Each Saturday during Lent, we will take some time as a church family to practice a different spiritual discipline or spiritual practice together. Today, we are practicing Bible Memorization with Steven Jaehnert.
Why should we memorize Scripture?
The Bible encourages us to deeply experience and treasure Scripture in our hearts, to love and walk in God’s ways (Psalm 119:11, 103). The gospels reveal Jesus’ memory of the Bible was His strength and comfort when He faced difficulties—like the temptation in the wilderness, tricky questions posed by Pharisees, and suffering on the Cross. Jesus rested on the authority of God’s word, recalling it with perfect clarity, so that He was always ready to confidently reply, “it is written.”
As a part of your practice this Saturday, we want to encourage you to memorize Psalm 1
How to memorize Scripture:
My favorite way to memorize Scripture is active and vocal. The reason I like this method is that it combines several points of contact for memory. If one memory fails, say the mind’s eye, then the tongue or ear can assist with recall.
- Prepare. Pray that God would help you to understand and remember his word. I write my texts on notecards. This enables me to pull out my memory cards while doing other activities.
- Work in sections. Say the first word out loud; then, the next word. Say these two words together. Keep adding one new word at time like this until you complete a sentence. Speak clearly. It’s ok to exaggerate or overemphasize a word and involve gestures to help your memory.
- Add a bridge. Once you’ve completed the first sentence, keep repeating it, and begin to add the first words of the next sentence. This will help your mind and tongue build a memory bridge between sentences.
- Work the next section. Whether you are working in phrases or full sentences, memorize the next section of text. You can temporarily stop repeating the former sentence(s).
- Review. Review all the sections of text you’ve worked on so far. Say them out loud a few times and brush up the weaker parts. Make it your goal to speak at the speed of thought.
- Repeat steps 3-5. Add a bridge; focus on the new sentence; put it all together. When you’re having trouble adding more, focus on what you’ve done. Don’t rush forward too quickly without solidifying what you’ve memorized. Sleep on it.
- Practice. Review your text daily at first. Once you are ready, share it with a friend or relative who can read along and note corrections.
Led by Steven Jaehnert
Caring for Your Plant
PLANTING
The love of God connects us deeply to Him and His desire for each of us to grow. Without that connection, we would flounder—foundationless and directionless. Psalm 1 reminds us that those who delight in the law of the Lord are like a tree planted by streams of water. Our plant needs a firm foundation, just as we need to plant ourselves firmly in the love of our Creator and in His law. And just as our plant’s roots grow with proper care, our own lives yield fruit when we abide in the Lord.
To provide our plant with the best care for it to grow a strong foundation, we need to give its roots the ability to grow and flourish by repotting. You can purchase a pot, use a mug, or even a clean tin can. It’s best if the vessel has drainage, but if not, just take extra care when you water it to give it just enough water that it will be partially dry within the next few days. When you remove the plant from its original pot, shake off the old dirt and loosen up the roots before placing in its new pot with fresh, moist potting soil. Relish the opportunity to care for your plant just as Christ cares for us.
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