Jan
25
2009
25
2009
The James Challenge
Filed under: The James Challenge
“I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . .
No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant.
Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced.
Your faith will be solidified.”
- Chuck Swindoll
Almost one year ago, I felt God tugging at my heart to challenge the readers of my blog to start memorizing scripture. I spoke with people who have done it successfully…I read articles about how to do it…I pondered it…for….well, a YEAR! So with no more delaying, I am excited to announce the start of “The James Challenge”.
My personal goal by the end of 2009 is to memorize the entire book of James. In 2001, Matt and I saw a good friend recite an entire book of the Bible by memory (Philippians) at a retreat … and I was mesmerized! It was so much more than just the fact that he did it…it was that he had the living word of God implanted in his heart. He could pull those words to mind whenever he needed them. Now that is powerful! Also, a very close friend of mine from my military days spent time ministering with the Navigators (who believe strongly in the power of scripture memory). When we were together, I would hear her recite these verses from heart…and I was blown away. Not only was it powerful for her as the one memorizing them, but it was a huge encouragement to ME just to hear those words come from her mouth.
Now before you click to the next blog in your reader…hear me out. Even if you have never been good at memorizing things, I truly believe that with God’s power, through prayer, and a little perseverance that ANYONE can memorize scripture. We memorize phone numbers, songs, quotes, etc. all the time…it is possible to do this!
I chose James because it’s a sort of “mini-handbook for Christian living”. Plus, it only has 5 chapters 
Not too daunting. However, I am not out to make MY goal your goal. This is not something that I want you to jump into lightly just because I’m doing it. After the excitement wears off, it’s just straight out, old fashioned discipline that is going to carry you through to completion. Memorizing the entire book is not necessary either. You could go through the book and pick out 10 verses that really speak to you and memorize those. This challenge is just to help you get started on your own journey…the path to implanting God’s word in your heart.
So you’re thinking, “Sara, I have a Bible. I can read it anytime I want to. Why do I need to memorize it?”. Let’s explore a few verses and find out what God thinks about this (bolded text is mine):
Proverbs 3:1-6
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t even remember where I put my keys, much less what I read in my Bible just a few hours ago. And here, God is telling me to NOT FORGET His teaching. And he even tells me how I can not forget: keep His commands in my heart. Now to me, keeping them in my heart means to memorize. That would be why we say “I know it by heart!”. When you memorize scripture, it also becomes much easier to “lean not on your own understanding”…because you are able to quickly remember what God’s word says about a particular subject/situation.
Psalms 40:8
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.
Yet another heart verse. When God’s law is IN your heart and not just on the page, it becomes much easier to desire God’s will.
Pslam 119: 9-16 (The Message)
How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living.I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.
I really love how The Message can help me to see a passage of the Bible in a new light…and this one is no different. It’s so rich with encouragement and promises…and I want to live like this! I want to live a clean life…one with a single-minded pursuit of Christ. I want to live wisely. And the greatest thing is that it tells me how to get these things: by carefully reading the Bible, saying it out loud, and not forgetting a word of it!
Over and over, I’ve read that the key to effective memorization is developing discipline of your mind and your heart. You might be thinking…”but I’m not disciplined in any other areas of my life…how am I going to do this?!” You’re going to pray for discipline…a lot. And then watch as your scripture memorization starts to affect EVERY area of your life for the better. Your relationships, your work, your thought life, along with your general attitude and outlook.
Here are some thoughts on memorization from some cool guys (from John Piper’s article on why we should memorize scripture):
Dr. Howard Hendricks of Dallas Seminary once made the statement (and I paraphrase) that if it were his decision, every student graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary would be required to learn one thousand verses word perfect before they graduated.
Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.”
And from John Piper’s challenge to his congregation to memorize scripture:
“You may doubt that you can do this, especially if you are older. But ask yourself this question, If I offered you $1,000 for every verse you memorized in the next week, how many do you think you could memorize? Yet God says of his word in Psalm 19:10-11, “They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” The real value of the word is far greater than $1,000 a verse. The question is, Do you believe this? Believing this will be the crucial motivation you need.”
Repetition:
There are a lot of opinions out there on the best way to memorize. Tim LaHaye, in his book, How To Study The Bible for Yourself, says it’s best to memorize 3 verses per week…dedicating about 30 minutes of the day to it. John Piper recommends setting aside 10 minutes a day, and memorizing as much as you can in that time. In his method, you take one verse and read it out loud 10 times. Then, put it away and say it 10 times. The next day, do the same thing, but then add another verse to it, and so on. And then he adds, “this is not mechanical memorization…this is to fight the battle!” Amen brother!
