Study Guide
I AM, Part 4 / Door of the Sheep / Good Shepherd / John 10:1-21 (NLT)
Jesus doesn’t just offer advice for life, He offers Himself as the Door and the Good Shepherd. In a world full of competing voices, false promises, and anxious fears, we need to ask ourselves one powerful question: whose voice am I following? Christ leads, protects, and lays down His life so we can experience the freedom, security, and fullness our souls are searching for.
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Icebreakers
- When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up, and what do you think drew you to that?” “What changed along the way?”
- What’s something you believed as a kid that makes you laugh now?
Read John 10:1-21 (CSB)
Discuss It
In John 10:1-3, Jesus points out to the crowd that it is vital for the sheep to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and only His voice. What are some of the voices we can sometimes confuse with God’s voice? What danger do we put ourselves in when we stop recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd?
Additional Thought
An important distinction to make is the difference between a shepherd and a sheepherder. A sheepherder drives from behind using force and pressure, but a shepherd leads from in front with a voice the sheep learn to trust. This helps us see the heart of God in contrast to the way the Pharisees and religious systems were operating.
Additional Scripture
Isaiah 40:11 (CSB) He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.
Additional Question
In light of knowing the differences between a Shepherd and Sheepherder, what does it reveal about the way God leads us? How does God’s voice and leading differ from the voices we’re often tempted to follow (e.g. our inner critic, social influencers, religious leaders, etc.)?
In John 10:4–5, Jesus highlights the natural response of sheep to the voice of their shepherd. Not only do they know the voice, they choose to follow only that voice, only the voice of the one who has led them, cared for them, and built trust with them. How do you typically respond to the call of the Good Shepherd in your life? What does it reveal about your life when you delay or completely dismiss God’s call?
Additional Thought
In Biblical times, several flocks stayed together in a common stone sheepfold. In the morning each shepherd would stand at the entrance and give his unique call or tune on a piped instrument. This musical reed pipe was made from two hollowed-out pieces of cane. Even if another shepherd tried to mimic the sound or wear the clothes of their shepherd, the sheep may lift their heads, but when they listen again, they go back to grazing because the tone, cadence, and presence were not that of their shepherd. The shepherd knew the sheep so well that he often had a name for each sheep that represented the mannerisms of the sheep. In a similar way, God’s guidance in our lives flows from knowing us so well.
Additional Scripture
Luke 6:46 (CSB) “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” (See also Matthew 7:24-29)
Additional Question
Is there an area where you’ve grown familiar with God’s voice, but functionally ignored it, and what would following actually require of you right now?
In John 10:10, Jesus offers life to the abundance. In one sense, everyone is already experiencing a “life. ” We all wake up, breathe, eat, enjoy relationships, and experience moments of joy. So what makes the abundant life that Jesus offers something that we should pursue?
Additional Scripture
Read Psalm 23:1-6
Additional Thought
This is a well-known Scripture that we often quote because it brings us great comfort. We WANT all of these things; a lack of wanting, restoration for our soul, no fear, the constant presence of God, His goodness, His mercy, etc. However, in order to experience all of these things, there’s a very important personal pronoun in the beginning of verse 1. Did you catch it? The Lord is “MY” Shepherd. All of the benefits of Psalm 23 only come when He is our personal Savior and Shepherd.
Additional Question
If we personalized Psalm 23 for our own lives, how would this truth change the way we see and understand direction, provision, and abundance in life?
Apply It
John 10:11 (CSB)
At the heart of this passage, we are shown not just that Jesus leads us, but that He loves us enough to lay down His life for us. This means that the voice we’re learning to know is not just one of divine authority; it is a voice that is sacrificial and trustworthy. The Shepherd we’re choosing to follow is not one who is distant and demanding but one who draws near and is gentle. He goes all the way to the cross on behalf of His sheep. May we rest in the assurance and confidence that the One leading has already given everything for us.
How can you intentionally grow in familiarity with God’s voice, our Good Shepherd, this week?
Pray
How can we be praying for you this week?
About the Current Sermon Series
What if the God you’ve heard about is more personal, more present, and more powerful than you’ve experienced? In this 6-week series, we’ll explore the “I AM” statements found throughout Scripture—words God uses to reveal His character, His heart, and His invitation into relationship.
These statements aren’t just descriptions—they’re declarations of who God is for us. He is not distant or abstract. He is near, knowable, and actively at work in our lives.
Each week, we’ll uncover a different aspect of His identity: the Bread that satisfies, the Light that reveals, the Shepherd who leads, the Resurrection who brings life, the Way who guides, and the Vine who sustains. Along the way, we’ll wrestle with what it means to move beyond knowing about God to truly knowing Him—personally, deeply, and authentically.
This series is an invitation to trade shallow familiarity for real intimacy… to encounter the living God, not as a concept, but as a Person.