A Call to Scripture Memory

Well, 46 years ago I met a man who 45 years ago in August became my husband and he was an unusual guy and in fact was known as the cranky monk. I met him at Moody Bible Institute and he was devoted to the Lord like no other. young man he had met and it wasn't long after we started dating that one day he asked me if he had ever memorized the Scriptures and I told him of course he had. I'm the daughter of a Baptist minister and so I told her I memorized John 3:16 and the Way to the Romans and she said Susan, I'm not talking about that, she said, I'm talking about, have you ever memorized a book of the Bible?

And I thought this guy really has a good name, he has a month to go and I thought he was crazy, I really did, but he said, Susan, it's actually not that difficult and I finally found out that he had memorized most of the New Testament at the time, I was only 19 years old and I said, well, tell me. how to do it and so he shared with me his method, which I will share with you towards the end of this session, but he shared with me his method of how he memorized the Scriptures and he challenged me and encouraged me to memorize the Epistle to Colossians because it is only four short chapters and he showed me, told me how to do it and I did it hoping he would ask me to marry him and it worked, he asked me to marry him and that was over 46 years ago and so on.

You can only imagine that the Epistle to the Colossians has special memories and meaning for me. I will have to tell you that through the years that I have memorized the Word of God, he has done a lot in my personal life, he has helped me postpone sin more. that anything else I know as a teacher of the word of God has helped me understand the Bible more than comments or anything else studying the Word of God also how wonderful I have noticed it is as a biblical counselor and pastor's wife. She has helped me help other women by counseling and discipling them.

I don't have to be flipping through the Scriptures. I can simply scan the

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s with my mind to help them with the various problems they are having and also. I have begun to notice how I challenge the women I disciple or counsel to memorize Scripture. In fact, there's one here this morning who has how many books now need to be memorized. Five books. I have noticed that the women I have challenged over the years to memorize

scripture

s to memorize books of the Bible, there are those who have grown the most spiritually because they are devouring the pure milk of the word and thus I have also seen that their lives have radi

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y changed through memorizing the Word of God and that has been a blessing, but what I want to do together in this first session is ask and answer questions that I hope will challenge each of you to memorize the Word of God.

The first is who should memorize the Scriptures. Scripture memorization is really necessary for everyone. Secondly, why should we memorize the Scriptures? And I'm going to give you 12 reasons that are biblical. They are not mine. They are from the Word of God. Number Three. What Scripture should we memorize? Number four. When do we memorize the Scriptures? and then lastly, how do we memorize Scripture? How do we do this? That's where we'll have some little practical things. First of all, who should memorize the Scriptures? The first question is Scripture memorization, which is really necessary for each of us to answer this question well.

Turn to Psalm 1, probably a psalm that most of you, if you haven't memorized it, probably know. Let's read Psalm 1 together and answer this question. The psalmist says: Blessed is the man who does not walk. counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scorners, but delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on his law day and night, and he will be like a planted tree next to the rivers of water that bears fruit in its season, its leaf will not wither and everything it does will prosper.

The wicked are not like that but are like the chaff that drives away the wind, so the wicked will not remain in judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous because the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish now ladies look very carefully the psalmist says he is a godly man or in our case the godly woman who delights so much in the law of God who meditate day and night a pious woman is so enchanted by the Word of God that she wants to meditate day and night now you could say Susan my translation does not say memorize the word it says meditate well let me give you the Hebrew definition of meditate the Hebrew definition of meditate means to murmur or reflect and actually involves mumbling in a low tone of voice until it implants itself in your mind.

This is what the Jews would do and they would do it day and night like Paul, an apostle of Jesus. Christ by the will of God for me therapeutic brother Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God for me his brother Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother you say that you have understood it enough times, true, that is biblical meditation and then they did it day and night until it was implanted in the mind and they realized what the psalmist said they meditated on the law of God, who can tell me what the law of God would have been at this time?

Once, someone, the first five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy, now, how many of you know? Someone today has the first five books of Moses. I didn't memorize anyone that I know well. I know if a person, but I will tell you in a Minutes ladies, the Jews thought that the Word of God was so important that they memorized it, you know that today we have 66 books, 66 books and unfortunately most of the Christians I know do not meditate on the Scriptures. Psalm 119 23 says this, his servant did meditate on his statues, now ladies. When you look at Psalm 1 you can't escape the fact that all believers should memorize God's Word and you might say, well, Susan, that's the Old Testament, don't you know we're not under the old?

