In Pastor Wade’s family growing up, they always had pets—dogs, rabbits, hamsters, etc. Now they have a dog and a cat at home. As a kid, did you have a favorite pet? How did that pet respond when it heard your voice?

In Pastor Wade’s message this week, he mentioned the verse where Jesus promises abundant life. Are you living life abundantly?If you had to rate your life on a scale of 1 to 10, what would your score be? What if you just focused on your spiritual life—what would your score be?

Read John 10:1-18. In the first five verses, Jesus shares a parable with some religious leaders but they did not understand its meaning. There are three primary roles mentioned in this parable—the sheep, the shepherd, and the stranger. What does each of these roles represent? (cf. John 10:7-16)

What is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep? How do the sheep respond to Him?

Read John 10:7-9 again. Jesus says that He is the door. Why does He refer to Himself as the door? What is He trying to teach them? (Verse 9; cf. John 14:6)

Read John 10:11-15 again. Jesus also refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. What does the Good Shepherd do for His sheep? How does Jesus later fulfill this teaching?

How would you describe the abundant life from a godly perspective? (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 4:10-13, Colossians 1:9-14)

In John 10:3-4, Jesus said, “The sheep hear his voice… the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” How can a believer distinguish the truth of God from the lies of false teachers?

It is important for believers to “hear the voice of God” in their daily, spiritual lives. The primary way to do this is by reading His Word, the Bible. Prayer and meditation on His Word are also important. What are you doing that helps you to hear God’s voice each day?