It has been on my mind for a while to put together this list because I believe young people have the most to gain from memorizing scripture. Even if you are committed to memorizing Scripture it can be difficult to know where to start. I’m hoping that providing a list of scriptures to memorize it will provide a starting place. (I have a post on how to memorize scripture if you want some suggestions for a process that works.)

I recognize, though, that making a “top ten” list of passages is a foolish thing to do for at least these reasons:

• To name “top ten scriptures” could be interpreted to mean I believe these passages to be better or more important than others (1 Timothy 3:16)
• I’m probably going to leave off some passages that others would include
• By recommending these I am in a sense putting myself in the role of a teacher and therefore I will be judged more strictly (James 3:1)
• By specifying the list is for a “young person” I’m likely scaring away young people (because they want “the grown up list”) and everyone else (because they think the list won’t work for them)

I specified “young person” in the title because I’m thinking someday, when I’m old enough, I’ll make an “adult” version of this list (… hmmm … that didn’t come out quite right) and because some of the chosen passages, I believe, will be especially pertinent to an individual who is somewhere in the range of 13-22 years old.

But I’m Posting it Anyway!

Narrowing the list to 10 passages was more difficult than I thought it would be. Let me acknowledge that I have omitted some passages that would make a LOT of top-ten lists. Sometimes these omissions are intentional and some are probably just oversights. One passage, for example, that I did not include is John 3:16 which says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)  My reason for not including it is that most people who will be using this list will be so familiar with the words and the reference that they have effectively memorized it in some form already. I have included in the list 1 John 4:9-12 which conveys some similar messages but is probably less familiar to most folks. This particular example highlights another approach I took in that the passage I chose to include contains four verses instead of only one!

In the list below I give the scripture reference, the passage of Scripture, and some short commentary of reasons why it made the list. All the passages are taken are from these translations: the New International Version (NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), and God’s Word Translation (GW). I selected from these translations because they are all quite readable. Obviously you can memorize them in whatever translation you prefer.

Scriptures to Memorize

Isaiah 43:1-3a, NLT

1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior …”

This passage is interesting because it is technically written to the nation of Israel. The promises, however, ring true when lined up with other scriptures and can be powerful when read with your own name plugged in. I especially like these verses because they give a reason not be afraid: The God of the universe says “you are mine!” It also gives a nice example of parallelism so common in Hebrew poetry and uses a very strong word (ransom) to describe what God has saved us from. Inclusion of this passage led to my removal of the beautiful Romans 8:38-39 from the list.

Ephesians 4:29-32, NIV

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Okay, this passage is amazing! First of all, it mentions every member of the trinity! The message is so clear and so pertinent! Words matter! Sin grieves the Holy Spirit. No to anger in its various forms. Yes to compassion and forgiveness. Why? Because God forgives us through the work of Christ!

Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This passage establishes core doctrines regarding salvation, beautifully addresses the faith/works conundrum, and caps it off with a powerful declaration that long ago, God planned for us to do good!  The fact that the latter concept is addressed here is what caused me to omit Jeremiah 29:11-13 from this list.

1 Peter 5:5-7, GW

5 Young people, in a similar way, place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders. Furthermore, all of you must serve each other with humility, because God opposes the arrogant but favors the humble. 6 Be humbled by God’s power so that when the right time comes he will honor you. 7 Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you.

This passage in an example of one that specifically addresses “young people” and in a different list might be replaced with a verse that addresses pride or anxiety. It’s pretty neat that this passage addresses both pride and anxiety and gives reasons why to avoid each of them. It also introduces the verb “serve” which is a steady theme in the Bible.

Ephesians 5:15-18, NIV

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

These verses are included in the short list for young people because of its clear instruction regarding substance abuse. And pretty neat that it doesn’t just say “don’t” but also “instead”. We also get introduced to one role of the Holy Spirit and conveys an urgency that can be helpful for a young person who mistakenly believes their time on earth has no end.

Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT

26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

These are verses with only a few words but they convey several truths: we have an enemy, letting anger control you gives that enemy a foothold, feeling anger is not a sin, dwelling on anger or letting it control you is a sin.

Psalm 119:9-11, NIV

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

This was one of the last ones I included and it narrowly beat out 1 Corinthians 10:13 as both, at some level, address the concept of temptation and sin. I opted for this passage because it brings into play the idea of purity as something of importance and explains the role of scripture and scripture memory in that.