Keep the law or the Old Testament. Don't look there, but look for that first book of the Bible that my husband challenged me to memorize Colossians, you know the warnings that 3:16 says, let the Word of God dwell in you richly, let the word of God dwell in you you in abundance, the word lets in. the Greek means to dwell word by word, let the Word of God be Lagos, which is the complete body of God's truth. Do you know what Paul is saying to the church in Colossae? They must allow the whole body of God's Word to inhabit them. on them and the ladies put on their biblical thinking caps because the church in Colossae would not have the privilege of having a copy of the Word of God and so they depended on listening to it as it was read, they depended on hiding it in their hearts, no I don't have the privilege that you and I had this morning when I got up, the first thing I did was to the kitchen, I made coffee and I brought my two cups of coffee back to where I read my Bible and I grabbed my Bible, which by the way needs help, so I'm going to get it.

The gorilla sat down and began to read the scriptures. Well, the church in Colosse did not have that privilege. Can you imagine not having a Bible today and so you depended on memorizing it, ladies, men and women of yesteryear? They had a special challenge to hide the Word of God in their hearts because personal copies would have been unheard of, it was rare, it was too expensive and you know, even as church history progressed, do you know that men and women appreciated the Word of God more than you and I hear it? some of these Tertullian dedicated his days and nights so much to reading the Bible that he memorized the punctuation now I'm not going to teach you how to memorize the punctuation I'm not worried that Cramer could repeat the entire New Testament by heart bezu could repeat all the Paul's letters in Greek at the age of 80. thia two the youngest could repeat any part of the Scriptures exactly now.

I have only met one person who had the entire Bible memorized and that was the man who discipled my husband and others. I don't know anyone who has memorized the entire Bible. Now you could say Susan, those are men. That's what men are supposed to do. Memorize the Scriptures well. Francis Haver Gayle, who wrote my favorite hymn. He takes my life and leaves it. She memorized. the whole New Testament, the Psalms, all the Psalms, there are 150 of them and Isaiah in his teenage years, well, there are a couple, there are several of you here who are teenagers.

Did you understand that? Did you understand that all the New Testament all the Psalms in Isaiah nor adolescent? years and then memorized the Minor Prophets now she died at the age of 43, so she did not die of writing memorizing the scriptures ladies, she will not kill you. I'm 64 years old and it hasn't killed me yet, so he died in the At the age of 43 he died of consumption, but you know, when he died he had 12 thousand nine hundred thirty-five verses learned by heart. In this way, Frances Havergal memorizes the Scriptures. She and her sister went for walks every day and memorized the Word of God together. the way, walking is an excellent way.

Usually if I walk alone, I usually carry my verses with me, it's because it's a rhythmic thing, you have something there and you can memorize God's Word now, you could say Susan, you know, that's just it. exaggerated and you are exaggerated, well, I read about a man who was saved at the age of twenty and he decided that he would memorize just one verse a day, one verse a day, so when he was three years old in Jesus, do you know how many verses there were? memorized among more than a thousand ladies? That's not so difficult, one verse a day.

I know it may seem impossible, it is not. I mean, think about it, be glad forever. There's the one for the day. Know that it is for tomorrow and then pray without ceasing. See, I've already started it so you know that the early church didn't know anything about quiet time. In fact, my husband has said that the term quiet time has ruined Christians. Shouldn't you win it? I can't even find the word quiet time, it's what quiet time is or you know a chapter a day keeps the devil away or I'm having my daily devotions you know the Word of God dwelt in them, dwelt in them and ladies, we have the written word in fact, we have so many translations that probably most of you have it on your iPhone or your Samsung phone, you have it at home, at home, I have my dad's Bible, my grandfather's Bible, I have all of these, I have a whole row of Bibles in my office and yet, with all the advantage that you and I have over the church in Colossae, do you know that most of the women I know today are bibli

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y illiterate?

They are because I have conversations with them and you know they can tell me what's on TV tonight and they can tell me what's going on politically in the world, they tell me about Koban 19 but they can't tell me where the simplest things are in the Scriptures and then you wonder why we are crawling in our spiritual diapers and why we are not understanding victory over sin we are biblically illiterate ladies so the answer to the first question who should memorize the scriptures is simple, very simple, everyone who knows the Lord should memorize the scriptures now, if you are lost, you can memorize them, it won't hurt you, that's for Sure it doesn't come back empty, but if you know the Lord Jesus Christ you should memorize the scriptures now.

