I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11, English Standard Version)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, English Standard Version)
Review of Current Challenge (Days 11 – 16 of Lent)
Take the time to capture any lessons you learned from participating in Challenge #2. Feel free to share any thoughts others could benefit from.
Preparation for New Challenge (Days 17 – 22 of Lent)
Our third challenge recognizes the importance of God’s word. With technological advancements, it is now very easy to find Bible verses on electronic devices even if you only have a few search parameters. However, the benefits of being able to recall passages of Scripture from memory remain. Too often we convince ourselves that memorization is an activity that we grow out of. Bible verse memorization helps us to “renew our mind” at any age.
Challenge #3 – God’s Word
Memorize the following 5 verses from Isaiah and Philippians over 5 days:
Isaiah 26:3-4 (English Standard Version)
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Philippians 4:6-8 (English Standard Version)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
10 Tips to Consider
- Pray for God’s help as you memorize the verses.
- Read the verses in context to ensure you are comfortable with their application.
- Partner with others (this is an excellent challenge to do in community).
- You can use your favorite Bible translation (i.e., NIV, ESV, KJV, etc.)
- Use an approach that fits your learning style.
- Use physical memorization aids (e.g., notebooks and Post-it Notes).
- Use digital memorization aids (e.g., mobile phones and voice recorders). There are also free, add-free Apps such as VerseLocker that focus on Bible verse memorization.
- Be alert to opportunities to share the memorized verses to help someone.
- Incorporate the verses in your prayer.
- Exact recall is not the objective. The focus should be application.
March 7, 2026 at 11:08 am
1 Thes 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
This week was a reminder that we all need encouragement. I didn’t have to look for people to use in the challenge. They were everywhere. I was in the right frame of mind to see it and challenged to act.
Looking forward to next week’s challenge.
March 9, 2026 at 12:37 am
I like the verses that we are to memorize. Some of them like the Philippians 4: 6-8 is familiar. A very important scripture about prayer and supplication. My Bible is NIV version but it’s also good to read the English standard version. The Isaiah 26:4 is easy to memorize and such an encouraging verse.. The God we trust is an everlasting rock. Isn’t it reassuring to have a God , like a rock , our firm foundation and our salvation!