I really think that you have to employ the method that works the best for YOU. Not everyone will learn the same way or retain scripture at the same speed.
There are differing opinions on whether or not it’s important to know the reference (chapter/verse). Personally, I don’t think it’s absolutely critical, but it could be helpful in certain situations. If I know approximately where to find it, that is good enough for me! Of course, memorizing an entire book is a little different than memorizing individual verses. When you’re doing a book, it’s more like a narrative…a story. Breaking it up with verses would be silly. When I memorize individual verses (i.e. a topical study, etc)…knowing the verse is beneficial.
Reviewing:
You must review, review, review! Once you have a verse committed to memory, don’t stop reviewing it. You don’t need to review it as much, but keep it fresh in your mind.
Keep your verses in places that you can review them easily:
• The bathroom (for those of you with lots of children, this might be your only peace and quiet during the day!)
• In your purse
• On your bed stand
Accountability:
I can’t stress this enough…you need someone to be accountable to. For best results, find someone who is excited to memorize scripture along with you. This person doesn’t necessarily need to live in the same town…phone accountability can work just as well. You should both be memorizing the same version of the Bible (i.e. NIV, NASB, etc.). I am using the NIV version for it’s ease of speech/conversational tone. Call each other once a day or once a week…it’s up to you. Recite your verses to each other, share your joys and sorrows…and get excited! It’s so much easier to stay on track with a friend. Everything is better in community.
Speaking of community…let’s spread the word about The James Challenge! Here is a little button for you to add to your own blog to let people know that you are participating. You should be able to post this code to your site, wherever you want to put it
and it will link back to this post:
<a href=”http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/2009/01/25/the-james-challenge/”><img class=”alignnone” title=”The James Challenge” src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/3227123143_ed75fd23dc_t.jpg” alt=”The James Challenge” width=”100″ height=”100″ /></a>
This is HTML code, so some of you will need to switch “views” in the upper corner of where you write on your blog post to “HTML” instead of “Visual”. Copy and paste the code there and then switch it back to Visual. Those terms are WordPress terms, it will be different for other platforms. If you want it in your sidebar, add a widget. If you need help, let me know!
Here is The James Challenge Yahoo group that I started so that we can discuss and dissect what we’re learning. I look forward to seeing what He has been teaching you! Be sure to join if you decide to join us in this challenge.
Keeping Your Verses Accessible:
And now for the fun part! You might be wondering the best way to write down your verses, what you should keep them in, etc. Well, there are several suggested methods. I will start with my personal favorite.
Introducing…the “verse purse”! Isn’t it great? My dear friend, Kristi (Good Like a Medicine), has a fabulous Etsy store called Palmetto Handmade where she sells these adorable creations. She has the most fun fabric and she even designs her own fabric (she will also do custom orders for you). They are just $13.50…and she is all ready to send out your cards with the scriptures from James. She will have each chapter available individually (one chapter pack is included in the price, $2.50 for each additional set). You can also order the individual set with your choice of verses. Kristi will be listing more verse purses within the next week…if you want one, but don’t see any available, go ahead and place a custom order to get on her list.
And the best part?! This cute little polka-dot number is up for grabs! Yes, that’s right…try to contain your excitement! I will choose a random commenter on Friday, January 30, 2009 as the winner. Weeeeee! Just leave a comment that you are interested in committing to the challenge and you’ll automatically be entered.
I have my own verse purse, and I love it. I carry it with me when I’m out and about…this way, I can review my verses while I’m waiting in lines, while I sit and wait for Bella to be done with ballet, etc. At home, I have two different wire bound note card sets (you can get them at most office supply stores or drug stores) with the verses written out on them. One for my bed stand and one for the bathroom. I’m really big into making it EASY for myself! I want to have my verses accessible everywhere without having to track down my ONE set.
So with memorizing the entire book as my personal goal, I plan on memorizing 3 verses a week with a schedule looking something like this:
James 1: 1-27
9 weeks
James 2: 1-26
9 weeks
James 3: 1-18
4 weeks
James 4: 1-17
4 weeks
James 5: 1-20
7 weeks
I’m not going to set out a specific schedule because it’s too hard for me to work around the birth and all that craziness But this is approximately how long I *think* it will take me to accomplish this goal.
God’s word is powerful and ALIVE…let’s encourage each other in this journey and watch as our knowledge is refreshed, our minds sharpened, and our lives transformed!
