The purpose of this study will hopefully strengthen your faith by trusting God enough through prayer and His word to follow through in the direction He leads you. It is never a risk to follow God when you clearly hear from Him. His way is always the best way. If you allow Him to lead you, He will. Once you allow yourself to trust Him that much, your life will have peace and freedom like never before. His ways are not our ways, and often they are not as the world does. But the way of truth and His Truth will set us free. Sharon Schwartz grew up an active participant in her church.

Starting with church choir, she eventually performed as a guest soloist in numerous churches. She is a choir and praise team member in her church yet today. She taught Sunday School, started women's small group neighborhood studies, coordinated mentoring programs, and began speaking at women's conferences. Having served for more than eight years as a BSF leader, she felt the calling to minister more directly to women's issues. Sharon has been involved with women's crisis center counseling and pregnancy counseling. She writes weekly women's devotionals for encouraging.com, the women's ministry website of her church. In addition to leading weekend retreats, she is presently enrolled in an ongoing women's seminary level study, and sits on the women's advisory board of her home church, Green Acres Baptist Church.

Sharon has led numerous Following the Shepherd Through Faith studies and prays that you will never look at sheep and the Shepherd in the same way again. She has been married for 30 years to her husband Jeff. They reside in Tyler, Texas and are the parents of two married children, Melissa and Eric.