Types of Scripture Memory Goals

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.

It can be the source of endless scrolling and comparing (that's the part I hate).

But...it can also change your life! (that's the part I love!).

At the beginning of 2015, a friend from high school posted about a Scripture memory challenge from Beth Moore -- 

• Memorize one verse every two weeks
• Check in twice a month
• End the year 24 verses richer

I had dabbled in Scripture memory in the past but not much as an adult. I decided to go for it! We were allowed to pick our own verses, and I chose ones that I needed during that season of my life. 

Honestly, when the year began, I was not reading my Bible on a consistent basis. It had become a chore to me and was gathering dust. I was still attending church regularly and serving in the kids ministry and teaching at a Christian school (just not setting the best example in my own walk with the Lord). Even with not reading my Bible, I started memorizing it and meditating on it. 

Some of the first verses I chose were Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT): 

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, 

you must continue to follow him. 

Let your roots grow down into him, 

and let your lives be built on him. 

Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, 

and you will overflow with thankfulness. 

Without realizing it, my roots were growing down into Him and my life was being built on Him. Six months into the challenge, the Lord lit a spark that ignited the "fuel" I had been storing up those months.  God's Word came alive to me, and I had an insatiable hunger to learn more. I spent extended time at His feet and craved more and more time with Him and in the Word. I began actually studying the Bible (not just reading it) for the first time in my life. I began waking up an hour earlier to spent time at His feet (and my mom will be the first person to tell you how foreign that is for the Mary she used to have to drag out of bed).  My life literally did a step-function change that I have not "recovered" from.  With adding two more sons to the mix, I don't have the capacity for hours alone with God on typical days, but I still wake up an hour early (which, with my current job of teaching English online in the morning, is very early!).  

I successfully completed my 24 verses, but as 2016 approached, I thought I was ready for more.  I decided to memorize the book of Philippians, and in December of that year, by God's grace, I recited the whole book during an elementary chapel (I was super nervous and kind of boring in my presentation, and I think I put some kindergarteners to sleep!). 

And thus I became "hooked" on memorizing books and extended passages of the Bible. Every year became an opportunity for a new goal:

2017 - Sermon on the Mount

2018 - Psalm 119 (this is when I began writing songs as I memorize, which has proven sooo helpful.)

2019 - James

2020 - Titus, plus some other Scripture memory projects with my boys and with Scripture Memory Fellowship

And in 2021, Lord willing, I will memorize the first half of Romans (chapters 1-8) and finish the book in 2022.

What began with a Facebook post has turned into my hobby and passion and calling.

Types of Scripture Memory Goals

As we begin 2021 and I seek to encourage others to take a step in their Scripture memory journey, I can think of these types of Scripture memory goals that people may set this year:

• 1. ___ verses per week/month - Some of you may want to start like I did. You may not yet know all the verses the Lord will lead you to memorize, but you want to commit to a certain number. For some, this will be one verse a month. For others, this may mean one verse a week. As the upcoming week/month approaches, pray about what verse to memorize next.
• 2. a passage, chapter, or book! - Some of you will commit to an extended passage. The beauty of this is that each verse builds on the previous ones, so you get the fuller meaning in context. The thought of memorizing a whole book may seem daunting but is totally possible!  
• 3. whatever your kids/students are memorizing - Some of you have kids who already have memory verses for homeschool, Christian school, AWANA, or church. Why not join them in what they're memorizing? I first did this when I taught fourth grade. I learned my students' verses with them! When my boys are learning their verses for AWANA, I find or write songs for each one and eventually learn them, too. My oldest sons are currently working on the SwordGrip program to earn a scholarship to Scripture Memory Camp.  So, I'm learning them, too! This way, I can review with them in the van when we're out and about or at dinner or throughout the day because I know them, too (and they love "quizzing" me!). 
• 4. the Scripture songs of an artist you love - I wrote a whole post about how to find Scripture songs. In it, I told how I purchased the bundle of Seeds Family Worship albums and then listened to one each month, memorizing the songs along the way. Now that I've "discovered" The Corner Room, I've started learning their songs, too (and thus, the verses). You could find a style you like and then commit to learning that album this year (do they even call them "albums" anymore?).

(And, in talking with several of you since I first posted this, I've thought of a 5th one)

• 5. re-learning verses you've previously mastered - I can no longer quote Philippians word-for-word without help, so I've considered re-learning it (and this time, attaching it to music to help me retain it longer). Many of you have told me of past verses you've memorized and since forgotten. That's okay. It's dare-I-say impossible to remember everything we've ever memorized. You can move on to something new, or take the year to re-learn those treasured verses.

These five types of Scripture memory goals can easily overlap with one another (like committing to memorize a psalm but doing it with a Corner Room song or committing to two verses a month but in the process memorizing the book of Philemon), but as you set a goal for 2021, it will probably fall into at least one of these categories. 

My Facebook challenge to you is a little different from Beth Moore's because there's a wide spectrum of what "the next step" in your Scripture memory journey may look like for you. Our group will operate like this:

• Prayerfully decide on a Scripture memory goal for the year (if you're doing the first option, you don't have to have all your verses mapped out yet)
• Check in at the end of every month with your progress. Some of you will opt to post a video recitation. For some, the thought of doing that is terrifying! So, the other option is to recite your verse for someone (spouse, kid, student, friend) and then tell us what you memorized.

(and by the way, if you're not on Facebook for whatever reason, I'll post on this blog on the Sunday before the last full week of the month, and you can comment on here instead)

I know how much God has changed my life through Scripture memory, so I'm beyond excited to have so many of you join me. It's going to be a great year! :-)

(Here's Abigail, another YouTube Scripture song artist I love)

May the God of hope 

fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit 

you may abound in hope.

-Romans 15:13

P.S. I wrote an earlier post if you need some direction about where to begin.