I want to highlight one of the ways that being a part of a local church has blessed my life. Our church does five-a-month for Bible memory verses. During the announcement portion of every service our pastor asks if anyone has recited the verses for the month and he adds new names to the list of individuals. Names of those who have joined in memorizing the five verses for the month are printed in the bulletin every week.
Some may make the point that memorizing Bible verses to be recognized is the wrong motivation. I can see the point. We are supposed to let our alms giving be done in secret and our heavenly Father will reward us openly.
I don't see Bible verse memorizing equal to alms giving, though, so I wouldn't apply Jesus' instructions in Matthew 6. My view on the subject is that seeing other's names on the list can be encouraging or even convicting. Like, if these people can do it than I can, too, or, I should, too. I think myself memorizing the five-a-month and publicly proclaiming the fact has encouraged my friends to join in. And I know that I have been inspired by those members of our church who memorize the verses every month.
I think this is one of the types of things that Jesus established the church to accomplish. I know that I wouldn't be memorizing these verses if I was a lone ranger Christian. If I didn't go to church, I wouldn't have the will to memorize this much Bible. The local Church is ment to equip believers and be a purifying force in their life. By having a five-a-month club and publicly displaying those names I am being provoked to work on my spiritual walk. These verses that I have memorized this year have been so good for my spiritual walk. I have understood God in ways that just reading my Bible hasn't accomplished. (I still have a long way to go!) The amount of meditation that memorizing takes produces a better effect than only Bible reading.
My church is a huge blessing in my life. Bible memory is just one of the ways that my church has formed me into a better, more Christ honoring, believer. I hope that every believer can be joined to a local body. That is the way God planned for Christianity to work.
To close this post I will add the memory verses from this year and explain my memory technique.
For long term memory storage I have always had success with using tunes. I come up with a tune for each set of verses. I use an audio recording app on my phone to help me work on each tune. I add to the tune slowly. I will chant the first part of the verse to a tune that comes to mind. Once I feel confident with that small section I record it so that I can leave off from working on it. I move to the next section and come up with a tune. I chant the second section to the tune until I feel confident with it. Then I will put the two parts together and sing them conjoined until I feel confident with them together. I make a new recording with the two sections together. Then I come up with a tune for the next section. And so forth and so on..... I just keep adding to my song little by little with the words of the Bible verses.
Sometimes I draw pictographs and little symbols to help me memorize the words. If I have to work without the audio recording app I write out the verses and draw little lines and dashes to indicate whether the notes in my tune go up or down, long or short. That is the only way I used to work before I had an app.
Are songs the best way to memorize Bible verses? That depends on your goals. Songs are the best way for me and my aims. I am not memorizing these verses to quote to other people in conversation. I am memorizing these verses for my own connection with God and for long term storage. I want these verses to be in my mind for the rest of my life. Music is special in that way. I have read about Alzheimer patients that can sing their part in a singing group even after they have lost the ability to recognize close family members. I also think of being in a place where owning a Bible becomes a crime or being in a place where I won't have access to a Bible. In scenarios like that I will want my memory verses to be solid and long lasting as only I have found them to be in song.
Here are my Bible verse songs from this year. Maybe they can be helpful for someone else. Forgive me if I slip off key in these recordings, or don't keep steady tempo, or miss my high notes...... I am just putting these out there in case they may be a help to anyone.
January
1 Corinthians 12:14-18 For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
February
Nehemiah 8:8-12 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
March
Ephesians 5:17-21 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
April
Matthew 28:5-9 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
May
Romans 8:22-26 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
June
John 7:5-9 For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
July
Mark 11:22-26 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
August
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
September
2 Timothy 4:1-5 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
October
Acts 13:1-5 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
November
Revelation 22:17-21 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
December (Our pastor only picked out 2 verses to memorize in December.)
Isaiah 9:6+7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