Proverbs 3:5-6, GW

5 Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

I used the alternate reading for the final word because I love the idea of a rugged road literally straightening out before you. If a young person will learn that their own understanding can be limited and that God is trustworthy that can truly straighten out the confusing path they are asked to walk! It was difficult to choose between these verses and Matthew 6:33. Although they are different they were similar enough that I opted not to include both.

1 John 5:14-15, NIV

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Pray!

1 John 4:9-12, NLT

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

This is my “replacement” for John 3:16. This passage states clearly the role of Jesus in salvation and goes on to suggest how we should respond. It emphasizes the central concept of love.

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When people talk about the importance of memorizing Scripture there is sometimes an underlying assumption that folks already know how to memorize scripture. While everyone does have the capacity to memorize there are some concepts that, if practiced, can make the process more beneficial.

Why Memorize Scripture?

Psalm 119 is traditionally attributed to King David. The Bible refers to David on more than one occasion as “a man after God’s own heart”. In Psalm 119:11 we learn that David memorized God’s word and we learn at least one reason why.

Psalm 119:11

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

To further address the “why” of scripture memory I defer to John Piper’s article by the same title.

Some Misconceptions About Memorizing Scripture

Misconception: I need to have a good memory.

The Truth Is: Your memory is good enough. When asked your name you do not have to look it up on a note card. The fact you are reading this article suggests you have memorized thousands of words in at least one language. Most people find memorizing text to be difficult. Welcome!

Misconception: I don’t have time to memorize Scripture.

The Truth Is: Put down your phone. Turn off your TV/console. Talk less. If these three don’t free up enough time to memorize one verse per week then you’re right … you don’t have enough time to memorize Scripture.

Misconception: Once memorized, always memorized.

The Truth Is: If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

Misconception: Memorizing a passage is the ultimate personal achievement for a passage of Scripture

The Truth Is: Obeying a passage and sharing it with others is more important than memorizing it.

Misconception: Memorizing scripture is for super-Christians (or will make me a super-Christian)

The Truth Is: Scripture memory can enhance your spiritual formation. However, it is not “magic” and will not in itself make you more Christlike. Even Satan recited Scripture during the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Scripture memory doesn’t seem to have helped him much!

How to Memorize Scripture

So, you want to memorize some scripture? Here are some tips:

Repeat, repeat, repeat. Those of you with photographic memories can skip this step. For the rest of us, repetition is the name of the game.

Say it out loud. I find it helpful to say passages out loud. When recalling a passage you will likely want it to be recited out loud and it can tie the passage in to muscle memory.

Write it down and carry it with you. The act of writing a passage will help you remember it. Carrying it with you will allow you to redeem those spare moments through the day. Any time you pick up your phone to check messages, first pull out the card you wrote the verse on and recite it five times.

How important is the reference? The book name, chapter number, and verse number are not the inspired Word of God and therefore do not have the power to transform your life. Having said that, there are some reasons you may want to memorize the reference along with the passage:

• Knowing the reference can be convenient.
• Knowing the reference can help when sharing a passage with others.

Meditate on the scripture (and write down what comes to mind). If you allow your memorization to outstrip your obedience, it can lead to pride. Take time each day to read/recite the passage, think about it, and listen for God’s voice.

Share your insights with others. When you come to some understanding be sure to pass it along.

Devote time to review. Find a time each week (or daily) to review passages you’ve already memorized.

Find a partner. Asking someone to join you in your memorization efforts can be a blessing:

• Asking sends a message to the other person that they are important to you.
• They other person will receive the same blessings you will receive from the process.
• Involving another person brings some built-in accountability. See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

Postscript

I just finished a top-ten list of scriptures to memorize for a young person. These passages are powerful for folks of any age, though. If you aren’t sure where to start, give the list try!

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What is a “Worldview”?

