One of the things I marvel at as a parent is my children’s capacity to remember things. If you’re a parent, you likely know what I’m talking about. I made the mistake of saying at Christmas that there might still be one more present I expected to be coming for our kids (unfortunately, something derailed my plans). I was asked about that again this week! My kids don’t forget!  

Thankfully, however, their powers of recall are not only utilized when it comes to Christmas presents, fun activities, and ice cream. As a parent, I’ve also learned that my kids have a remarkable ability to remember things that I, as an adult, labor to recall. I’ve seen this especially in Scripture and catechism memorization. Even my two-year-old son is able—through consistent practice—to have a bunch of Scripture verses memorized.  

Scripture memory, however, whether it be for adults or kids, is not something we do just for kicks or to gain some religious points. Scripture memory is about worship, holiness, ministry, and mission. Let’s consider each of these briefly:   

Worship: Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mt. 4:4). God’s Word is life to us. The Bible unveils for us the misery of our sinful condition, the grandeur of God, and the glory of our salvation. It gives encouragement in the present and hope for the future (Rom. 15:4). Practically, as we store up God’s Word in our minds and hearts we have more reasons to praise God (Col. 3:16) and more words to pray to God.  
 

Holiness: Committing the Bible to memory also promotes our growth in holiness. When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he asked the Father to sanctify (make holy) them in the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17). By committing Scripture to memory, we are gathering a sort of spiritual fertilizer that the Holy Spirit often chooses to use to help us grow more like Jesus.  

Ministry: Memorizing Scripture is not only about our own benefit, but it prepares us to help others. Having a variety of Scripture accessible to our memories will help us speak truth more clearly when we’re walking alongside a hurting friend, wanting to offer encouragement, or needing to provide correction.    

Mission: The Bible is also the means by which God often gives faith because the Bible shows us Christ and the promises of the gospel (Rom. 10:17). The Spirit takes the Word and pierces hard and stony hearts to awaken us to our need and Christ as the Savior. My words are often weak and faltering, but God’s Word is always effective. The more we commit Scripture to memory, the more we can allow God to speak for himself when we’re sharing the gospel with people around us.  

So, for these reasons, I want to let you know about the summer memorization challenge that is being promoted by our Sunday School Committee. In previous years, members of the congregation have spent the summer months memorizing Psalm 139, Romans 8, and portions of Psalm 73.  

This summer we are going to encourage the congregation to memorize the Bible verses used in two different gospel outlines: Two Ways to Live and Romans Road. Committing these verses to memory will help you get clear on the gospel but will also help you share the gospel with others using the words of the Bible.  

We’ll be introducing the verse for each week during our Sunday evening services. We’d strongly encourage all Harvest adults and kids to make a point of committing these verses to memory during the week using flash cards, a Bible memory app, your prayer time, or whatever other method will help you.  

Investing in this memory challenge will benefit your worship, your personal holiness, your ministry to others, and your evangelism; so, please join us in this challenge! It will be time well spent this summer.   

What I’m Reading Right Now:  

1. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis – This is one of the books we’re reading at bedtime with our kids. It’s been enjoyed by the kids and Dad alike!  

1. The Disciple-Making Parent: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Raising Your Children to Love and Follow Jesus Christ by Chap Bettis – I met Chap at one of the churches we attended in Rhode Island last summer. He has a focused ministry to parents and this book provides a primer for parents on intentionally pointing their kids toward Christ and helping them mature in Him.   

1. The Character of Christ: The Fruit of the Spirit in the Life of Christ by Jonathan Cruse – Cruse looks at the fruit of the spirit by looking at how they manifest themselves in the life of Christ.