The second question we want to ask is an answer and this one will be a little longer. Why Susan? Why should you memorize the Scriptures? I have others. things I need to do I'm going to give you 12 reasons and they're all biblical okay, they're not mine, they're from the word the first reason you should memorize the scriptures is to be successful and no, I'm NOT a prosperity teacher and I don't believe that you will get rich by memorizing the Scriptures but listen very carefully Joshua 1:8 this book of the law will not depart from your mouth but you will meditate day and night that you will observe to do everything written in now listen very carefully because after doing Meditate on that day and night and do what it contains, then you will make your path prosperous and you will have good success.

It's like the song we watch about the man who meditates day and night. a tree planted by rivers of water that bears fruit in its season its leaf does not wither and everything you do that prospers is successful does not mean that you will become rich but it does mean that everything you do will reach maturity your your life family will be blessed your spiritual life will be blessed you will be happy you will be at peace you will be content ladies what a great reason to memorize the Word of God I am sure that many of you are going through what we are going through right now in our country, you know, it has a arsenal of Scriptures that you can meditate and think on, giving you peace, joy, and contentment.

The second reason why we should memorize the Word of God is the conviction of sin, which leads us to sin less, now to not be sinless, the conviction of sin that leads us to... sinner less ladies a verse that probably each of you can quote psalm 119 11 you can say it with me if you want his word I have hidden in my heart why in order not to sin against God also psalm 37 31 says hiding the word of God in your heart will prevent your steps from slipping, Ladies, let me tell you what happens when you memorize theGod's word.

I remember this because after I converted to Christianity at the age of thirty and began to get back into the habit of memorizing God's Word, God did not save. I memorized the Epistle of Colossians until I was 30 when I was 18 and then I got married and lived ten years, ten years of a libertine lifestyle and we don't need to go into that, but anyway, when God saved me at the age of thirty I picked up that habit again and you know I had a lot of sinful things that I needed to put off and I can remember I was memorizing the Epistle of James and I came to that verse that said the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God and I thought, what does it mean? that?

Oh, if Susan Joy chooses wrath today, God's favor will not be toward her and I began to realize what that meant. One of the problems I had when God saved me was that I had a terrible temper if you don't believe it you can ask my husband why he almost called off the wedding the night before we got married and he was going to put up my tombstone and she did it her way so that tell them what kind of Woman I was and then I memorized I was like wow and you know that verse that led me to the conviction of sin that led me to fight hard to postpone that sin of wrath and that's why my husband will tell you today that that's not it's a problem. more and I'm sure he's very grateful for that and as you read, you know it's one thing to get up in the morning and read your Bible and you go, yeah, your mind wanders, but you do have to say it over and over again. again, wives be submissive to your own husbands as to the Lord, wives, oh boy, I'm in trouble.

You better make some changes correctly and as you meditate this will lead to conviction which will lead to life change number three. The third reason they need to memorize. The Word of God is because the word of God has power to change your life The word of God has power to change your life Hebrews 4:12 says because the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, that pierces until it divides like soul and spirit and pierces the heart and the discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the mind ladies, the Word of God has power his words have no power my words have no power in fact I was talking to a girl yesterday in I called the phone and said, I'm surprised you're still talking to me and because she had texted me asking me what to do about a certain situation in her marriage and I sent her a bunch of scriptures and she said I told her.

My mom, all you did was give me the scriptures and I couldn't argue with that, so no, you can't unless you don't, if you don't want to argue with the Lord, but the Word of God has the power to change your life. . If you are a genuine Christian, the Word of God has the power to change your life number four the fourth reason why you should memorize is commanded to us Deuteronomy 6 6 says this these words I command you today must be in your heart, teach them diligently to your children, talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Now ladies, think very carefully, how should Jewish mothers teach the Word of God to their children while they? I'm sitting walking down the road, by the way, they didn't have an iPhone. Say, honey, let me find that verse for you so we can talk about it. No, they had to implant them in their minds so they could diligently teach them to their children when they sat down when they walked down the road as they went life ladies memorizing the scriptures is not an option warnings 3:16 it is also a commandment let the word of Christ dwell in ti richly number 5 the fifth reason why you should memorize scripture examples of the saints in the New Testament who memorized examples of the saints in the New Testament who memorized do you know?

There are over 300 direct quotes from the Old Testament in the New Testament and again they didn't have a personal copy of God's Word, they did in fact, you memorize it if you ever read Acts and I hope you do Acts chapter 7 Stephen gives a sermon masterful reviews a thousand years of the history of Israel, a thousand years, you know? Stephen quotes from Genesis Exodus Deuteronomy Amos and Isaiah in his sermon not many people can do that today without opening their Bible, almost no one who knows the number 6 and if you have gone to sleep, wake up because this is the most important one, I think for women, okay, the most important reason why you should memorize scripture number six to transform your mind to transform your mind I wish I could go over all the women I have counseled and discipled who have memorized the Word of God and I have seen their lives transformed through memorization and application of God's Word.

