Memorizing the Word of God

Last year Pastor Don introduced the Fighter Verse system to the church and encouraged us to take them home and memorize the Bible verses throughout the week. This year we started another set of Fighter Verses; I am hoping to stick with the memorization all year this year. Allison and I decided that we are going to keep each other accountable to memorizing out verses. So far we are off to a rocky start, but we both acknowledge that and want to improve that.

I was reading a recent sermon from John Piper where he encouraged his congregation to let the Words of Christ dwell in them. He gave personal testimony for why he memorizes scripture and also the testimony of Christ. Dr. Pipers testimony summed up into 8 short sentences.

1. Memorizing Scripture makes meditation possible at times when I can’t be reading the Bible, and meditation is the pathway of deeper understanding.
2. Memorizing Scripture strengthens my faith because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ, and that happens when I am hearing the word in my head.
3. Memorizing Scripture shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God’s viewpoint.
4. Memorizing Scripture makes God’s word more readily accessible for overcoming temptation to sin, because God’s warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful promises of sin.
5. Memorizing Scripture guards my mind by making it easier to detect error—and the world is filled with error, since the god of this world is a liar.
6. Memorizing Scripture enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist, and so protect myself and my family from his assaults.
7. Memorizing Scripture provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need.
8. Memorizing Scripture provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because he talks to me through his word, and I talk to him in prayer.

The rest of Dr. Piper's sermon can be found on the desiring God website