How Do You Memorize Scripture?
A few weeks ago I posed the question, why memorize scripture?
To summarize;
• It’s the number one tool for resisting temptation
• It helps you make wise decisions
• It strengthens you when you’re under stress
• It comforts you when you’re sad
• It helps you witness to unbelievers.
So how do I memorize scripture?
Memorizing Scripture is an important and powerful tool for growing spiritually. The Bible says that doing so can help us avoid falling to temptation. If you’ve never memorized Scripture before, it may be intimidating. But you can do this! Anyone can do this. It doesn’t matter how smart you think you are or how well you do at memorizing other things. Here’s how you do it:
1) Pick a verse that speaks to you. Don't choose a verse because you think you should memorize it. Memorize it because it will make a difference in your life.
2) Write it on a card and place the card in a prominent position. Place the card/s on your bedside cupboard, on your car dashboard or even pinned behind the toilet door.
3) Say the address before and after the text. The address, where the verse is found in the Bible, is the hardest part of the verse to remember. Make it easier to remember by saying it aloud before and after the verse.
4) Read the verse aloud and read it many times. We remember what we say and not what we read. That's how you record what you’re trying to learn.
5) Memorize it exactly. Don’t try to manipulate the Scripture before you learn it. Learn it as it is in the Bible.
6) Start by memorizing one verse a week. In time you may be able to learn two verses a week, but start slowly. If you memorize one verse a week, you will memorize 52 in a year — that’s all the major verses that a Christian should learn! If you memorized two a week, that would be more than 100 in a year. You’d be a virtual Bible compared to most people.
7) Learn Scripture by explaining it to others. Rick Warren calls it the paraphrase-it method of Bible meditation. It’s pretty simple, really. You take a verse out of the Bible that you’re reading or studying, think about it for a bit, and then rephrase it and say it in your own words. Ultimately, you want to be able to explain a verse or paragraph in the Bible in your own words. It’s not enough to know the Bible. We need to understand the Bible. Once you’ve read the verse and explained it in your own words, write your paraphrase down. Then, search your heart and see how that verse applies to you. Remember, you haven’t studied God’s Word until you’ve written it down and applied it to your life. Then pray God’s Word back to him. Commit to applying what he has taught you through the Bible. God’s Word will protect us, too. That’s a great incentive to learn his Word. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 NIV)
Ponder this;
• In what way do you memorize Scripture? Does it work? Should you change something about the way you memorize God’s Word to make it more effective?
• Do you have someone in your life that can memorize Scripture with you and help hold you accountable?
• Does the Bible ever seem hard for you to understand? How might paraphrasing what you’re reading change your attitude toward learning God’s Word?
• Why do you think it’s important to write down what you’ve learned and paraphrased?
• What verses are you “hiding” in your heart today?
Barry Klaer
Prayer Requests For privacy the prayer list is not included in this Blog but if you would like to view the current requests refer to the e-mail that alerted you to this site. If you have a prayer request or wish to be covered by prayer please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.This week we continue the series, “Jesus crosses the boundaries”. This week’s message: Jesus crosses the boundaries of race and culture. When we think we are better than others it can cause us to create a distinction between us and them; between us on the inside and those on the outside. While this can easily happen between races or cultures most of us can probably think of times in our lives where we have been made to feel like an outsider. Where have you felt like an outsider?
Bible Reading: Isaiah 42:1-7; Mark 7:24-8:10
Lenten Service
Lenten service will be held in the church at 4.00pm Wednesday 28th March 2012.
Easter service times
Maundy Thursday 7.30pm with Holy Communion
Good Friday 8.45am and 10.30am
Easter Sunday 8.45am and 10.30am with Holy Communion. Please Note: No 6.00pm Service
Kingdom Kids at the 10:30am service for ages 0-12.
Kingdom Kids
We have 1 week left in Kingdom Kids before our 2012 Easter Celebration (to be held on Palm Sunday). We hope you can join us on Sunday to learn more about the way God protects us.
Laura Carson – Children and Family Team Leader
8263 5087
We need your help!
Prayer: Please remember NOVO, its campers, leaders and organising team in your prayers as we prepare for and run NOVO this year.
Food preparation & serving: We are looking for local people who would be willing to help our Head Cook prepare and serve meals for a full or half day. The camp runs for 2 half days and 2 full days, so we are looking to make up teams of 5 people per day to assist in preparation and serving. If you would like to serve our young people for half or a full day during April 13-16, please let us know on the details below – we would love to hear from you!
