Hidden in Our Hearts
At St. George’s Anglican Church in Burlington, Ontario they are in the middle of sermon series they’ve called ‘Hidden in Our Hearts’.
One of the priorities St. George’s has identified for this season in their life together is to “grow in desire to meet with God in his word.”
So, each week right now the sermon is centred around one or two key verses of scripture. Then it is reinforced through daily reminders on their website and social media. They’ve also created a tear-out in their Sunday booklets with the scripture, and have even created smartphone background images with the verses on it.
“We’re asking that our entire congregation would begin to commit these verses to memory. Do it on your own, do it as a family, do it with your kids,” Canon Ray David Glenn, rector of St. George’s, said.
They believe that having God’s word committed to memory, and hidden in our hearts, can be an amazingly powerful means of God’s grace in our lives.
Below is what they have on their website about it. We thought it could be useful for us all. Enjoy!
“Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.” Dallas Willard
Why Memorize Scripture?
God’s word is alive and active (Heb 4:12). It is breathed out by God himself (2 Tim 3:16). It feeds our souls (Matt 4:4), and lights our way (Psalm 119:105). Throughout the scriptures, we are instructed to hide God’s word in our hearts (Psa 119:11); to cling to it (Psa 119:31); to delight in it (Psa 119:14). In the words of Martin Luther, “The soul can do without everything except the word of God, without which none at all of its wants are provided for.”
Scripture itself instructs us to store God’s Word up in our hearts (Psa 119:11) like a great treasure that is better than gold and silver (Psa 119:72). We are told to memorize it and talk about it at all times (Deut 6:7).
Memorizing scripture –
Helps us fight against sin (Psa 119:11)
Equips us for everyday life (2 Tim 3:17)
Supplies us with Godly counsel to share with loved ones (Pro 25:11)
Gives us the words to communicate and inrernalize the Gospel (1 Pet 3:15)
Arms us against the evil one (Eph 6:17)
Allows us to meditate on God’s promises anywhere (Psa 1:2)
This Week’s Memory Verses
So, as a church-family, we have decided to put a renewed emphasis on memorizing scripture. Below are the verses we will be memorizing together this week – Aug 5-11, 2018. To get a better understanding of this scripture, you can listen to last week’s sermon on this passage.
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
Scripture Memory Resources
Having trouble memorizing scripture? You wouldn’t be the first. Here are a few resources that may help.
Articles
Apps
Bible Memory: Scripture Typer
A great bible memorization app that uses a 3-step memorization process, Type It—Memorize It—Master It.
iOS | Android
The Fighter Verses App
The Fighter Verses app is a fantastic tool to help you keep track of the passages you’ve memorized, and it provides quizzes and games to help you review them.
iOS | Android
Scripture Memory Tips
Resist the urge to see simple memory as the goal. Learning the text by heart is secondary; taking the text to heart is primary.
Set aside 5-10 minutes a day to focus on memorization.
Don’t tell yourself that you’re not good at memorization. We all unconsciously memorize all kinds of things every day – stories, addresses, conversations, etc.
Try taking your first verse, read it ten times, and then close your eyes or shut your Bible and say it ten times.
Write the verse on one side of an index card and the verse reference on the other. Carry the card around with you so you can work on memorizing it during wait times.
Write the verse by hand. Rewrite the verse over and over, or use hand-lettering and other creative illustrations. Utilizing fine motor skills engages your brain. The more of your brain you can employ while memorizing, the better the information will stick.
Set your computer and phone background images to verses. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you have it memorized!
Tape your verse to the bathroom mirror and work on it as you shave or fix your hair in the morning.
You can view this page on the St. George's website here: http://www.stgeorgesonline.com/scripturememory/