Elizabeth has been a good friend to me; we have worked together in encouraging one another to memorize the Scriptures for over a year now. Elizabeth has put a lot of effort into putting together the epistle of Titus, our first memory project of the year, in three PDF files for your convenience. I am very happy to have her as a guest today. Be encouraged and join us!

As I reflected upon our Philippians memorization project, I began to see that memorizing long portions of Scripture was much like running a race (a fitting metaphor, I think, because that is to what Paul compares our spiritual journey). I started out with some uncertainty as to whether or not I could complete such a large goal. However, I was also full of energy and excitement as we began. As we progressed, it began to feel like an uphill battle, constantly fighting the flesh. It was as though my mental “muscles” were burning with the strain of the “exercise”. I cried out to the Lord in anguish, “I cannot do this, but I know that this honors You. Please, help me!” It went on like that for some time…constantly crying out to Him to carry me along. Toward the end of the project, came another “burst of energy”…renewed vision, excitement, and commitment. Throughout the project, as we memorized each chapter, I was amazed at what God was allowing and enabling our minds to retain. At the conclusion of the project, I found myself simply astounded at His grace and the way that He carried me through. It was truly evident that we work because He is at work in us (Philippians 2:12-13).

I know that I should not have been amazed; He wants us to know His Word more than we want to know His Word, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to make this possible. He also knits us together with other believers who encourage us, pray for us, etc., especially when our strength and/or faith are weak. (Thank you, Becky!!! You have been a huge means of grace in my life through this endeavor!!) God does not promise that the race will come easily, but He is faithful!

In A Godward Life, John Piper writes: “I have never heard anyone say, ‘The really deep lessons of my life have come through times of ease and comfort.’ But I have heard strong saints say, ‘Every significant advance I have ever made in grasping the depths of God’s love and growing deep with him has come through suffering’ (pg. 287).

Truly, memorizing large portions of Scripture is not suffering…quite the contrary, but it does require much effort, at times. However, the rewards far outweigh the “cost”. Just as Scripture says, “…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:7b-10, ESV).

It is with this in mind that I pray that many of you will consider the benefits of memorizing Scripture and strive alongside us, setting your hope on the living God. We’ve compiled a booklet for those of you who wish to have something small to carry along with you throughout the day. (To allow maximum space for a readable font, the margins are rather narrow so many of you may have to check a box saying “Fit”, “Fit to Page”, “Fit to Size”, or something similar. You can find folding instructions to make the single printed page into a booklet at the PocketMod site.)

Additionally, if this is your first time attempting to memorize an extended portion of Scripture, you may find John Piper’s method (borrowed from Andy Davis’ booklet, “An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture) helpful. This is what was shared with us upon the commencement of our Philippians memorization project and has been a beneficial guide to me, personally.

Elizabeth

Click on each of the following links to download the PocketMod. (I, Becky, cut it and instead of folding it, I pasted it on my Moleskine. The size works beautifully too)

Titus Weeks 1- 3

Erratum:

Week 1 – verse 1: is missing “of the faith” after “for the sake” and before “of God’s elect”

Week 3 – verse 15: is missing the word “but” after “nothing is pure” and before “both their minds”



Titus Weeks 4-6


Titus Weeks 7-9

Our general schedule, as we had announced last week, is as follows:

Week 1 ~ Titus 1:1-4
Week 2 ~ Titus 1:5-9
Week 3 ~ Titus 1:10-16
Week 4 ~ Titus 2: 1-6
Week 5 ~ Titus 2:7-10 (A short “grace” week for those who need to play catch up.)
Week 6 ~ Titus 2:11-15
Week 7 ~ Titus 3:1-7
Week 8 ~ Titus 3:8-11
Week 9 ~ Titus 3:12-15

To see more recommended resources on how to enrich your memorization time go here.

We would really love it if you could join us, it will be a blessing!