Carpet pieces (large): Do you have any large rolls of carpet not currently being used that we could borrow? Or perhaps a large rug? We are looking for carpet or rugs which we can use to put down on the ‘stage’ area where we will hold worship so that the young people don’t have to sit on the hard floor. If you can help out with this, please let us know on the details below – thanks!
Contact: novo@blueprintministries.org.au or call 8267 5211
13-16 april @ Cornerstone College Mt Barker
Women's Fellowship
The meeting on 3rd April will be a bus outing to Vadoulis Garden Centre, Gawler and includes lunch. Bus leaves Para Vista church at 11.00am and returns at 3.30pm. You will need to bring $8.00 for your bus fare plus lunch money and extra if garden shopping.
Another date for your diary is the LWSA Convention at Loxton on Thursday 3rd May. If you are interested in this day bus trip, please phone Jan on 8264 8288.
FISH AND SALAD SUNDAY
CELEBRATING LENT ON PALM SUNDAY
NEXT SUNDAY 1ST APRIL 2012
The last week of Lent begins with Palm Sunday, which celebrates the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people lay down palms at his feet.
A LENT LUNCH – SUNDAY 1st APRIL
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO THE FISH and FRESH SALAD LUNCH
When? Sunday 1st April, 2012 after 10:30am service
Where? Para Vista Church Hall
Why? Celebrate the season of Lent with friends and family
Who? You and your family and any guest you may invite
Cost: Gold coin donation would be appreciated
Easter – Bringing Life to the City
On Easter Sunday, 8th April, from 1pm to 4pm in Victoria Square, Adelaide (near the water fountain), you are invited to join with Christians from other churches to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. There will be live bands, festival activities and free refreshments. In the past, there has been an Easter march, but this year we are focussing on welcoming the public to a free festival where they can engage with the meaning of Easter. Your support would be valued! Please pray for God’s leading and blessing upon the Easter Sunday Festival, and I would love to hear whether you can help out on the team!
Yours in Christ, David Christian, on behalf of the SA Awakening Executive (Fusion Australia).Phone 08 8391 0063.
From the Office
Please note office closed for staff meeting
On Thursday 29th March from 9.00am to 10.00am.
Items for sale
There is a season for everything and as ministries change, requirements change, and equipment is no longer required. Storage space is very limited and it is therefore best to sell items and use the funds to further ministries.
There are 4 items for sale. These are on display in the hall:
Laminated office desk (was used in office as a computer desk) 150mm x 90mm
Two door wardrobe
The blue car and plastic cubby house that have been in the hall for several years
All offers will be considered.
Surplus from 2011
Our finances have been audited and there was a surplus for 2011 of $8000.
The Board on recommendation from the Finance Team has decided to allocate this money as follows:
$1000 be deposited into the LSL account to cover LSL liabilities for the administration staff (pastors and Lay Workers are covered through the LCA though we contribute to the Lay Workers LSL Account).
$2000 be deposited into the Asset Replacement Account. This along with the $12000 allocated from the 2011 budget means this fund has been increased by $14000. This money is used to replace/repair existing equipment/ infrastructure. In 2011 it was used to replace the air conditioner in the church, buy material to recover damaged fabric on the church chairs repair the car park and replace carpets in the manse. It means these jobs can be completed without affecting the annual budget.
$5000 was deposited into the Special Purpose Account. This will be used at the discretion of the Board to further the mission of the congregation. It will enable the Board to action things outside of the 2012 budget. You will be informed as this money is allocated.
Mission news
Cebu Mission Fundraising Team
Sue will be selling cards for Cebu on Sunday morning after both morning services. Check out the new range of handmade cards!
Weekly reflections for the fifth week of Lent
As we enter the season of Lent and we reflect on the sufferings of Christ, our hearts also respond to the suffering of others in our community. At Lutheran Community Care the demands on our welfare services continue to increase at an alarming rate. This is the fifth in a series of weekly reflections for your church throughout Lent, written by LCC Director Helen Lockwood.
John 12: 23-28
'Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honour anyone who serves me.
"Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.'
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again."'
As we follow Jesus' journey to the cross in this last week of Lent we might become as confused as the disciples about the reason for this journey and the final destination. Jesus speaks about being glorified, which to most of us would mean becoming victorious and powerful. In the same breath Jesus talks about service and being troubled in his soul. We can identify with the disciples’ confusion. We would love our Christian faith to provide us with success and an easy life rather than a life of service in a broken world.
