rebelling against low expectations

How can I get better at Bible memorization?

H

C. WRITES: I have a really hard time memorizing Bible verses. Normally it is because I procrastinate. Do you have any advice that could help me stick with it?


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  • Hey, C. One way that really motivated me was to memorize Scripture with someone else. I started doing it with my dad. We held each other accountable and it turned out to be a lot of fun because we’d review old verses together, sometimes we turned verses into songs, and we genuinely got closer because of it.

    If you’re looking for some resources to help you with the memorizing part, I’d recommend these ones:

    – Fighter Verses: http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/ (a resource to pick what Scripture to memorize, also includes charts, bookmarks, songs, and verse cards)
    – Scripture put to music: there are actually quite a few musicians and artists who exclusively add music to Scripture verses, but my favourites are Seeds Family Worship, The Rizers, and The Verses Project
    – “An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture” by Andrew Davis: http://www.fbcdurham.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Scripture-Memory-Booklet-for-Publication-Website-Layout.pdf (this is an article with an incredibly practical approach on how to memorize a big chunk of Scripture; my dad and I memorized three books of the Bible using his method, and we aren’t anything special)

    The biggest things I would say are pray, don’t get discouraged, and make your own pace. Start small if that helps. Memorize passages that have had a special impact on you. And be held accountable! Even if you don’t memorize with someone else, find somebody to help you stay motivated and on track.

    Blessings to you on your memory journey, C.! πŸ™‚

    • I am doing Fighter Verses and absolutely love it. They have a 6×6 memory chart where you say the verse every day for six weeks and then once a week for 6 months. It’s a great way to memorize a verse a week and only takes about 10 minutes a day!

  • Toward the end of last year, I started putting verses on index cards and placing them in various spots. I have one next to my bed, one one my mirror for when I’m brushing my teeth, one on the refrigerator, etc.

    For some, I make myself read/quote the verse before I do something. For instance, I have one on my computer that I read before I open it. I use one as a bookmark and read it before and after reading. I also have one on my iPod that I read before I set the alarm for the next day.

    That’s a practical method that I’ve found helpful, but the most important thing (as Jaquelle said) is to choose verses that impact your life. Nothing will help you stay motivated more than realizing how much scripture memory can help you in your walk with Christ. The more you see its effects, the easier it will be to stay focused. God bless, my friend!

    • “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today….Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6: 6, 8-9

  • OK here’s what I would do….

    1. Don’t JUST try to memorize. Think about this one…if you have a classic (like A Tale of Two Cities or something) you’re reading, and need to know as much about is as you can, you’re not just going to memorize a chunk or two here and there. You’re going to read the whole thing, right?

    Well there’s nothing in the Bible I could find about memorizing verses (although I’m not against it or anything), but there are many things that suggest reading the Bible through. For example, if the Israelites wanted to appoint a king, the king was supposed do this…

    18 β€œWhen he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of
    instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.” Deuteronomy 17: 18-20

    also….”Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day
    and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only
    then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” -Joshua 1:8

    So READ your Bible through. There are many daily reading plans you can find.

    2. Something I did last year, was in my daily Bible reading, I chose a verse each day, wrote it down, and meditated on it that night as I went to sleep….check out Psalm 119:48, Psalm 119:52, and Psalm 119:117. That helped me memorize verses and also was supported by this verse….”Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

    Colossians 3:2

    Hope this helps! πŸ™‚

    • I think of Psalm 119:11 as a verse that encourages memorization.
      “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
      I like what you’re saying about reading the whole Bible. Memorizing verses is not more important than making sure we are actually spending time in His Word.

  • Good question! I’m in the middle of a Psalm 119 challenge and I am waaaaaaay behind because I just don’t feel like doing it. And, as we all know, we sometimes have to do what we don’t feel like doing…which means, I need to get back to it.

    Anyway, there are several things that have really helped me in memorizing. I do the National Bible Bee (biblebee.org – registration opens April 1st, I believe), which means a lot of dedication and time…and sometimes I just don’t want to give that! So, since I’m musically inclined (I love, love, love music), I record the verses to songs…sometimes I make up tunes and sometimes I put it to a really familiar song like, Jingle Bells, or something… then, I listen to it over and over again until I’m singing with it. Really, doing it like that makes it seem like a game, and not a menial task that you dread doing because it’s hard. With my verses a couple of years ago, my mom and I recorded them (and by recording, I mean, like, with an mp3 recorder and no accompaniment – it doesn’t have to be fancy AT ALL) and my dad burned them all onto a CD. That way, I had them on CD so when I was washing dishes or was in the car, I’d have my verses going…or, when I didn’t have access to a CD, I had them on my Mp3 player. It’s funny, I have CD’s from Bible Bee’s 2010 verses and I still remember a lot of them because they were put to song. But the ones I *didn’t* memorize with song, I cannot recall at all really…

    Another way, which sounds silly, but it really does work (and I have friends who do this too, it’s not just me), is to type out your verses on the computer and print them out on a clean sheet of paper. Then, get a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, tape it (with packing tape or something) to the shower, and seal the paper with the verses on it in the bag. Then, while you’re showering, you can memorize verses… honestly, it worked really well for me…

