includes a special “Find the Psalm You Need” resource with suggested psalms for times when youth feel:
Afraid
Alone
In need of direction
In need of forgiveness
In need of peace
Grateful
Surrounded by opposition
Unsure whether God hears them
Ready to praise the Lord
It also includes psalms that point toward Jesus Christ.
Rather than always having the teacher do the discovering, youth are invited to search the Psalms for themselves, find a phrase that speaks to their current need, and consider what the Lord may be teaching them through His word.
Inside This Guide
Full background for the week
3 readiness / object lesson ideas
3 complete teaching principles
Exact scripture blocks and recommended verses
Discovery questions
7–10 journal and discussion questions per principle
Expanded teacher-friendly teaching sections
Extended teachings and quotes from Church leaders
Personal testimony and experience prompts
Application questions and weekly actions
Christ-centered connections throughout
A ready-to-use “Teach This in 25 Minutes” lesson path
Designed For
Parents teaching teens at home, Youth Sunday School teachers, Young Men and Young Women leaders, seminary-style family discussions, teens studying independently, and anyone who wants a deeper Come Follow Me lesson without starting from scratch.
This week’s guide helps youth do more than learn what a few psalms mean.
It helps them learn how to discover truth in Psalms for themselves.
They can learn to recognize what God’s word is teaching, make those words personal, and find light for the moments when they need it most.
Because sometimes the best thing a teacher can do is show students where to cast the line—and then let them discover what the Lord has waiting for them in His word.
Weekly teaching resources for both Come Follow Me and For the Strength of Youth—without hours of prep.