In these verses Jesus is affirmed by God and knows no matter what suffering he must endure God is with him and will bring new life. The image of the seed having to die to bring new life is one familiar to us all. When we look at a tiny, dry insignificant seed it is hard to imagine the plant or the tree that will shoot out and provide fruit and vegetables to nourish us.
This miracle of new life coming from death has been brought home to us at Lutheran Community Care as we work with the local community at Peachey Place, Davoren Park, to grow vegetables through a community garden. An overgrown, dry patch of ground has been lovingly turned over and fertilised. Seeds have been planted and watered and the vegetables are thriving. While this miracle takes place in the soil a similar miracle takes place amongst those who are caring for the garden. The team is made up of volunteers from different backgrounds - those who have lived in Davoren Park all their lives and those who have recently come to Australia from Africa, those who are socially isolated and those who make friends easily. As people work together and eat together connections are made and new life is breathed into the local community.
Jesus, on the way to the cross, had to pass through death in order to bring new life to all the world. Jesus’ journey speaks to the world each time we take the opportunity to die to self and bring new life to others.
Lutheran Community Care’s Food Parcels+ gives you the opportunity to help local communities come alive.
Use the tear off donation slip at the bottom of the letter in the March edition of the Together magazine, visit our website at www.lccare.org.au, or telephone 08 8269 9333 to make a donation today.
notice board
Please check the church notice board for further details of all notice board news
SA/NT District Synod Song Competition
Write a New Faith Song for Synod
Sing a new song to the LORD! Psalm 98:1 (CEV)
And yes, we are looking for a new song!
The SA / NT District of the Lutheran Church are meeting in Alice Springs this July for our synod.
We would like to “Sing a New Song”
on this year’s theme:
We would like to “Sing a New Song”
on this year’s theme:
‘Love comes to life’.
‘The Lord make your love increase and overflow’
1 Thessalonians 3:12
We invite you submit a song on this theme and/or text.
An opportunity to express your faith in Jesus and to add to the worship music of our Church community.
See the letter of invitation on the notice board.
WANTED: Experienced and mature bass, keyboard, and lead/rhythm guitar players, preferably with vocal ability, to join lead singer and drummer in forming a (not-for-profit, freelance) Lutheran worship and outreach rock band. Please phone: 041 8524 154 for an audition.
ROOM FOR RENT
Nailsworth: $150 per week.
Copies of the March edition of the E News from AbMinSA (Aboriginal Ministry SA) are available from the information area.
Friends of Lutheran Archives Special meeting. Topic: Re-enacting the Klemzig story. Hear about the Polish re-enactments of the departure of the first Lutherans from the Klemzig district to South Australia in 1838. Dr Anitta Maksymowicz will tell why the present-day Poles are interested in this and show a DVD of the events (see article in Together). (Note change of venue) At Concordia College Chapel, 45 Cheltenham St, Highgate, on Monday 2nd April at 7.30 pm. Gold coin donation.
The Lutheran Church of Australia will be conducting the 2012 Board for Lutheran Aged Care Australia conference in Adelaide from 2nd - 4th May 2012. Information and registration forms are available from the information area.
St. John's Lutheran Church, Tea Tree Gully
Would like to invite you to join them in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the church at 182 Hancock Road, Ridgehaven on Sunday 6th May 2012. Worship starts at 10.00am followed by a shared community lunch and an afternoon of fellowship.
BREAKING THE CHAINS. An Easter Drama and Musical at Our Saviour Lutheran Church Aberfoyle Park.
Vacancies
Please check the church notice board for details of all job vacancies
INTERNATIONAL GOSPEL CENTRE (IGC) has a permanent part-time position in general administration becoming vacant mid-late April for approximately 25 hours per-week at their head office in Athol Park.
INTERNATIONAL GOSPEL CENTRE(IGC) seeking the assistance of an auditor to help keep IGC up to date with their requirements as a registered organization.
PART-TIME CHAPLAIN NEEDED for the Rosewothy campus of Adelaide Uni. This will involve one day a week for the 26 university weeks of the year, and an honorarium of $4000pa. For further details, see the noticeboard, or contact Pastor Mike Pietsch on 8370 3615, or 0409 725 573, or mike.pietsch@lca.org.au
Applications due by Tuesday the 17th of April.
Life is like a ten speed bike;
most of us have gears we never use!
Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9.00am – 3.45pm