    Finally, get a partner. In my case, it’s usually my mom. I used to quiz my sister and she would quiz me, but when we were assigned different verses, we couldn’t do that anymore. Have someone test you on your verses every day, or at least every week. If you’re trying to get it word for word perfect, definitely review at least twice a day with someone, especially if you have a deadline. ScriptureTyper has some really cool features – you can input the verses that you want to memorize and memorize them *on* Scripture Typer, *OR* you can print out verse cards with the reference on one side and the verse on the other. I absolutely LOVE my verse cards because I carry mine with me *wherever* I go – I am serious. During Bible Bee season (June – August is local study season and if you make it to nationals, it’s another 3 months of studying), I take my cards everywhere. To the gym, to orchestra rehearsal so I can study on the way to and from, on long car trips…just reading stuff over and over helps. It’s the same way with books, if you read a book over and over, you’ll have it memorized (unfortunately, because I read my favorite book over and over and now, since I know every single plot line, it’s kind of boring :/). if you want to memorize a chapter of the Bible, read it several times throughout the day: when you wake up, after lunch, in the middle of the afternoon, and right before bed. After reading it approximately 50 times, you’ll have it memorized without even knowing… I love that method…. πŸ˜€

    Okay…I’ve rambled on long enough. If you want more tips, I have plenty of friends who are BB alumni who can give more…. πŸ˜€ And, we’d love to have you join us this year for Bible Bee. It’s totally worth it. The Bible studies are amazing and the fellowship is like nothing you’ve ever experienced!!!!!

    God bless, and press on! The time you spend memorizing will never be wasted!!!!!

    Now go change the world…

    ~Annalysa

    • That’s awesome! I tried the Bible Bee thing once… That is way too many verses for my poor brain, at least in the timeframe I had. πŸ˜› So I’m super impressed that you do it! =)

      • Christy, just so you know, the amount of Bible verses for the Bible Bee has hugely decreased…check it out again, you’ll find it much more manageable, I think.

        Also, I know sometimes it’s just way too much to take on, but one summer I gave it all I had, spending so much time on memorizing and study (hadn’t seen a movie in two months by the end)–and God blessed me hugely through it. While I haven’t been able to devote myself that fully in later summers, He still uses that experience. If you get the chance again, give it a shot!

        • Yes, and having a less amount of verses in the summer allows you to work ahead in school if you want to, just in case you make it to Nationals…. πŸ˜€ Otherwise, it’s crazy in the fall but in the summer, it is soooooooooo totally worth it @Kittenese:disqus

        • Thanks, Esther, that’s really good to know! I enjoyed the experience that I had, but it was definitely the sheer number of verses that they expected you to memorize that kept me from trying again. Thank you for the heads up and the encouragement! πŸ™‚

    • Annalysa, those tips are awesome! My sister and I are going to do that shower thing – it sounds like it will work wonders. πŸ™‚ I’ve been wondering if there were ways to put verses up in the shower, but never came up with anything. And I like Scripture Typer too….only I haven’t used it as much as I should. I do appreciate the email reminders I get from them, too!

  • I have the same problem you do! I go to scripturetyper.com. Typing it makes it easier for me to memorize it. Or if I’m not able to go to Scripture Typer, I try to put a verse to a song I know or make up a tune to go with the verse. That helps alot too.

  • Well, I think that the most important thing is that you have to be willing to try, because as the saying says, “When there’s a will, there’s a way.” I also have a habit of procrastinating, and I end up memorizing 5-6 verses per day in the last week. This part comes down to self-control. Accountability helps in this part.
    After that comes the method. The easiest way for me is just to say it over and over and over (or hear it over and over and over), but I know people who sing it, play with it, write it, etc. It really comes down to how you learn.

  • Hey C,

    I am in the Awana program so I do a lot of memory work and I also procrastinate. here’s one thing i suggest, find your learning nitch. I know, you’re probably thinking, “my what?” Your learning nitch, how you learn best. Are you visual or auditory? Do you like to do things with your hands as you learn or just sit still? For me I’m kinda visual and auditory. So the way I learn my Bible pasages is i copy it by writing it out, so I can see it, then pace back and forth in my room saying it out loud over and over and over and over, so I can hear it. That way when it comes to reciting it i can both visualize it and hear what it sounds like.
    But that’s just me. You might try diffrent things like that. You could also try things like writing it on a white board and erasing words one at a time till you can say it by memory.
    Again these are just ideas but i hope they help.

  • I have no idea if this helps at all, but (I’m homeschooled) my family treats it as a part of my curriculum. I have to memorize certain passages of Scripture and be quizzed for a grade at the end of a week. That counts as part of my theology grade. I have the same procrastination habit you do, but when you see it as a part of school, it becomes much more necessary (since I hate “F’s”!). It fits in with what a lot of people (rightfully so) have said about accountability. Again, I have no idea if this helps anyone, but it might, so here you go!

    One encouraging thing is that if you take the time now to memorize them well, they’ll still be in your head years from now. When I’m in church and my pastor begins reading a passage like Hebrews 11, I can usually finish he reading before he does, without my Bible, even though I memorized it 8-9 years ago. It truly is worth it to take the time now.

