Shepherds Among The Sheep (Scott) - Course Study Guide (Print)

Shepherds Among the Sheep (A Course on Effective Leadership) by Dr. Truman Scott

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

LESSON 1: GOD’S SHEPHERDS
LESSON 2: THE LIFE OF A SHEPHERD
LESSON 3: THE WORK OF SHEPHERDS
LESSON 4: THE HEART OF A SHEPHERD
LESSON 5: THE AIM OF SHEPHERDS
LESSON 6: WHEN SHEPHERDS HURT
LESSON 7: WHEN SHEPHERDS WORK TOGETHER
LESSON 8: THE FOLD OF THE SHEEP
LESSON 9: AMONG THE SHEEP
LESSON 10: ENDANGERED SHEEP
LESSON 11: FAITHFUL SHEEP
LESSON 12: THE SHEPHERD’S JOY: THE COMING SAVIOR
Appendix: Select Shepherd Scripture Readings
Bibliography

INTRODUCTION
The following will give you an introduction into the contents of each lesson.
Each lesson is designed to picture biblical shepherds as they work among God’s flock.
PART ONE: Focus on the Shepherds

• I. God’s Shepherds — a study of the reoccurring shepherd themes of the Bible, underlining that “shepherding” is an overarching view of God’s leaders.
• II. The Life of a Shepherd — a biblical shepherd has lived a life of increasing maturity, resulting in exemplary qualities in his moral life, his family life, and in his relationships with the sheep.
• III. The Work of Shepherds — from the verbs used in relation to shepherds a reader of Scripture can identify the work of shepherds among the flock.
• IV. The Heart of a Shepherd — the love of a shepherd for the sheep towers over the skills, the moral qualities and knowledge that he needs to care for the sheep.
• V. The Aim of Shepherds — a study of shepherds who help each member become a part of a loving body of servant believers who are whole in life and loyal in their oneness: love, life, and loyalty.
• VI. When Shepherds Hurt — shepherds are men who have feelings, needs, frailties and flaws.
• VII. When Shepherds Work Together — the Chief Shepherd is watching over the whole flock of God.

PART TWO: Focus on the Sheep

• VIII. The Fold of the Sheep — the communion of the saints, the Church, is the fold of safety, the place of renewal and growth.
• IX. Among the Sheep — a study of ten life situations to illustrate effective “shepherd among-ness.”
• X. Endangered Sheep — a study of the threatened and damaged sheep from which some, being neglected, may stray and be lost, or be hindered in their expected growth.
• XI. The Faithful Sheep — faithful sheep follow the under-shepherds who the Chief Shepherd has assigned them.
• XII. The Shepherd’s Joy — a study of how the shepherd’s sweat, agony, and longing turn to joy as the Chief Shepherd’s aims are fulfilled in the life of each sheep and throughout the fold.

When God spoke of His relationship with His people or of the appointed leaders relationship with God’s people in the Old Testament He frequently spoke with pastoral language: shepherds, sheep, pasture, fold, etc. Probably for two reasons:

1.  His people were nomadic shepherds with a long and rich pastoral history or they lived in pastoral cultures.
2.  A shepherd’s care of the known needs of sheep was so characteristic and picturesque of God’s care of Israel and His expectations of His appointed leaders.

Jesus continued the “shepherd language” to describe His person and work. He clearly drew his language from the Shepherd passages of the Old Testament. Although the church moved out in conquest of a world with more diverse occupations, leadership styles, and designations, the New Testament writers continued the shepherd
descriptions of church leaders.
Our society is even more diverse in occupations and distant in leadership expectations. Yet, shepherding is still sufficiently known and still clearly describes the continuing expectations that God has of His spiritual leaders. So great is the descriptive fullness and history of the shepherd language that it may best serve our generation to over-arch discussions of the broad subject of spiritual leadership. Especially, since the words “bishop,” “pastor,” and even “elder” have been so
religiously abused so as to hinder accurate understanding and use.