"Please, mister," the boy said, "Please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do!" Crying, he pointed to the edge of the street. It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. I threw the brick because no one else would stop! And I was afraid he would be hit and killed by a fast car Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Josh looked at the boy, the wheel chair and his brother. He let go of the boy. He felt ashamed. He helped the brother back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, making sure everything would be OK. He watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk to their home. It was a long and slow walk back to his black Jaguar. Josh never did fix the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick to get his attention. Sometimes it takes a brick to get our attention. What kind of a brick will it take to get our attention about the importance of memorizing Scripture.

1. WHY SHOULD YOU MEMORIZE THE WORD OF GOD?
Have you ever had the opportunity to talk to someone about the Lord but couldn't think of any Scripture verses to give them? "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17) Have you ever been tempted to do something wrong but can't think of a verse to support you in doing what is right? "Therefore to Him that knows to do good, and does it not, to Him it is sin"(James 4:17).

2. WHY DON'T YOU MEMORIZE THE WORD OF GOD?
A. Maybe you don't realize the power of the Word. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword , piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the thoughts and intents of the heart"(Hebrews 4:12).

B. Maybe you don't realize the importance of it. "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path"(Psalm 119:105).

C. Maybe you don't know how to do it. "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written therein; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success"(Joshua 1:8).

3 HOW DO YOU MEMORIZE THE WORD OF GOD?
A. By asking questions. (Examples)
1. How do we know that everyone is a sinner?
2. How do we know the penalty for our sin?
3. How can we be sure our sin has been paid for?
4. How can we be sure of going to heaven when we die?
5. What must we do to be saved? (It is good to write these questions on the back of a card.)

B. By answering the questions with a verse of Scripture.
1. The way we know that we are all sinners. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23).
2. The way we know what the price for our sin is. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
3. The way that we know that our sin has been paid for. "But God showed His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"(Romans 5:8).
4. The way we can be sure of going to God's heaven. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved"(Romans 10:9).
5. The way that we know that we are saved.

Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved "

C. By dividing and conquering.
One of the best ways is to write out the verse and leave words out. Then see if you can fill in the blanks. Then reverse the order by writing the words you have just filled in and see if you can say the other words.

D. By reviewing.
1. Daily (For one week) - Good to print out on an sheet of paper and put on your table.
2. Weekly (For one month) Review from your weekly pak every Sunday.
3. Monthly (For one year) Review from your monthly pak the last day of every month.

You will need one card and two paks you are working from. Don't move a card into the next pak until you are sure that you have it memorized With this method you should have memorized a minimum of 52 new verses each year.

4. HELPFUL HINTS FOR MEMORIZING THE WORD OF GOD.
A. Set a time each day when you will work on verses.

B. Have an accountability partner. (Spouse, parents or a friend) - Set a time to say the verses each week to this person.

C. If you miss a day or a week don't give up. (Satan won a battle but with God's help you will win the war).

by Steve Nicholes
LINKS TO . . . Other Bible Messages Genesis Esther Daniel Philippians James Complete Discipleship Topics