  • Hey guys i have a question of my own πŸ™‚ why is bible memorization so important?
    God Bless,
    ~Madeleine

    • Good question. I know there are many answers but here’s what comes to mind.
      1. God tells us to. (Joshua 1:8)
      2. For guidance and comfort. (Colossians 3:16)
      In America we’ve got wounderful freedom of religion. That means we can have a Bible pretty much any where. But sometimes when I need the Bible the most I don’t have one close by. In the middle if the night when I’m scared or when I’m talking to a friend about Jesus.
      When I was in first grade my parents had me memorize Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd…” so now whenever I’m scared I recite that passage to my self and it comforts me.
      In the same way through the Awana program I’ve memorized a lot of verses about Salvation such as John 3:16 and 1 John 1:9. This summer when I did my mission work I was able to use those verses to share the Gospel with kids.
      These are just a couple reasons God has shown me why it’s important to memorize His word.
      I hope it helps!

    • 1. It’s our sword in times of spiritual battle – Ephesians 6: 17. I like to use my sword a lot. πŸ˜›

      2. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3: 16 No explanation needed. πŸ™‚ (although some people prefer to ignore the “rebuking and correcting” in that verse.)

      3. Jesus replied, β€œAre you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” Mark 12:24 Reading/Studying/Memorizing Scripture can help US not to be “in error.”

      4. Acts 18: 28 “For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.” It can help us debate opponents…this goes along with #2.

      Hope this helps! πŸ™‚

    • I love having a verse pop into my head when I’m doing something like driving or barn chores that I can meditate on and talk to the Lord about. Also, Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Memorizing is a way to do exactly that! πŸ™‚

    • There are times certain verses pop into your head that can be a great comfort. I was on a missions trip to Africa, feeling really unable to do what I needed to do one day, when God brought the verse (I don’t remember the reference) that says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” That verse kept me going throughout the whole time I was in Africa.

      It’s nice to have access to parts of Scripture even when the Bible isn’t in front of you.

      • I get yeah!! and that’s true when i feel down or feel like there’s no peace to be found i remember the verse that says “peace i leave with you my peace i give you i do not give to you as the world gives, do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid” that verse has gotten me through some tough times and still encourages me!!
        Thanks Taylor πŸ˜€
        God Bless,
        ~Madeleien

  • Hey C! I was struggling with memorizing James 1 a while back, and a friend of mine suggested i use sticky notes… and it works! Like @nathantasker:disqus , i wrote out a verse, stuck it to the side of my bed, and tried to read it every morning. Simply having the verse where you can see it often, wherever that may be (computer, mirror, Ipod, etc.), really helped me!
    God bless,
    Haylie

  • I go to a Christian school, and I have to pretty much memorize Scripture every week. I’ve seen a bunch of ways my classmates (the ones who don’t procrastinate) study and memorize verses:

    1. Mark it in your Bible (highlight, circle, underline, star, etc. and whatever you like)
    2. Write it down (write it down on sticky notes, index cards.) I also recommend repeatedly
    3. Say it (without looking)

    I do this when I don’t procrastinate. πŸ˜‰

  • I am going on a mission trip and in order to go you have to have Romans 5:1-8 memorized. So each week I am memorizing and focusing on one verse.
    My way is interesting, as I am about to share.
    I brush my teeth for about ten minutes (braces….) so I focus on one line of the verse while brushing my top right side. Then the next line of the verse while brushing the top left side. Then so on to top, bottom, bottom left, bottom right, etc. And within that ten minutes I can usually get the verse down, but I carry it on the rest of the week until, as my sunday school teacher used to tell me, I know it inside, outside, and upside down.
    Great question! I love the other answers! πŸ™‚

  • There are many different ways of memorizing scripture. I have found that memorizing just for the sake of memorizing doesn’t seem to stick with you. Memorizing scripture that coincides with what you are going through in life seems to stick. Especially in troubled times. Also, listening to and reading a book of the Bible repeatedly helps, as you are reading it in context and with more of an understanding of what is being said. I would start with short book such as Jude, 1,2,3, John as it doesn’t seem as overwhelming and you won’t get as discouraged.
    Besides, they are awesome.

    Any way that you do it, God bless you for your desire for it.

    Blessings,
    Jean

  • I like to print it off of Biblegateway.com and the highlight it in yellow then I read it multiple times. the yellow tends to almost ‘burn’ it into your brain. songs also work wonders! I can remember bible songs that I learned 10 years ago! these are the methods that work best for me. good luck!

  • Everything I want to say may have already been said, so I’ll keep it brief and bullet-point it πŸ™‚

    1. Know why you’re memorizing. Don’t just memorize because “it’s a good thing to do.” Have a reason (Ephesians 6:10-18) and you’ll be much more motivated.

    2. Get some accountability. My Bible memory was sporadic at best until I joined a group of people with one goal: to memorize Scripture. Now we may not all be working on the same passage, but we keep each other accountable and on task. Even if it’s just one person, it’ll be a huge help.

    3. Find the method that works for you. Everybody has a favorite, so just try them all and see what works best! Briefly:
    – Flashcards
    – Just reading the passage multiple times
    – Printing it out so you can see it
    – Writing it out repeatedly
    – Putting it to music
    – Websites like memverse and ScriptureTyper
    – and many more
    They’re all free, so give it a shot and see what works best.