It has been amazing, says Pablo. In Romans 12:1 and 2, I beseech you, brothers, by the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, what is your reasonable service, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by renewing your mind, how are you going to renew your mind, ladies? Not looking at the Victoria's Secret catalogs, I tell you that this is not how you renew your mind, right, or by connecting to the Internet, or the Internet, you are spending six hours on Facebook, right, you are going to renew your mind through what, through the Word of God and that's why. this is imperative too Ephesians 4:23 says be renewed in the spirit of your mind number seven number seven the seventh reason why you should memorize the scriptures will allow you to be a better counselor will allow you to be a better counselor you could say Susan, I am not a counselor , yes you are, I am looking at many of your mothers to give advice to your children.

I'm sure many of us have given equally wise advice to our husbands and our friends. of course we are we are all counselors psalm 119 97 to a hundred says this oh how I love your law it is my meditation all day through your commandments you have made me wiser than my enemies they are always with me I have more understanding than all my teachers for your testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the ancients because I keep your precepts ladies when you hide the word of God in your heart and you have someone who comes to you asking for help a child even a husband you know sometimes my husband will say what do you think we should do about it or a friend, you know, you don't have to say, well, let me Google it, I know there's a verse about that, but let me Google it and see what God says or let me go ask. the maid let me find out you know how I can find the answer can you say with authority you know this is what the Word of God says about your problem and then you can give advice and you can give it with authority number eight this is very important for those of us who live in the heresy capital of the world, which is also Oklahoma number eight, will prevent them from mistakes.

Memorizing the Scriptures will avoid mistakes. An interesting passage in Matthew 22 29 when Jesus responds to the Sadducees about a member they were wrong about. the resurrection that came spoke of the woman who knew all these husbands and then in heaven who will she really marry to remember what Jesus says, you are wrong, you are an arrow, why because you do not know the scriptures by the power of God Ladies, we saw for those of you who were in our study this year in 2 Timothy, we saw in 2 Timothy chapter 3 that women are more easily deceived than men and that is why we have a greater responsibility to study and memorize the Word of God. so that we don't get swept up in cults, in fact the other day I was talking to a woman on the phone, I've never met her, she comes from the Word of Faith Movement.

I talked to her and told her that she needed to attend a solid Bible study that he received. She came back to me later and she said: Sorry, I don't agree with your advice. I'm going to stay in this Bible study with all my friends who are into false teachings and I hope she falls by the wayside. I know that most cults and heretical teachings are the result of Scriptures taken out of context. In fact, if you look at the Word of Faith Movement that is massive here in Tulsa, they take the Scriptures and they take them out of their context when I have someone who comes to me, from the Word of Faith Movement, they say, well, you know, the Bible says this and I'll say, oh really, let's look at what it says before and what it says after, so ladies, this really isn't an option for us that we need.

To know the counsel of God, which will prevent you from becoming a victim. I will tell you what will saturate your heart and mind with the Word of God and we need to remember what Jesus says as we come to the end of time. False Christs and false prophets will come and, if possible, deceive what the elect are right, so it is up to us to memorize Scripture number 9. The ninth reason why you should memorize the Word of God will increase your love for God and your knowledge of God will increase your love for God and your knowledge of God first John 5 2 and 3 says this by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments because this is a love of God that we keep His Commandments and His commandments are not a burden, you know what the apostle John is doing, he is measuring our love for God by our obedience to His word, ladies, we cannot say that we love God and that we want to know Him more intimately than if we did not. we know what his The word says well.

I remember when I fell in love with Doug Keck and you know what it's like to fall in love. Overall, maybe you girls don't, but someday you will. And I remember back then, you know there was no such thing. texting, there were no cell phones or anything like that, but Doug actually wrote me letters, he wrote me letters by hand, in fact, I still have them at home, they're in a shoebox and sometimes I drag them around and the kids They come to you. I know my kids think they're fun, but I remember buying them anyway.

I would finish my classes at school and I would go to my post office box and I would take out that letter that Doug Keck wrote me and I would go up to the eighth floor of Houghton Hall and I read it and then I read it to my roommate, who probably bored her to death and then I put it under my pillow and kept reading it and would read it over and over again. Again, why would I do that? Because he was in love with the author of the letter. Well, ladies, it's the same with the Word of God.

