The Bible references sheep over 500 times. Many of those passages refer to literal sheep, but some are metaphorical, alluding to God’s people as sheep. Given the use of sheep metaphors in the Scriptures, you’ve probably heard at least one sermon about them. Sometimes, the pastor or speaker tells a tale or jokes about how dumb sheep are—which, as an aside, some studies suggest is not true.¹ Then, comparing us to sheep, the teacher segues into a lesson on our vulnerability to sin and our need for biblical authority and community to guide us. That’s not to say that we aren’t vulnerable to sin. We are. Or that we don’t need community to walk alongside us or wise counselors to guide us. We do. But the message can be somewhat reductionistic.