    4. Set achievable but challenging goals. And not just “I need to get to this sometime,” but “My goal is to memorize one verse a day.”

    5. Start small. Memorize some verses that remind you why you memorize (Psalm 119 has some great ones). Work to larger passages, but don’t overwhelm yourself. For any goal to be acheived, you have to want it. Don’t make memorizing drudgery! Which leads me to…

    6. Have fun! Most of the commands of the Bible are not to enslave us, but to bring us joy! Bible memory should not be a chore, but a way to know our Saviour better! Since we, unlike so many people around the world, have the privilege of having access to God’s word, we do not need to take it for granted.

    Blessings as you seek to know your Creator in a deeper way!

  • My siblings and I work on one verse a week that talks about a Biblical characteristic. Right now, we are going through the fruit of the Spirit. So, for love we memorized 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 We also work on doing loving actions that week. We have done the same for joy, peace, patience, etc. That is a way that I can help my younger brother (6) and sister (12) to memorize scripture together. By just doing one verse a week we are not overloading ourselves with memorazation also. We also do other memorazation too for school, Sunday school etc. You probably can memorize a whole lot more than you think. When I was on a missions trip to Mexico we were doing a VBS with some boys ages 11-15 We challenged them to memorize a verse for every day that we did the VBS and they did! I also decided to memorize verses along with them and learned verses in another language, Spanish! So, if you have a love for God’s word and a desire to memorize I think you can “hide a LOT of Word in your heart”!

  • I do scripture memorization for school, so I have to be consistent with that. But I also try to do it on my own time as well. I can usually only accomplish that by writing down whatever it is I’m trying to memorize on a white-board that I have on my bedroom wall (Post-It notes work great, too). I can look at it when I’m in my room, and recite it to myself as I go about my day. Also, having accountability would really help (I need to do this, but am procrastinating…). Hope that helps!

  • Hey Brett, I just noticed your bio says you are a devoted follow of Jesus Christ instead of follower. Just so you know. πŸ™‚

    I think writing things down really helps with memorization, and also putting it somewhere you’ll see it often. And I like to memorize bigger chunks of scripture rather than just single verses so i can get the context. So I’d go for a section or a chapter…or if you’re ambitious you can do a whole book! Once my siblings and i memorized the book of James for school. It’s kind of a shorter book but big enough to be a challenge. πŸ™‚ so there’s my two cents.

  • One thing that helps me a lot when memorizing scripture is putting it to music. I think everyone can learn song lyrics about 20 times faster than something they’re actually SUPPOSED to memorize. Even if you don’t think of yourself as musical, we all respond to music and it’s easy to get stuck in our head.
    But people are unique. This is just one way out of many to learn scripture.
    Another way is to find a recording of someone reciting (not reading) scripture. Specifically one who uses a lot of emphasis and enthusiasm. A good example of this would be John Piper. (You can google “John Piper reciting scripture” and you’ll find the video.) listening to the scripture with the inflections and the voice will help it get stuck in your head.

  • Up until last year, the Bible was THE most boring book on planet earth. Too many big words, not enough action. And when there was action, it was described in a very simple, non-exciting way. To me, a huge fantasy writer, this was not cool.

    Then I decided I would try again last year. I also enjoy poetry, so I began in Psalms.

    Psalms is the perfect place to start for any Bible reading occasion. I always begin and end my day with some beautiful songs from the middle of the Word.

    That’s all they are: songs. Descriptive, flowing songs praising God for his strength and power. Songs pleading and crying out for deliverance, songs of gratitude and declarations of God’s grace. Once in a while you’ll spot a verse or two of your favorite worship songs in Psalms, because that’s where most Christian artists draw their inspiration.

    My trick? The more you read, the more you know. And highlight/underline the verses that really touch you. A few pages of my Bible are underlined all the way through because it’s all just so good!!! Dog-ear the corners of particularly awesome pages to come back to them sometime and reread them.

    Another trick: PRAY. Pray what you read! Read along out loud or in your head, but pray the verses as you read them. Psalm 51:10-12 is a great passage that I’ve memorized just from reading it and praying through it a few times.

    Once you really get into the Bible, you won’t want to stop. For me, now, skipping a night of Bible reading is like starving. You could say I’ve got a Bible addiction, and I’m immensely proud of it. πŸ˜€ After Psalms, try reading some letters. (The Corinthians, Ephesians, Romans, etc. All written by Paul, a really inspiring dude.) Then maybe the story of Jesus. Or the story of Creation. Once you go through Psalms and really get an understanding for who God is and just how much he’s worthy of our praise, the more you’ll love the time spent with him and his Word.

    And the more you love it, the easier it will be to tuck God’s Word away in your heart.

