In this message from our series where Jesus asks us to “Know Me” via spiritual disciplines, Eric Kramer looks at the importance of spending time with God’s word. Below are the teaching notes:
PEOPLE of the TEXT
Many of you probably feel scripture memorization is beyond your reach—you see
it as something for squinty-eyed scholars in seminary, or children reciting verses
learned by rote, and you’re either too busy or too old for anything else in your life, much less memorizing bible verses. Psychologist Tim LaHaye explains that our apprehension about memorization is not so much from a mental block as it is with
an ambition block: “If I were to ask for your address or phone number, you would have no trouble recalling it. Anyone that can memorize phone numbers, addresses
or social security numbers can memorize Bible verses.
If you want to imitate Christ, it’s hard because life in our culture—especially your
thought life—isn’t consistent with being a Christ Follower or Imitator. You can’t watch TV, drive to work or sit through lunch with co-workers and school mates without being bombarded with messages that contradict or ridicule your faith. Your mind can and will be taken hostage by these thoughts and influences. Memorizing Scripture and consciously thinking about it, gives you the foundation to evaluate all the messages that bombard you from advertising, music, television, friends, the workplace, school, your family, and everything you are exposed in your daily life.
If you want to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
if you want to love your neighbor as yourself, and if you want to be transformed
by the gospel a little more each day - memorize God’s word. There is no other
spiritual discipline that will drive steel into the foundation of your soul like scripture memorization.
The most important scripture to a Jew in Jesus’ day, in fact Jesus Himself since He
was a Jew, was Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The first part is called SHEMA and it’s considered the greatest commandment by Jesus.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
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