According to Colson, a person’s view of how the world works needs to answer three questions:

1. Where do we come from?
2. What is wrong with the world?
3. What can be done to fix it?

It is interesting that the questions Colson suggests, presuppose his own worldview. For example, the third question assumes he believes we have a responsibility to try to fix what’s wrong with the world. I happen to agree with him on that point. In that regard, perhaps the first question represents the crux of a person’s worldview. How you answer that question will determine what questions are to be asked next. For example, if your answer to the question “Where do we come from?” is “We are products of evolution caused by the random forces of matter over time”, then it seems to me the next question would be something like “Is there any purpose to my life?” More than one philosopher has concluded that there is, indeed, no purpose, going so far as to suggest that the only logical course of action is to, upon realizing that fact, kill oneself. Of course, it makes me wonder how the same philosopher came to write a book about the topic!

What is a “Christian Worldview”?

Colson makes clear that he intends to answer the “worldview questions” from a Christian perspective as evidenced by what might be considered his “thesis statement” for the book:

For Christianity is, after all, a reasonable faith, solidly grounded in human experience. It provides a worldview that fits the structure of reality and enables us to live in harmony with that structure.

Charles Colson. How Now Shall We Live? (Kindle Locations 129-130). Kindle Edition.

Colson is not willing to let Christians “off the hook” simply because they claim to adhere to a specific belief system, however. In several different places he contrasts the “belief” side of Christian faith, with the “deed” side of Christian faith, which I have summarized below:

Colson’s recurring argument is that Christians tend to focus on the first list while neglecting the second list. If a Christian is to make a difference in the world, it will require action. A similar refrain is echoed in the Bible as follows:

… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:17, NIV

Food for Thought

As one who follows Jesus, the introductory chapter of Colson’s book leaves me with some challenging questions:

1. What is my own worldview and how is it affecting me?
2. If it is my responsibility to bring to pass God’s common grace to the world, then what do I need to be doing to make that happen?
3. What about the various other worldviews out there? Are they “just as good” as a Christian worldview?

I’d like to close with the timely words of an author who has influenced me greatly:

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C.S. Lewis, Weight of Glory, “Is Theology Poetry?”

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I used to think that if a student finished their first semester in good standing then they were set for a successful college career. (I used to think similarly about marriage!)  As it turns out a number of students make it through their first semester on the fumes of adrenaline and the good habits they built in high school with the help of parents.

Obviously, each student’s experience is different, but it seems go something like this:

• when to go to bed
• when to get up
• when, where and what, and how much to eat
• how to spend their free time
• how fast to drive
• … and a lot more!

One behavior that sometimes moves from the status of “mandatory” to “optional” is class attendance. Missing class in high school typically comes with immediate (negative) feedback. Missing class in college comes with … well … nothing … at least in the short term. As students begin to realize that they truly are free some of them exercise that freedom to their detriment. The ultimate cost of non-attendance is, of course, poor grades. Poor grades, can dampen enthusiasm for study, which will lead to increased emphasis on “other things”, which leads to poorer grades … and so the cycle continues resulting a dire case of second semester blues!

The Cure

So, what is the cure for the second semester blues? I think the cure depends on a variety of factors. Perhaps the root of the problem is the tendency we all have to do things that aren’t necessarily in our best interest. An ancient writer, Paul of Tarsus, expresses this idea eloquently:

 What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. (The Bible, Romans 7:15-16, “The Message” Translation)

Another aspect of the cure may involve fleshing out one’s worldview.For more on the importance of your worldview, visit my post on “Why Students Fail” Some students are so eager to enjoy their new found freedom, they fail to ask important questions such as:

• “Why am I here?” (in college, in life)
• “When college is over, what do I want to have accomplished?”
• “When my life is over, what do I want to have accomplished?”
• “What is the point of it all?”

Final Thoughts

If you happen to be a student (in any semester) who is struggling, let me encourage you to take some time to evaluate why you came to college in the first place. If your goal is to have a good time, let me assure there are much cheaper and easier ways to have a good time! On the other hand, if you are studying for a purpose, take time to reflect on that purpose. And if you need help to get out of a hole, don’t let pride keep you from getting the help you need.

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Rex Fleming’s funeral is today. His life and death have touched many. For me it has brought back fond memories of the time I was able to spend with Tom Kim before his death. What follows is a personal remembrance I wrote about Tom. Prior to this posting I had only shared this with a handful of people.  I hope that this posting will serve to prolong Tom’s legacy and to remind us all that we are only passing through.

