Join 10,000+ Christians around the world who want to memorize more of God's Word! Josh provides weekly encouragement and ideas that go beyond just rote memorization (repeating over and over). Learn how to internalize and apply the Bible in your life like never before!
he memorized Scripture (& almost started nuclear war)
Published 3 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Hey [CORRECTED_NAME GOES HERE], I think it's part of our human nature to to want to earn merit. We may denounce a "works-based gospel" - and rightly so - but in the deep recesses of our mind, we're still keeping a tally of our good deeds.
Or maybe that's just me?
There's the spiritualized approach to memory that says "You know, the more I memorize Scripture, the more I realize my own brokenness and need for God."
And yes, this is absolutely true. No doubt! But there's also this other very quiet voice in my head that tries to persuade me into a false theology. At some point over the last few months, I've actually caught myself thinking:
"I know the Bible better than so-and-so because I memorize it and he/she doesn't."
"God has to cut me some slack because at least I'm always meditating on His Word."
"I'm a better Christian because I memorize the Bible".
Yikes! You and I both know that all of those statements aren't true.
It's a cautionary tale and definitely not the first one of it's kind. Even Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus (Matthew 4:6).
Remember: memorizing Scripture does not sanctify us. It is only valuable when it is paired with a heart transformed by the gospel.
π£ this young man memorized all 4 gospels
This 3-minute parable, told in the style of Paul Harvey's radio show "The Rest of the Story," is a real-life cautionary tale for those of us who ever take pride in our Bible memory work.
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal."
Jaroslav just wrapped up memorizing James 4 and is now wrestling with a big decision: Should he take on the book of Jonah in Hebrew, even though his language skills are still developing? Heβs asking some thoughtful questions about vocabulary, verbs, and cantillation that many of us can relate to when stretching ourselves with Scripture memory. Read his full post and join the discussion here.
Hailey is thinking of setting aside a special notebook to write out each verse of James as she memorizes it along with a few reflections on what God is teaching her. Curious how others approach this, she asked: Do you use a journal for Bible memory? Share your thoughts here.
Sybil ran into a challenge while using the First Letter method to memorize Matthew 5. One verse had 46 words, way too many to fit into her neat five-box system! She doubled up boxes, but now her rows are off. Have you ever had your method βbreakβ on a long verse? What creative adjustments have helped you keep going when your system didnβt work as planned? See Sybil's post and share your thoughts here.
the Psalms Project!
This month our Patrons are doing a special Psalms Project where we collectively memorize all 150 chapters of Psalms in 30 days, which will then be livestreamed on YouTube. We are so excited and you're welcome to join! We're kicking off this Sunday evening, and you have to become a Patron to join us:
*use code "Psalms" to get $20 off (essentially the first month free)
Thanks for reading this far and for continuing to support what we're doing here. You may not realize this, but Bible Memory Goal is still very much a "side project" for me, albeit one that I'm really passionate about.
Your support by way of becoming a Patron, opening emails or even just replying and letting me know that you enjoy the videos/podcast episodes is a huge encouragement to me.
Join 10,000+ Christians around the world who want to memorize more of God's Word! Josh provides weekly encouragement and ideas that go beyond just rote memorization (repeating over and over). Learn how to internalize and apply the Bible in your life like never before!