Scripture Memory

If you ever read the Church Fathers, one of the most impressive things you'll notice is their ability to recall scripture. Their minds were saturated with the words, stories, and images of the Bible. When they spoke, they spoke with words that were shaped by the Bible. When they read the Bible, they read it in light of all the other parts of the Bible that had taken residence in their hearts. This is even more impressive when you remember the context. They couldn't Google a question they couldn't answer. They couldn't look for a passage in an index. They didn't have chapter and verse markers. Instead, they had God's word planted in their hearts and minds.


In our context, memory matters less. I can look up anything I need, from a recipe to a verse reference. The ability to remember is just not as important. 

The only problem is that's not true, at least not for scripture. God's words aren't just data that inform us. They're the seeds the Spirit plants to bear God's fruit in our lives. We need them because our hearts and minds need to be made new. 

As we go through John in Bible study this year, I'm going to record memory verse songs and store them in a Google drive here. My hope is that these simple songs can open doors and windows in our hearts for His word. 

Justin+