Additional Resources:
Thy Word I Have Treasured in My Heart
Ryan Ferguson’s interview on scripture memory (with a video of him reciting)
Scripture Memory Booklet by Andrew Davis
Kids and Scripture Memory (a listing of good verses by age group)
Scripture Memory Songs
Posted by Sara @ 10:59 pm | Leave a Comment
26
2009
Count me in! This is exactly the type of thing that I need to make 2009 “sparkle” (my word of the year).
I grew up in a baptist church where we routinely memorized verses. I’m still in church, of course, but not baptist, and have found that I’ve gotten away from the practice. Thanks so much for hosting this and encouraging our faith! That, within itself, is THE greatest gift you could be giving away, and the verse purse is just the iciing on the cake!
26
2009
How exciting and encouraging! My initial commitment is 10-20 verses. I am praying about whether to take the full plunge!
26
2009
Hey Sara what a great post! One of my goals this year is to be more disciplined. Memorizing scripture would be a great way to start! Thanks for the idea! Kate
26
2009
I, too, in my own personal walk have been challenged to memorize Scripture. The verse purse sounds like an awesome tool to help with that. I also like your personal ideas listed in helping to memorize!
26
2009
what an awesome challenge! i think i might be even more motivated with a cute little “verse purse!”
26
2009
What a motivating post, Sara! Thank you, thank you, thank you. At the beginning of the year I decided that if I had to have one New Year’s resolution it would be to start memorizing Scripture.
And I decided to start by memorizing the one chapter brimming in affirmation of the value of the word of God: Psalm 119. I’m memorizing one 8-verse section every week, so I should be done at the end of May. To know these verses has been like having life poured into me.
I know your journey will bless you, too!
26
2009
Thank you so much for this encouraging post! I love a good challenge and this is certainly a great one to tackle. I used to memorize crazy-long monologues for my drama class…why do I put off memorizing the TRUTH?! I accept this challenge.
26
2009
This is exactly the challenge I needed to get me started! Thanks!
26
2009
Hello Sara,
This is the first time I write a comment on your blog and I’m so exited on what’s about to begin. I have been browsing your blog for a while and I love it!!!! You don’t know this (now you do =D) that your life has blessed mine in a wonderful way. May the Lord bless you and your precious family all the days of your lives…Love, Liliana
26
2009
Thanks for the links. I was actually looking for some scripture memory aid sites a week or two ago to use with my preschooler.
26
2009
Thank you for the nudge!
God’s WORD is the ONLY life-changer!
When you read the background of James…it opens up the context of the book in an amazing way.
26
2009
I have a hard time remembering to wear my deodorant, but have been increasingly prompted that I need to begin memorizing scripture again.
Thank you for this challenge.
I accept.
26
2009
Count me in… I’ve been looking for some accountability and a challenge for scripture memorization, and I think James would be a good place to start. I just wrote out 1-8 on 3X5s and taped it to the bathroom mirror, the steering wheel, and the fridge.
26
2009
Whit
Great to see you on here! Careful when taping them to the steering wheel…I know you would never try to memorize WHILE driving, right? hee hee.
26
2009
Wow, this has so been on my heart lately. And the little polka dot thing is to die for, so cute. I’ll have to check out her Etsy. Good one Sara, I am overjoyed by this.
26
2009
Count me in! (oops, did I just write that?) What a great challenge… never tried memorizing big portions of God’s word, so I think it’s about time now… thanks Sara for your amazing blog! God bless! xxxx
26
2009
This is a great challenge. I would love to give it my best try!
26
2009
I’m in!
26
2009
polka-dots are so much fun : )
26
2009
Years ago when I was in college, I started to memorize the book of James. I only got partway through chapter 2, but it is definitely a challenge that I have wanted to take on again sometime.
26
2009
We’ve been memorizing Scriptures as a family (the younger ones get shorter verses), using the system that’s mentioned by someone else here in the comments:
http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/
We tried to do it by chapters but I noticed that my oldest wasn’t thriving- at that time, at least. I’d like to revisit it, and what neat way to be doing it with others, and with the Book of James. Count me in.
26
2009
Oh Sara! I’m really excited about this! I would love to join and memorize the book of James. Also, I would love one of those verse purses! It’t so cute and would be so helpful! Thanks for ddoing this!
26
2009
My husband and I are in together! I’m so glad you started this challenge. Last Thursday in bible study I started thinking about memorization, and then you post this. James is an incredible book to start with. Yay! Thanks, girl.
26
2009
this is much cuter than sticking post-its on my odometer!
26
2009
I started memorizing James while in Bible college. I got through about half of the first chapter and for whatever reason I stopped. I’d love to do it again! Thanks for the challenge!
26
2009
the navs were my heroes in college!
i am so in. i need some discipline!