We read it over and over again and we want to memorize what it says. Because. Because we are in love. the author I remember I remember several years ago when I memorized the gospel of John my first gospel I memorized and I mean I fell in love with the Lord in a completely new and different way when I remembered that gospel because I saw Christ in a way and I read the Gospel of John many times but to memorize it and keep it in your heart and mind ladies, you fall in love with author number 10 number 10 the tenth reason why you should memorize the scriptures it will comfort you and your afflictions i will comfort you in your afflictions psalm 119 50 says this is the comfort in my affliction because your word has given me life now ladies I know that we can open the Word of God and go to our favorite Psalm and I know that some of you probably have that over the last few months, when we have gone through this pandemic, you know that you've thought of different things that are encouraging, but isn't it great when you can just lie in bed at night or drive or something? suddenly verses flood your mind that are encouraging and comforting or you know as a pastor's wife many times we receive calls in the middle of the night and we have to go to the hospital of course now we are not allowed to go to the hospital, but before all this If it happened, we were allowed to go to the hospital, but you get to the hospital and you want to give comfort and encouragement.

It's great to be able to take what you know and share God's Word and give comfort. I don't know if this will ever happen with the things that are happening now. I think it could happen. There may come a time when there is persecution of Christians. We may no longer have the Bible. If you ever think about that, you say, "Well, Susan, I got it." on my phone, well if you ever thought about the fact that our power grid could go out and then you might not have a phone anymore to receive the Word of God, but if that ever happened, if right now they took away your Bible and You could never have it again or they will take away your cell phone.

Do you know enough of God's Word to comfort you in your affliction? Something to think about. He will comfort you in your affliction. In fact, I have people who joke and say that if that happens. We're moving in with you and Doug, you know, between the two of us, hopefully, he knows everything just because he reads it all the time, I think 13 times a month or something, but yeah, I guess come on, he always, always. I wanted the whole church to live with us, so come so you have something to think about, if you've ever had your Bible taken away from you, do you have enough to give you hope number 11?

The eleventh reason you should memorize the Scriptures is for spiritual growth. first Peter what are we going to study this fall bible study for ladies first Peter says we should desire the pure milk of the word just as that breastfed baby who is starving for the next meal we should desire the pure milk of the word why grow to grow up, ladies, if you are reading rubbish devotional material. I'm not saying that everythingdevotional tool material may be rubbish, but there is a lot out there, I mean, if you are gravitating towards that over the word of God, I can Guarantee that your spiritual muscles are not growing, you are not growing, but if you want the pure milk of the word and you memorize the Word of God, you will grow that way and, as I mentioned to those women I know who have memorized large portions of the Word of God, I do. see them grow and last but not least, the number 12, the twelfth reason why you should memorize the Word of God.

It will help you in your old age. Look when you grow old like me and Amen sister. It will help you in your old age. Isaac Watts, the great hymn writer. He once said this as we age our brain shrinks and hardens from lack of use and the best therapy for the brain is memorization and of course he says the best thing is to memorize the scriptures. I remember when Miriam went to church here she was training to be a doctor and one day she told me that Susan memorizing the Scriptures really exercises the brain and she said that she may never get Alzheimer's or dementia.

I could still do it, but Lord willing, I won't, but she said it really is a great exercise for your brain and for me. I think it's interesting how many people gravitate toward some of those word puzzles and riddles and things like that to exercise. your brain, but ladies, it is best to memorize the Word of God. I still remember vividly many years ago when Debbie Debbie Pendergraft, who travels with me, and I was in Texas and I was teaching and her father was in a nursing home and he had Alzheimer's and she said do you mind if we go see him before we go to tomorrow where I was talking and I said no, it's okay, so we went. night and he didn't know Debbie, he didn't know me and he said he looked at me and said who is that woman and Debbie said well dad, that's Susan and she teaches the Bible to women and you know what came out of her mouth.

He said well Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me and he was so sweet and he has the sweetest countenance. Well, the next morning I stayed at the hotel, I was studying and she I went back to see him and she said he didn't know her, he didn't know we had been there, but ladies, he knew the Word of God and I don't know about you, but when I get old and have my kids throw one at me. from those places I want the Scriptures to come out of my mouth, you know, and they and they said they were in the nursing home that he was one of the sweetest patients they had, because he knew the Lord, it's very evident that he didn't I knew Debbie.

He didn't know me but he knew the Word of God and I want the Word of God I want to grow old sweetly, you know, I want to grow old sweetly and in fact, Carolyn Gatewood, who disciples me, says Susan, you better start transforming your mind now. because when you get old, that's who you really are, you can't mask it anymore, like Oh Lord, make me sweet now so you know, you better start memorizing now so you can grow old sweetly, all right, the third question we want to answer is what scripture should we memorize? You might say Susan, boy, you've really convinced me.