Tom Kim

Tom Kim

Tom Kim had lived a lot of life by the time we became acquainted. Since his arrival in the U.S. as a young man, he had earned various degrees culminating with a Ph.D. in Economics. This was followed by a full-blown academic career ranging from achieving a rank of full professor at Texas Tech University before moving on to serve as president of McMurry University for over 20 years. He couldn’t bear an idle retirement and so continued in academia as a faculty member, first for Abilene Christian University and then for Hardin-Simmons University.

Meeting Tom Kim

I first met Tom at a “new faculty party” for the college of business at Hardin-Simmons. Tom loved to recount the circumstances of our meeting. As a new faculty member, I was meeting many of my colleagues for the first time. Tom introduced himself to me and upon hearing that my discipline was computer science, announced that I should plan to handle any regular computer problems myself, but that he would be happy to take care of the especially difficult problems for me! The part of the story that Tom never repeated, though, is that Charles Walts overheard our exchange and vociferously assured me that Tom would be no help at all with my computer problems!

We had a good laugh, but the true humor of that exchange was revealed when Tom repeatedly called me into his office when he needed help on his computer! As our friendship grew I began to announce, prior to providing “computer help”, that I charged $150 per hour for my services. Over the years Tom developed a number of comebacks for my announcements. His most successful was that he was charging me an equivalent amount for tidbits of Abilene news that he provided on occasion.

The “Book Club”

Other than occasional visits to Tom’s office to answer computer questions I had little interaction with Tom during my first year at Hardin-Simmons. It was at about that time I made a decision that turned out to be life-changing. I had begun reading a book and decided that I would benefit from hearing a wise economist’s viewpoint on the material. In a precocious move, I visited Tom’s office and asked if he would be willing to read a book and meet with me once a week to discuss it. I will forever remember Tom’s response because he did not give me an immediate answer. Instead he asked about the book and then told me he needed time to think about his answer.

The next day, to my relief, Tom agreed and we began meeting. It was no surprise that our discussions encompassed far more than our reading material and a friendship ensued. Before we had finished our book Tom suggested that we choose another book to start as soon as we had finished the first one. After completing several books, Tom began to dub our meetings the “Book Club.”

The Book Club meetings continued weekly up until shortly before his death and evolved over time. One of the more dramatic changes was the admittance of Mike Monhollon into the Book Club. The extension of membership to Mike was preceded by much deliberation on the part of Tom. He was hopeful that Mike would be a dedicated and worthy member, but didn’t want to ruin a good thing! Part of the cost of membership to Mike was that he had to agree to eat Thai food each week. Of this agreement, Mike was reminded often!

Another tangential development of the Book Club was that when Mike was unable to attend (often as a result of his deanly duties), Tom and I would still meet–but not discuss the book. Over time, we began to share many meals that were not related to the Club, but were just two friends enjoying Thai food together.

Personal Lessons

I learned many things about Tom during our lunches. One fact that became quickly evident was Tom’s devotion to his family. Whether speaking of his faithful wife, his over-achieving siblings, his highly successful children, or his beloved grandchildren, Tom was eager to discuss his family. His grandchildren, in particular, were a favorite conversation piece.

Tom also, on occasion, gave insights into the profession of collegiate academia and helped me understand some of its mysterious workings … though, much remains a mystery to me. During our lunches I learned small parts of his upbringing. Of particular interest was that Tom grew up in China as a result of the Japanese occupation of Korea. His father was a Korean patriot who help maintain a provisional Korean government in revolution against the Japanese occupiers. From that background grew a collection of siblings who seized life by the horns and used education to provide security for themselves and their families.

Lessons from Cleaning an Office

Another opportunity to learn more about this great man came with an assignment he gave me shortly before his death. Due to ill health, Tom had decided to forgo teaching and asked me to clean out his office. One of the first insights I gained from this experience was that Tom didn’t throw anything away! In a similar vein, he preferred to use graph paper for note-taking and had squirreled away a stack of graph paper tablets well over 2 feet tall. For each tablet there must have been 3 or 4 binder clips that were recovered as well. There was no shortage of red pens, either! I’m no psychologist, but I suspect the tendency to keep so many supplies on hand was a natural reaction to the stress his family must have endured living as refugees in Shanghai, China.