  • I’m a part of my church’s Bible Quizzing team. Basically, what we do is memorize a book of the Bible (this year we’re doing James and 1 and 2 Peter) and we go and have competitions over it, in which we answer questions based on the material. It’s a great motivator to have the rest of the team counting on me. Here are a few tricks I’ve learned as I’ve memorized over the past few years:
    1. Put it to music. A lot of the time, I’ll sing the words of the verses to the tune of kids’ songs. Kids’ songs have a simple melody that’s easy to adapt to suit your purposes and they get stuck in your head easily, which means that you’ll have the verse running through your head with little effort on your part.
    2. Repetition. The more you repeat it, the more it will stick. Plain and simple. Say it five times while looking at it, then another five from memory. Every time you mess up, start the verse over.
    3. The Memory Palace. If you’ve never heard of the memory palace, I’d highly encourage you to Google it. Basically, you associate the words of the verse with a place that’s familiar to you. Then, as you revisit the place in your mind, the words will come back to you.
    Hope that helps!

  • My suggestion would be to find someone to do it with. I know it’s not always easy to find someone else who wants to, but if you can talk to people at school, church, sports, etc… and find someone who’s also interested in memorizing scripture then you guys can challenge each other and say verses to each other once a week or something and learn together. You also could write a reference on your hand with a pen in the morning and have the whole verse written on an index card in your pocket, and then every time you see the reference you read the verse. (Eventually you’ll be able to say the verse without looking at the paper.) Hope this helps

  • This is a great question! For different Bible studies I have worked on, there has been memorization built in. (i.e.Thinking Like a Christian and Experiencing God, Youth Edition).

    Focusing on one verse at a time each week is a great way to do it, in my opinion. It doesn’t feel too overwhelming. Just write one out on an index card, and meditate, learn, & memorize it. At the end of the week, recite it to someone to see if you know it.

    Brett taught during Do Hard Things University class last Saturday that our teen years full of potential. We have the best ability that we will ever have at any other times in our lives. Research is showing all of that.

    You either use it or lose it.

    The more you go out of your comfort zones, try new things, acquire skills, the more you grow. That growth will benefit you during your entire lifetime. If we fail to do those things, by our 20’s if that potential is not used it will be pruned. (Yikes! That was a huge motivator to Do Hard Things). We still will grow, but not really thrive.

    So that’s my goal: to do hard things that will help me thrive now & forever. Things like memorizing scripture while I’m young and my brain is really ready to accept the challenge.

    • I’m not dyslexic, but I’ve found out that it works well if I put the verses above the sink while I work on dishes. I can be reciting it while I work, and when I can’t remember what it says next, I can read over it again. That way I also have a half-hour where I’m doing nothing intellectually except memorizing (’cause it takes me that long at least to do a dishes meal). It works surprisingly well πŸ™‚

  • You could post them on index cards all over your house! : ) I like doing that. Even if you don’t memorize it, you can see it all the time, and it is a way to publicly declare your faith to any guests you might have! I also use Scripturetyper.com, but if you’re problem is procrastination, that site might not be the best for you, although it does send you emails periodically to remind you to keep up!

  • Just two words…

    Deadlines: Always set a “due date” for whatever Scripture you want to memorize.

    Partners: Always find someone to recite Scripture to… preferably someone who will keep you accountable… Parents, Siblings, BFFs…

  • Hey, I think I may be able to help with this. You see, I have to memorize. A lot.
    The reason for that is that I am a Bible Quizzer. (I know, sounds like some official title or whatever, really, it’s not.) Basically, we memorize huge portions of Scripture over the school year and do a jeopardy-like competition. When I mean huge, I mean that last year we did all of the books of James and Romans. So, as you can imagine, I am always trying to refine my skills. Here are a few things I learned so far:
    1. Set a goal and don’t be afraid to be ambitious. If you don’t have a goal, you have nothing to work towards and you will tend to forget or procrastinate much more. If you set it too low, you’ll feel like you’re getting nothing done.
    2. Have a team constantly hounding you. When I mean hounding, I mean have routine checkups (email works well for this!) where you encourage each other but also annoy each other if you’re slacking.
    3. Make it competitive. Okay, get this straight: Quizzing is super competitive and intense. But chances are you are not a Quizzer. That means you could make it into a competition via your own means. But it does help so much to make it a game.
    4. Change it up a bit! It’s no fun to constantly drone on (probably in some boring monotonous voice) at your desk. I think everybody who’s ever studied knows that. πŸ™‚ Try memorizing outside or listen to Scripture on tape while working out. A great site for memorizing is also memorizenow.com.
    Hope this helps!

    • Wow, that sounds like a lot of hard work, but it also sounds like a lot of FUN hard work! Being a Quizzer, I mean. Good suggestions!

      • Hard…
        That describes it. πŸ™‚
        I think my league (Canadian Bible Quizzing, or CBQ) has a promo if you want to see some of us in action. Of course, that was all filmed at the tournaments, which are much more intense than your average practise.
        This year we’re doing Acts 1-20. That’s a challenge. Frankly, now that I’m into high school work, I tend to have less time and forget more. I’ve only done a few chapters…
        But is it ever fun!

          • Yeah, it does have that tendency.
            And I thought I had a lot of work last year…
            Right now I guess I’m kinda laughing at myself.
            Completely off topic, do you actually mime?

          • Same here – I thought last year was hard!
            Yes, I mime; I’m with a teenage mime team in my town. It’s a lot of fun, and I’ve found out that I like acting πŸ™‚

    • Heyyy from a fellow Bible Quizzer! πŸ˜‰ Not sure which group or organization you’re with, but this year my team (and the tournaments we go to, obviously) are doing Matthew. It’s my first year, and I definitely agree–having the team to keep you on track definitely helps. πŸ™‚

      • Howdy! I think my league (Canadian Bible Quizzing) is in the Christian Missionary Alliance or at least we are covering that material. We’re fairly recently put together, we’ve only been around 5-6 years. Doing Acts 1-20 this year. Do you have any tips for jumping?