I haven't convinced you. The Lord has convinced you through his word, but it's okay, you have convinced me. I need to memorize the Scriptures. What Scripture should I memorize well? We learned this last year. From 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, all the Scriptures are given by inspiration of God correctly and are useful for doctrine, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect and completely prepared for all good works, so that we may know that all the Scriptures are profitable. So you can memorize anything you want, but let me give you some suggestions, for example, I encourage you to memorize if you go to a women's Bible study, like some of you do.

Everyone does it here. I think memorize whatever the teacher is teaching my husband. teaching Romans right now Haley's husband is teaching James memorize one of those epistles if you think it seems overwhelming memorizing a book of the Bible start with something smaller recently my husband preached on psalms 42 and 43, which are psalms for the depression if you have problems with depression. I encourage you to memorize Psalms 42 and 43. Years ago I was counseling a young woman who had attempted suicide because she had been date raped and was only 16 years old at the time and I encouraged her to memorize Psalms 42 and 43. 43 and six weeks into our counseling, she told me she no longer had suicidal thoughts.

She was putting down the Word of God and thinking about it. If you have difficulty loving people, I encourage you to memorize 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, very good qualities. of love if you have problems with anxiety, you worry, I encourage you to memorize chapter 6 of Matthew, do not worry about what you are going to eat, what you are going to drink, what you are going to wear and he gives eight principles why I shouldn't worry and I remember one time I was counseling a woman and she had used all her time on the treadmill to memorize Matthew Six and she told me how that had really changed her life if you have problems with your mouth, gossip, slander , angry words, anything.

So, memorize chapter three of James, I guarantee it will cure you. I remember years ago and I was teaching James to the ladies that for the next six months everything was very quiet in the church and I didn't even have to buy duct tape, but over his mouth they just stayed very quiet, very convincing. Those are just a few examples. If you have never memorized God's Word, you can start with a psalm. I am working with a lady right now and memorizing Scripture is terrifying for her. I said, "Well, why don't you start with the Psalm?

What we just went over is very simple and then I asked her to do that and I said, How about Psalm 23? Now she has it memorized and the more she does, she gets a better result. Try it, you know that taste and you see the Lord is good and she's trying it and that's why she's getting excited so I'm really excited for her to do that so you could say, well Susan. , you're mentioning books, chapters, portions of Scripture, how about you know random verses or you know I know a lot of people put them on three by five cards and they just have random verses The problem with that kind of memorizing the.

Scriptures is that many times You can use those verses and take them out of context, remember the Colts and the heresies, our Colts and false teaching start with verses taken out of context, so if after this session you decide that you will continue to do a verse here and a verse there, could you? Do God a favor, make sure you know the context when you use it because I know that's one of the things as I've memorized Scripture and come up with a verse that for years I've used out of context because I didn't know the context and I felt really embarrassed about it, but I didn't know, I didn't know, so make sure you know the context, you don't know what you're memorizing, also remember this if you choose the random verse method. that the New Testament was not written in chapters and verses, okay, Peter and Paul knew Isaiah 53:6 but they didn't know what Isaiah 53:6 was, if that makes sense, when Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians it was just a letter like if you sat down and wrote me an email it was just a letter that didn't say verse 1 verse 2 verse 3 chapter one chapter two chapter three so I'll tell you from experience and from helping other women who have Acts random verses, it's harder to retain than a chapter, a book, or a portion of God's Word, so whatever you decide, make sure you use it in the right context so that the answer to that question is to memorize, memorize anything, in reality I think.

There is an app called that memorizes anything and helps you memorize scriptures. The next question we want to ask is when, when should we do this. Remember what Joshua said. Meditate day and night. Remember what the psalmist said. Meditate day and night. Be surprised how much time your mind is in neutral if you think about it. I do it when I'm in the shower. I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes I play the tape backwards. I have a clear shower and everything is recorded wickedly and you know when you shower, wash your hair and shave your legs, you could have a verse, memorize, you know, exercise, clean the house, iron, sometimes my husband wants have your shirts ironed.

I get my verses if I'm doing laundry. I keep my verses in the washer dryer and you would be surprised on the plane if we ever travel again, I don't know if we will or not, but planes are a great place I have found to memorize Scripture. even in the carbonate, you would be very careful, you want to keep your eyes on the road, but a lot of times I take a phrase and, as I'm traveling, in fact, as I was coming here this morning, memorizing Ecclesiastes right now and I'm in chapter 3 and I was saying my verse all the time until now and it's a long time you have without doing anything.

