I will be filling in a contextual whole in Ephesians 3 over the next two weeks. In college I memorized Ephesians 3:17-18. Later in life I added 19-21. Now I'm going back to add verse 16 and the first part of 17. That's right. I only memorized the second part of 17 the first time around. Why, you may ask? I have no idea.
Ephesians 3:16-17a
I pray out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, (17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
I'm even going to re-write my verse 17 card to include the whole verse...if I can get over the nostalgia of the antique looking card. It was written in 1992, after all! That's almost as old as some of you!
One more thing. If you are participating in this journey with us, I would love to be able to encourage you through your comments by emailing you back. When you post a comment I essentially get an email from you in my inbox. Some of you have set up your accounts with your email address, some of you haven't so you are a "no-reply" commenter. If you would like to know what in the world I'm talking about please read this post at Bearing Fruit by Andee to learn more. Also, a long, long time ago one of my favorite bloggers wrote a post about how to fix your google profile to include your email address. Leslie, if you remember when you wrote that post would you include the link in your memory verse comment? If you can't remember when you wrote it and find it later this week or so, I would love to add a link so I can help my friends. What do you think?
That may seem like a random tangent to a scripture memory post, but it isn't. I want the ability to be able to encourage each of you in your journeys. We are doing this together, friends. Hebrews 3:12-13 says, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Encourage one another daily as long as it is called today so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."
We often think of hearts hardened by sin's deceitfulness as deep dark hidden issues. I don't know about you, but my heart gets hard through laziness, apathy, procrastination. I appreciate the encouragement I receive through each of your comments on the scripture memory posts. I prevents my heart from hardening. It would be my joy to return the favor!
I'm asking two things this time around:
First and most importantly, post your verse. I LOVE reading what you are memorizing, praying for you, asking God to strengthen your resolve and deepen your relationship with Him.
Second, if you haven't already, sign up to follow. Include your email address, so I can return the love.
Ready? Go!
32 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
Hopefully I'm following you correctly now! Let me know if I'm still No Reply.
I'm adding new verse James 1:27 ESV
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
I've been meaning to memorize this one for a while and I finally got to it!
I'm also still working on getting 1 Peter 1:3-17 back into my brain. I will be adding vs 12 & 13 into my pile.
"It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."
To be honest, I had a little bit of humble pie to eat at our lovely celebration this Sunday. I have a lot to process through, and just some yucky pride to lay down. It is not in my nature to do very many things systematically, but truthfully this is not about my nature, it is about coming closer to Christ. I have often treated organization and certain kinds of discipline as luxuries in my life, or as a hat that I wear when I have to...but as I step into roles that involve more leadership, the truth just becomes that organization and discipline have to be present. And scripture memory is no different.
So I am refreshed as well. Rather than bathing in scripture solely, I intend to drink it, retain it, and be more intentionally nourished by it.
I am taking a small break from Philippians to focus on stewardship, the poor, and on what God has to say about my resources. But I am also really taking some serious time to review everything that I memorized last year, as much review is honestly needed.
But for today:
"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not?"
-1 Corinthians 4:7
Stewardship. Generosity. I can't hoard what I didn't earn!
continuing with proverbs 2:
Proverbs 2:6-8 ESV
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
thanks, angel! hope you enjoy a sweet evening xo
I am so encouraged by having some accountability. I am working on Psalm 10 and will start on the first two verses.
I don't think I did it right, but let me know if you have my email address now.
My verse is Isaiah 40:29, but since I already know that one I'm going to add the next one as well.
Vs 29 & 30 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall"
Matthew 7:7-11
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
Someone I love dearly spoke these verses into my life recently. These verses challenge me heart to further deepen my relationship with Him.
I'm going to memorize Isaiah 61, starting with the first two:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
Continuing on with Isaiah 40. When you quoted the whole chapter at the COH Christmas prayer night I decided I wanted to memorize that whole chapter too!
BTW, I really enjoyed Sunday night. It was encouraging and made me renew my commitment level to memorizing. I've found that the more time I spend memorizing, the more time I spend praying, and I like times like that.
Isaiah 40:6-8
A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
I think I am signing up with my email, please let me know if I did this wrong!
I was so encouraged on Sunday to see you all so devoted to memorizing scripture! You gals are the best! I will be starting this journey with a verse that God has been using to speak VOLUMES to my heart:
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." NKJV
hi angel! i'm lagging, with only one of the three verses i intended to know by today....but its better than zero!!
psalm 149:4
For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation.
Hopefully this works!
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
I went hunting for the first verse in this passage last night because I think it speaks to my desire to make old things new and that has to be apart of my mission statement! I love the imagery the word reconciliation brings to mind!
Moving right along in the first chapter of James. I'm amazed at how much I can memorize when I'm diligent about it. Working on James 1:6-8 in the next two weeks.
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
In reference to Chad's message this past week I've always wanted to memorize this verse:
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
- Hebrews 4:12
Ok I'm going to try and do this so you can respond, guess I will know if I get an e-mail back from you right :)
First I want to say I'm so excited to have a 'system' and am spending the next two weeks organizing and moving over verses from last year and reviewing. The three verses that I am wanting to make sure I have in my memory are the following:
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord my rock and my redeemer.
Galations 6:9
And let us now grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.
Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you; the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countanance upon you and give you peace.
This year is going to be great for memorizing :) Thanks Angel for sharing your system with us and inspiring us all!! Love you.
I am memorizing Isaiah 43:14-15. I love that through memorizing this passage, He keeps reminding me of His holiness.
"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; "For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."
More on patience...
Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV
"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
Continuing learning about God's perfect love for me and how it change the way I live!
1 John 4:11 & 12
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
Okay, I think I may have fixed my profile correctly this time. We'll see!
Isaiah 61:1 (NLT)
"The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that the captives will be released and prisoners set will be freed. "
- I was almost able to type the whole thing without looking at my card,,,,yipeee!
oops... there was an error...let me try it again
"The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that the captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. " Isaiah 61:1 (NLT)
Proverbs 31:25-26
Strength and dignity are her clothing,and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Going to be memorizing the whole chapter over the next couple of months.
"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"
Matthew 6:26-27
I'm still doing Psalm 139. Thanks for the verse pack....I like having a system to memorize with now. It's helpful.
Psalm 139:3-4
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
Kelly T.
Micah 6:6-8
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God?
Thanks, Angel for sharing your system at the celebration! It definitely inspired me to quit jumping around from different systems and to solidify the way I review. After years of sporadic scripture memory without a good review system, I am finally getting down a system. That is going to be my focus this go around. Getting all of my verses from the past into memory pack form and cataloging them so I can effectively review! I am definitely excited about getting this going :)
So I've been forgetting to post but not forgetting to memorize! I've been so excited for these verses I talk about them a LOT. To everyone, lol. Anyway I want to focus on shaping my speech in sweetness and graciousness, so here are my two verses.
Proverbs 16: 21 (ESV)
"The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness."
Proverbs 16:24 (ESV)
"Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body."
I know I'm super late, but this week I need to review:
Matt 5:14-16 (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
and add:
Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."
This is kind of an interesting prep-for-transition time, and it's comforting to know that God establishes my steps, because I am very aware that I don't know what I'm doing. :)
This is super late, but here's my February verse:
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18
Not as late as mine. ;)
Continuing in Colossians 3...
Colossians 3:8
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from your mouth.
Second verse down...loving the process...hope to keep up the momentum!
Adding this one to it!
Philippians 4:9
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9
Lizz
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