        • Cool! I’m not sure what my church’s “league name” is, but I know we go to the U.S. national association of Christian schools tournament. πŸ™‚ I’m from Florida, so quite a ways away, haha. It’s my first year doing it, so I’m hardy an expert, but my team’s leader has been coaching for a loooong time and my team’s become quite famous in the realm we compete in…

          Jumping! Ahhhh. I literally burst out giggling the first time I saw my teammates doing that…

          Assuming y’all use seat buzzers connected to a box with lights like we do: Find a good spot for your buzzer so you can trigger the light with a tiny movement. Usually your legs. The way my coach tells us to do it is, “Make the light come on without me seeing you move.” It takes some fiddling, and a good dose of muscle control to keep your balance, and practice of course! Try bending over with your elbows on your legs and your hands in front.

          As for when to jump, well…I don’t know how your questions work, but a standard question for us would be, “According to Matthew 10:8, whom are you to heal?” (the answer is the sick, by the way!) We have been trained to jump on the first word on those questions. For this verse that would be kind of tricky to figure out, since the verse goes, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely you have received, freely give.” Our coach talks a lot about “the perfect jump” which basically means being smart and picking a good time to jump where you could actually answer the question. If the guy asking questions says, “Finish this verse. ‘And the’–” and someone jumps, that’s…not a good jump, haha. (How many verses start with “And the” in Matthew? A LOT!)

          Hope this helps!

          • Haha, totally understand what you mean. Just wait till Romans. “As it is written,”
            Quotes are pretty nasty too. Once I was at a tourney, answered a quote on chapter 11:10, only to find out I actually blurted out 10:10… Whoops.
            Our questions and buzzers are the same. ‘Tis my second year now.
            Do you guys in Florida also call erroring out the walk of shame, or is that Canadian homeschooler most likely farmer’s kid slang?

          • I’ve done that a lot, too. Oops. Mixed up the chapters, that is. Thankfully usually at practice and not at the competitions so much. For some reason chapters 18 and 19 are pretty bad on that for me…yikes!

            “The walk of shame”–I love it! Nah, we don’t call it that. Usually we just call it “quizzing out” and “erroring out,” but I’ve heard some people call erroring out “quizzing out backwards” which sounds much nicer, haha! I may have to bring your phrase up next practice though…we could get it started over here, too. That would be funny. πŸ™‚

            This is so weird but cool…I’m used to only the five other kids on my team at church and a few of the graduates understanding what I’m talking about!

    • I kind of struggle with the competitive thing. I think it’s awesome to memorize bulks of Scripture, but for me personally it seems like memorizing to do well at a competition, even if that’s not the primary motivation, kind of defies the point. Thoughts?

      • Hmm…
        Well personally for me, I find it’s a great encouragement, mostly because I tend to be rather competitive and therefore the competition make memorizing more exciting for me.
        The important thing to remember is that you should not be memorizing to get a good position in a tournament, but to know God’s Word. Frankly, if doing well at a competition were more important to somebody than what they’re actually memorizing, I’d advise them to quit. It’s important to keep the right perspective.
        Does this help?

        • It definitely does help. I think I’d be someone who would compete only for a good position in a tournament, but I hadn’t realized that not everyone would be like that. πŸ™‚ Thanks Annamiek.

          • No problem!
            By the way, my name is spelled Annemiek.
            But don’t worry, nobody except my family and I really know how to spell or pronounce it. πŸ™‚

          • I have no excuse for spelling your name incorrectly because I was staring right at your user name. Perhaps that’s my next hard thing: spelling everyone’s name correctly! πŸ™‚

  • Like Annemiek, I’m a Bible Quizzer. It’s my first year doing it, and now I wish I’d started earlier and not worried so long about whether or not I’d be “good” at it. My assignment was, at first, 5 chapters from the book of Matthew–20-24. I finished that in two months and have added on chapters 25, 10, 18, and 19 since then and am just starting to work on 26.

    Here’s a little advice, probably some repeats of everyone else:

    1. Goals/deadlines. Whichever tends to work better for you. Definitely helps beat procrastination when you know you’ll have a lot of work to do if you wait until the day before.

    2. Get a buddy–or a few buddies. Preferably someone you live with or see multiple times a week, and someone who’s not afraid to give you a push in the right direction when you really just feel like slacking off. And someone who will listen! Say your verses to someone so they can check you. This is so beneficial, because when you check yourself, you accidentally see like the entire verse and…whoops, there goes your trying!

    3. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Don’t forget everything you learned last week while you’re working on this week’s stuff. When I’m memorizing a big chunk like a chapter a week or so, I spend about fifteen to twenty minutes “warming up” by reviewing the previous verses in the chapter I’ve already memorized and adding new verses on, then I go back and review chapters I’ve already memorized. When I was little, we memorized a lot of single verses as a part of homeschool, and my mom had this review system with index cards. Some verses (newer ones, usually) went in the “daily” slot, some in the weekly, some in every other week, and some in monthly depending on how well/easily I did them. That may work better for people doing select passages. Point is, don’t let yourself forget what you’ve learned. That won’t help you any.