You'd be surprised how much time we spend thinking about an idle, useless person. Such Scripture

memory

helps us make good use of our time, such as waiting in long lines at the supermarket while driving to work, we may find that occupying our minds with the Word of God keeps us from becoming impatient or angry, for example. so the answer to when do you do it at any time we have many different time periods and the last question we want to answer is how do we do this. You might say Susan, I can't do this and I confess I didn't think I could do it either until I started doing it. and then the more I started to memorize, the more it became a big habit and in the East and the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

I'll tell you, but I'll tell you that in high school I didn't like memorizing. I don't like to study, but after God saved me, he gave me the desire for his word. I will tell you that your brain can do amazing things if you let it. You know, they tell us that we die with 90 percent of our brain. 90 percent unused, so I don't use that 90 percent of your brain that is not unused to memorize God's Word, but I want to give you three tips on how to get started. Number one. You have to start. You have to start.

Choose the book. is your favorite book of the Bible what is your favorite portion of the Word of God you have to start you know many things that we never do because we don't start right and that's why you have to start with number two You have to set realistic goals. What is realistic for you? Can you do the verse today? Can you do one verse a week? What is realistic for you? And the reason I say you have to be realistic because women are very bad at this. Know? I'll say I'm going to lose 10 pounds by next week.

No, no, you're not going to lose 10 pounds, so tomorrow morning when you step on the scale on your way to what you do today, you're going to say "Me." I'm done with this like this, you know dieting is not for me. Amen, dieting isn't for me either, but set a realistic goal. What is realistic? When I started memorizing Scripture, I did a chapter a month and then a couple of years ago I thought I know there's no reason I can't do a verse a day, so whatever is realistic for you and your agenda number three and I think this is really important, especially when you're starting out.

Find someone to hold you accountable. Find someone to hold you accountable. When I first started memorizing scriptures I just did it, but over the years I have had women hold me accountable and I will tell you it has been a blessing to me as we have said our verses together and found someone. To hold you accountable a couple more things I want to share quickly before sharing the method my husband gave me: Don't memorize Scripture when you're tired or distracted or if you're going through a deep crisis. Unless you can focus, I know that the few times I've tried to memorize things, when I'm going through something or not mentally alert, it just doesn't work, so make sure you're free of distractions in the second.

That's right, make sure you stick to the same translation. I grew up on the King James Version, that's what my father taught when I met my husband, that's what he uses, now he uses the new King James Version, so after I finished the New Testament I thought. maybe I change the translations when taking the test above, not because I am very familiar with a translation, so don't try to change the translations while you are memorizing, it will be very confusing for you if you have problems with a verse you come to a verse and you are memorizing Let's say first Corinthians 13 or James chapter 3 and you're having trouble and you say it over and over again and you still can't understand it.

One of the things I've found helpful is I put music to it and memorized the book of revelation and I came to a verse and I couldn't, it just wouldn't fit into my mind, I don't know what, so I made up a little melody and it helped me. a lot and now when I get to that chapter I sing it but my daughter who is memorizing it with her children put music to Psalm 119 with children's melodies and just as Psalm 119 is a psalm from the heart it is very long and very similar sofind creative ways music is a great way remember this will help you when you are memorizing ladies these are not words on a page this is the Word of God so keep that in mind as you memorize it and those are just a few others advice there is.

I could give you other things, but yes, they are in the book if you want, but anyway now I want to share them, just share them briefly before closing the method that my husband shared with me over 46 years ago. I still use it and find it very useful, especially for memorizing and retaining what I have memorized. There are definitely different methods. Many women put their things on three-by-five cards. That's great, if you like, a lot of women put their stuff on three-by-five cards. things on cards and making stickers you know your word yes I hid in my heart so they have a little heart I don't have time for that but if you want to do that that helps you with anything and there are some ladies here I am I'm sure it would be a pleasure share with you his method, but the method that my husband shared with me and that I found very useful is this: when you decide what you want to memorize, put it on back then, it was a cassette tape, now it's my phone but put it on some type of recording device with your own voice as fast as you can and I will tell you why in just a minute for example mmm Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ but look God Timothy our brother Saints a faithful brother in Christ, for grace and peace be with you and about his father and the Lord Jesus Christ, thank you B, etc., so you have the good of Colossians 1 on a sub-recording device with your own voice, as fast as you can.

Say why so fast because my husband tells me Susan every time you're teaching and you start quoting scripture, he says, "You're just racial and I don't know." You have to slow down, but the reason you want to learning that way is they've statistically shown that your brain picks up things more easily if you listen to them at a fast speed instead of a slow speed, so you try it and I'm like that. Listening to it this morning I was listening to Ecclesiastes one, two, three and I put it on. I have it on my phone, but I even sped it up while I was getting dressed to come here this morning, so I'm just listening to it.