On a less trivial note I learned that Tom was a giver and receiver of thank you notes. I had on one or two occasions been the recipient of one of his very gracious, hand-written thank you notes. I found that he kept copies of many notes he had written over the years. I also learned that he had been, at least once, the recipient of the “Outstanding Citizen of Abilene Award”. It was interesting that one of his hand-written notes was to congratulate an individual for receiving the same award.

As I sorted through papers and books, there was evidence of an economist who had been highly active in his profession. There were a number of published articles, his own text book on the mathematics of economics, and notes from aspiring academics who he mentored.

More prominent than his professional record was an obvious devotion to teaching. As I sorted through folder after folder of class notes, it became clear that Tom had re-written notes from one semester to the next. Each notebook was filled with hand-written notes, graphs, and copies of current articles printed from the Internet. Many of his hand-drawn graphs were copied onto transparencies for viewing on an overhead projector. I assume that his preference for transparencies over presentation software was related to the fact that my hourly consulting rate was so high.

Although I tried to be careful not to read any confidential material I would sometimes catch glimpses of various items in my attempt to decide whether they should be kept, shredded, or recycled. The only comment from student evaluations that I read said this:

That’s an assessment to which I aspire, though I suspect it will take more than 60 years of teaching for me to arrive!

Questions to Ask

After I finished the project of sorting through Tom’s office, I took a couple of boxes of “high priority” items to his house along with lunch that my wife brought in from Szechuan Chinese Restaurant. I didn’t realize that would be the last time I would see him in person. The process of sorting Tom’s papers caused me to do a lot of thinking about what a person might find if they cleaned out my own office. I suppose the complementary question is

I’m still working on answers to those questions. In the mean time I’m left with a hole where Tom used to be and am getting a glimpse of of how one can drift over time from hanging dearly on to life to a place where the draw of those who have passed before makes moving on a natural next step. One thing I admire about Tom is that he was learning, growing, and making friends up until his death. He was in his mid- to late- seventies when we first met. He had no shortage of friends when I came into his life and yet he gave me access to his rich history and wisdom.

Although I miss Tom I’m thankful for his investment in me. I hope I will be able to emulate much of his life and that when mine is done we’ll together enjoy some delicious Thai cuisine and recount the story of how we met.

Terry Sergeant
(orginally penned on 26 Mar 2012)

—Colton Burpo to Harold on his death bed in Heaven is For Real

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I keep a block of wood in my office that has two symbols burned on the surface.

The symbols are a riddle of sorts. When students ask me about it, I have, in the past, required them to wrestle with the riddle for a while.  My reasoning was that they would appreciate the meaning more if they had to work for it a bit.  I recently (about an hour ago) decided that the riddle should remain a riddle no longer.

A Hint

If you’re the kind of person that likes riddles, I’ll go ahead and give you the hint which is burned on the bottom of the block of wood:

An Explanation

Okay, you’re right … the title of this page is also a huge hint!

The first of the two symbols is the Greek letter Theta which, in some circles, refers to God. The second symbol is a non-artist’s rendering (using crude tools) of a person running. So, together they suggest: “God Ran”.

The “hint” on the bottom of the block of wood is a reference to a Biblical passage which I’ve included at the bottom of the page. It contains a story told by Jesus in which he explains what God is like. In the story, a father (God) has an ungrateful son who demands his inheritance early and leaves home only to squander all he has. The destitute son decides to return to his father and ask for forgiveness. The father, seeing the son while he is still far off, runs to meet the son and welcomes him back to the family.

Why I Keep It On My Desk

There are a lot of theories in the world about God ranging from “there is no God” to “God is everywhere”. Virtually every philosopher in the world has felt compelled to take up the topic. When Jesus himself was trying to communicate what God was like he told a beautiful story that depicts a God who provides freedom of choice for his children, even when those choices result in suffering. That same God spends his days watching for the slightest indication that we want to return to his family. Even when we are still “far off” he comes running to us and without any chastisement, hesitation, or reservation, he welcomes us back with mercy, grace, and celebration!

That’s the God I believe in.

So, the block of wood on my desk is a reminder to me of what my God is like. It helps me as I try to be just like him.

Luke 15:11-24

A Song

There is a great song by Benny Hester entitled “When God Ran”. There are versions by various artists posted on YouTube. Here is posting with a version by Phillips, Craig, Dean:

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