    As for the actual memorizing side of things, here’s what I do and recommend.

    1. Do it out loud. None of this “in your head” stuff. Say it out loud, always. It solidifies what you’re saying and helps keep you on track. I mean, come on, how easy is it for your mind to wander? This is why I pray out loud, as well.

    2. Look at the verse in your Bible or paper or whatever you’re using. (And this is another point–use the same thing every time you’re memorizing or reviewing. It helps create a visual image in your head that’ll help you remember better.) Read the verse out loud once or twice, slowly but not drawn out. In a normal, clear speed of voice. Note any tricky words and say them a couple times. Then read the verse again, a little faster, to get it in your head quicker. Then try to look up from the page just enough that you’re not seeing the words and say it. Is the verse too long? Try breaking it down into separate phrases, reading one phrase, looking up and saying it, then looking down and reading that phrase and the next, looking up and saying it, etc. until you can say the whole verse without looking.

    3. Now, be careful here that you don’t learn the verse incorrectly. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought I got the verse down and then just stopped reading the verse, only to later find out what I’d done when I was repeating the verse to someone and they stopped me. Whoops!

    4. Overall, just repeat, repeat, repeat–and again, OUT LOUD. Keep trying to look up and say it, even if you’re not sure. The trying will help you more than just reading it again and again, I promise. πŸ™‚

    Lastly, and I know I’ve seen a couple other people say this, know why you’re doing it. Especially if you add the competition in there. Competition is great if it gets you memorizing, but always be sure to remind yourself that this is God’s Word and let it do its work in your life! It is then that you’ll know the greatest blessing of all your work. πŸ™‚

  • This is just a little something I still do. I always read a full chapter of a book, respectively according to the date. So on January 1, I would read Genesis chapter 1. On May 3, I would read Deuteronomy chapter 3. When I reach the following January I move on, starting from where I left off.

      • Hey @mimeforjesus:disqus
        I like to write fantasy / science fiction, it is just my style. I also like to write dystopian and also realistic fiction. So basically anything that allows me to use my imagination and avoid reciting facts. (such as writing historical fiction, that is not my style… no offence to those who enjoy it πŸ™‚ However, I hope to write a book called “101 Questions Christian Teens are Asking” very soon. Anyway… what do you write?

        • Yeah, I don’t like facts either… they get in the way of a fun story! I like writing fiction, but recently I’ve gotten into writing for other folks’ blogs, too; it’s a good way to sort out my thoughts. I’ve recently gotten started on what might turn out to be a full-length “novel”. My sister, who’s read as far as I’ve written, keeps telling me that I need to write more so she knows what’s going on πŸ™‚
          If you like writing like that, do you like reading those sorts of books too?
          101 Questions sounds like a good book – if you end up writing it let me know!
          I like your profile pic, BTW πŸ™‚

          • Yeah, I love reading fiction fantasy sorta stuff. Yeah and about the book, I’m looking for some questions about faith that you most frequently ask yourself. This goes for anyone reading this. What are the questions you most frequently ask yourself? What needs answering?

          • “How do I know if I’m living for God?”

            Do you have any writing online?

          • Uh… yeah. Actually I have portions of my writing in the local newspaper about abortion. Also on my website for a book I previously wrote.
            authorjeffrey.wix.com/book

          • Is that you in the picture to the lower right? Your book looks good – is it on Amazon? How old were you when you wrote it?
            Newspapers are great, aren’t they? Do you do a letter to the editor, or do you get your writing in there some other way?

          • Wow, you write well! I’m reading the article and thinking, “Wow, and I thought I could write!” Good job πŸ™‚ Would you consider writing for the Reb, too? I think teenagers can benefit from hearing what you have to say. (And since I’ve noticed that the last couple of weeks, it looks like Brett’s been getting less posts, I’m wanting people to write.)

          • Thanks! I have submitted a few articles in the past, however they weren’t published, mostly because I was bored and wanted something to write and didn’t know what…(or it was midnight and I rushed through it) I hope to submit a project to the Reb about sending letters to some congressperson about abortion, however I haven’t quite figured out the logistics yet.

          • I’ve had midnight writing sprees too! (Don’t tell my mom, though!)
            I’ve thought it would be interesting to start something like that, but I wondered if it’s ethical to write a letter to someone as if you’re their constituent, when in actuality you’re not old enough to vote. What do you think?

          • I don’t know… the issue of abortion is really close to me and I think, even though I don’t know everything about it, I want to make sure that people know that Pro-choice isn’t the only way.

          • And… What can I do while I’m still a teen?

            You could look through the DQ’s on here for more…

  • I am also a former Bible quizzer. πŸ™‚ I agree with the other two quizzers on setting goals! I usually memorized 2 verses a day on a leisurely schedule, but if I started early enough I could do one verse a day. It also really helps if you have a structured way of memorizing each verse. The way I did it was basically write the verse twice, read it aloud 10 times, then quote it without looking 10 times. Done with that verse for the day (I can memorize a verse in around 5 min.). Then review what you have already memorized by quoting it all once. That really stuck it in my noggin but it’s different for everyone. The biggest thing is REPETITION! But it’s for a worthy cause! πŸ™‚
    Blessings as you hide God’s word in your heart, where No Man can steal it!