26
2009
I’ve been stumbling over encouragement to memorize Bible verses for about a month…Okay, God, I hear you now!
Just one question, having not been raised with this tradition: Do you memorize just the words? Or do you memorize the words and which book, chapter, and verse they are?
26
2009
Great challenge Sara!
I didn’t want to comment ‘publicly’, but couldn’t figure out how to use the email link with my new(ish) computer
Recently I’ve felt like deepening my walk with Christ, but don’t particularly love the daily devotional I have for better understanding the Bible. Do you have one that you have used and loved?
Also, I LOVE the Mars Hill podcasts, but haven’t regularly attended church in YEARS. Did you have a favorite church when you lived in the Des Moines area?
26
2009
Thank You so much for the challenge! It is much needed in my life! Thank you for always sharing your life, you keep me encouraged and inspired!
26
2009
Hi Dawn,
For the James Challenge, I won’t be memorizing the chapter/verse with the words. When I memorize single verses (topical, etc)…I like to know the reference. In the additional resources I listed, Ryan Ferguson notes that he likes to cut and paste it into Word and turn it into paragraph form. This might be helpful…
27
2009
working with kids I often memorize scripture alongside of them, but I’m ready for a grown up challenge.
27
2009
Interesting…My husband was getting his chemo treatment yesterday, and mentioned today at breakfast that another patient handed him the book of James and left it with him…
Maybe this is a sign…
27
2009
You know…. having the verses in the form of small cards is really something that would help me out. I usually write them out and tape a different verse to my bathroom mirror every week. Thanks so much for the generous giveaway!!
27
2009
Sounds wonderful! I am stressing to my kids the importance of verse memorization. Might be good for me to do it too!
27
2009
So fun to see so many excited about memorizing God’s Word. As we have been helping Tay and Jocey memorize I have been convicted to push myself a pit more!
27
2009
I’m in. More at yahoo groups
27
2009
What timely conviction. Thanks for the encouragement. I am in. Those verse purses are so cute!
27
2009
We are SO doing this. We love the book of James. Thank you for the jumpstart!
27
2009
I’m in in a modified way. We just had a baby and I’ve been wanting to learn more songs to sing to her. So I’m going to try to find songs that are whole chapters or many verses to learn and memorize. I’d love to be entered for the verse purse though. It seems like a great way to memorize as well.
27
2009
Are there any extra spaces in the html code? When I copy and paste it into my blog, it doesn’t turn out right.
When I look at the sidebar on my blog, all it shows is:
“The
…Perhaps it is a problem with my blog template, that won’t let the whole button show up. But I thought maybe there were extra spaces I needed to close?
27
2009
Sorry Jentree…I’m not great at HTML
I just copied the code that I used to put it into my sidebar. Is anyone else having problems with it? I’ll try to track down the issue.
27
2009
Sara, What a great challenge! Lots of challenges out there in bloggy land…but this one is THE best! Nothing is more important than the Word of God! This year I started a “through the bible in a year” reading program and I’m so excited to start this memorization challenge too! …And your give-away is nice to top it off!:-) Have a great day! xoxo
27
2009
I’m not sure exactly what I changed, but I just kept playing around with the HTML and this worked for me. So, if anyone else with blogger is having trouble, this may work for them! Thanks for your response!
27
2009
This is a GREAT idea! I have already made reading the whole Bible my challenge/resolution for the year – something I have never done. But I plan on making this my resolution next year!
27
2009
That is the cutest thing ever- I need )okay, want) a verse purse!! That is much, much better than all my sticky notes!! Your blogs are just the BOMB, Sara and I get so valuable information reading about your life! I wish you and your (growing) family many blessing in your new home!!
Susan
27
2009
I’m in! This is exactly what I needed to motivate me.
The HTML code wasn’t working right for me either, so I made up a new one with the link back here.
27
2009
Great idea! I’d love to be included in your drawing. My oldest ds has done bible quizzing the past three years in our church. They memorize 270-280 verses each year!
27
2009
I LOVE this book! What a wonderful challenge, I’d love to join in. Thank you for all the great links as well. Memorizing scripture really makes us sit and “be” and take in each word with the true meaning. Blessings, Heather
27
2009
AWESOME!! THANK YOU! I haven’t memorized scripture since I was in jr high school (long ago) but I still remember Ps 1 word for word, even after 20 odd years. Thanks for the encouragement for me and also to encourage my little ones to hide the word in their hearts!
27
2009
I didn’t read all the comments, but something helpful during my Sunday School days was to write the verse on a whiteboard and erase words a little at a time until you had to recall the whole thing from memory. Maybe doing that for each new verse added could be helpful?