I have it in my mind and, therefore, you repeat it over and over again. Also what I do is very useful because I am more of a visual learner than an auditory one. In fact, I copied the page from my Bible into whatever I'm working on and take it with me wherever I go if I'm traveling if I'm away it's always with me and if I'm in the kitchen it's in the kitchen if in my room it's in my room is always with me but remember you've already done it You heard it, you've been listening to it over and over again and you have an idea of ​​what's in Colossians chapter one, so when you have some time and you're in the car, you're in the shower. you are washing some clothes you have a little free time you are sitting outside you are doing well so you take the phrase you know Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ Bible of God Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ for the book about Timothy, our brother, soon you will have one verse, then you go down to verse two and then you always know one, two, three, one, two, three four.

Now the key is this, when you finish with a book or a chapter or a portion of Scripture that you have memorized here is the key to keeping it review it every day 4:30 days and you will have it like how many of you still can't say I promise loyalty to the flag of the United States? from America to Roopa, how do you know that? Because you said it every day at school, right? Know? I can still remember my phone number from a little boy from six to seven, four, four, nine three, how do I know that?

Because I had to tell him. Now we don't have to tell our phone number to anyone, we just put them on speed dial on our phone, but if you say it for 30 days, you'll get it now once I've done it and I said it for 30 days and I got it. I have a revision system and I try to review everything I have memorized over a period of a couple of weeks. The way I do it is by listening to it and I also say it out loud. Anyway, you will see that it is a great way, there are other methods as well and I know a lot of people use certain apps and things like that, but that is the method that my husband shared with me and that is the method that I have found to be very effective and very helpful to retain now, in closing, I want to share a woman's testimony on how scripture memorization changed her life and I trust that if I haven't motivated you, maybe she will, she says it's not a favor to ask.

On Wednesday in Bible study, I shared how remembering the scriptures has changed my life. In fact, I shared with women how having God's word on my mind and in my heart has changed my mindset and my marriage. I am the type of woman who can have a complete experience. argument with my husband before he walks in the door, I rehearse in my head what I'm going to say and then I rehearse his response and then I hit him with a really good answer, so when he walks in the door it's like one of Your Oklahoma tornadoes have hit him, he doesn't stand a chance.

I am no longer the respectful wife that Ephesians 5 commands me to be since I have been memorizing God's Word. I have learned to fight against my flesh and take my thoughts captive. Not Now I don't have horrible fights with my husband before he comes home or even when he comes home because I have filled my head and my heart with the Word of God. Now the verse here is great, but when you have chapters or books memorized by the time you're done. By reciting them your heart softens and if not we will start again and the way you can control your thoughts and think about things that are true as Philippians 4:8 commands instead of feeding on the lies that Satan feeds us and that is What are they lies?

Having the Scriptures memorized in large quantities helps you with idle thoughts in your free time. It's surprising how easy it gets the more you do it, trust me I'm no genius and my mom swears I'm a DD to this day. If I can do it, anyone can, the good thing about this is that it not only changes your marriage but also your friendships, because women often rely on moody assumptions and these things that we fall victim to will change your life. I wish I could tell these ladies in person, but I hope the above helps and then it says here's a quick ps2 scripture reminder.

Now I fall asleep more easily as soon as my head hits the pillow it's like my brain kicks into action. I don't know why he hasn't done it. been in action all day, so why does it kick in when I go to bed? I start to think about the next day, the agenda for the month, the unfinished projects, the tasks I need to do, I can't sleep even though I'm exhausted, but now I take My thoughts are captive and I start saying in my head the chapters that I have memorized , usually before I finish I'm asleep and if I read the chapters more than twice, I imagine that the Lord wants me to pray for someone, so my thoughts Go there, it's incredible.

I'm not a genius and I have to work hard to stay focused. I have five kids and there aren't many opportunities to sit down and memorize, so I cut index cards with a half hole punch, um ring, um, they fit nicely in my pocket or purse and this way I can go over the old and the new, also write the verses It helps me memorize them and people can question me at any time and see if I'm distorting the scriptures anyway, if I can do this, anyone can, by the way. I graduated in the top five of my high school class.

Did I mention there are only six kids in that class? Okay, let's pray, we'll take a break, okay, father, thank you for your word. I pray for these ladies and the others who will listen that it would be the joy and delight of their hearts that they would find your words and eat them and go away rejoicing, so father, I ask you to light a fire within our hearts, a burning within our soul to want to know you more through your word I ask you in the name of Christ