    • I’m going to try your way – I never thought of it before and it makes sense! Thank you πŸ™‚

        • Random question: What part of the country are you from? I ask because you have a last name that’s prevalent in my part of the country πŸ™‚

          • Ah, I’m from Michigan originally. Do you know the way to Ohio State? My brother’s going to college in Cedarville right now πŸ™‚
            Is there a large Mennonite/Amish community around where you are? Do you have a Mennonite/Amish background? Yoder is a name that’s common in those communities.

          • I am Mennonite, yes. Holmes county Ohio has a BIG Amish/Mennonite community! πŸ™‚ I wouldn’t remember how to get to Ohio State University, but I’ve been there before. My Aunt graduated from there.

          • Cool! My brother’s going to college two or three hours away from, then. How to get to Ohio State is a joke in our family… Speaking of which, how many siblings do you have?

          • I have a younger sister, a younger brother, two older brothers, and three older sisters. (8 kids in all, not including in-laws – I have one sister-in-law and a brother-in-law) Then I have two nephews and a niece.
            How old are you? I’m sixteen.
            What type of school do you go to?

          • Yep πŸ™‚ It’s interesting how people either think big families are awesome, or they thing big families are terrible. I mean, I never knew anything different, but it doesn’t seem all that weird.
            So you’re the oldest… by how much? Recently I’ve been the oldest-kid-at-home because three older siblings are out of the house, then my next-oldest brother is away at college (in Ohio, incidentally) and my sister is away from the ouse a lot.

          • I’m oldest by 2 years. Just so I know, are you a guy or a girl? πŸ˜€ Ive been chatting with you all this time and don’t even know! XD

          • Haha, well I’m a girl…
            For the longest time I thought a couple of people on here were guys, when they were really girls, or vice-versa. You’re not alone!

          • Hi there, defyingdepravity! I’m not @disqus_zxr2krNx5O:disqus, but I go to a Mennonite (kinda!) church. They still teach a lot of Mennonite ideas, so I think that I can answer some of your questions.
            The main thing that sets Mennonites – my church, anyway – apart from other denominations is… very little. I feel just as at home in my Mennonite church as I did in my Baptist church or my nondenominational church. The beliefs that are more singular to Mennonites are nonviolence, simple living, and womens’ dress (long skirts and a head covering). I haven’t really heard much more at my Mennonite church that is different from what I heard at a Southern Baptist church that we went to for a while.
            Seth, did I miss anything? My church is…. unusual, not probably a good representation of Mennonite churches as a whole.

          • Okay, sounds very similar to my church… thanks!
            So what qualifies as violence? If I punched you in the nose, would that be the same as murdering you, violence-wise?

          • No. But Mennonites would believe that we should “turn the other cheek.” There are different levels of violence, but on the whole, we would believe that we shouldn’t go to war, shouldn’t protest violently, and generally keep peace. That’s more what I mean when I say nonresistance.

          • Yes that’s about the gist, GodsThespian. Accept I haven’t really heard anything about simple living at our church (Though there are some who would practice it). But like I said before, I don’t like being defined as “mennonite.” There’s such a wide variety of people and beliefs even within a single denomination it’s ridiculous! Some beliefs are obviously wrong or questionable, but all believers are the body of Christ! We’re not Mennonites, or Baptist, or nondenominational. πŸ™‚ We are brothers and sisters in Christ!

          • Preach it, brother! (Some of my Southern-Baptist background showing through there πŸ™‚

          • Lol no that’s fine. πŸ™‚ Well we have anti baptist backgrounds (way back), so we believe a lot of the same things they did (A main point being disagreeing with infant baptism). Personally, though, I don’t really liked to be defined as “Mennonite.” I don’t follow Menno Simon. I follow Christ! πŸ™‚

          • Yes, indeed!
            I was going to say, you probably mean anabaptist, but you already corrected yourself! πŸ™‚

          • Another main thing we as Mennonites believe in is nonresistance. And obviously there will be acceptions within the denomination (as with all denominations), but the majority of Mennonites believe in nonresistance.

          • Well, just to make it clear, we DONT believe in infant baptism. πŸ˜€ Baptism is a public statement to all that you are a follower of Christ. We are not born followers of Christ. Babies arent mature enough to make that decision. Therefore, I believe they shouldn’t be baptized.

          • Goodness sorry. I misspelled “Anabaptist.” We are not “anti Baptist.” lol! The Baptists don’t believe in infant baptism either.

  • How I fight procrastination is by reciting verses every morning when I get out of bed. I like to stretch when I get up, It helps me actually wake up. So, while I touch my toes I recite a verse (or read it aloud if it’s a new one).

  • I really like scripturetyper.com as a way to learn Bible verses. I just spend 10-20 minutes in the morning working on a passage and eventually (several weeks or maybe a month) get to where I can say it out loud. It has been very helpful in learning passages, but might not be great if you aren’t a fan of keyboarding.

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectationsβ€”a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More β†’