Becoming Like Jesus: Scripture MemorizationSample

Internalizing Truth

When you look in the mirror while brushing your teeth in the morning, who do you see? Do you see someone who isn’t strong enough, pretty enough, or “whatever” enough? Or do you see someone whose value and worth come from what’s on the inside and not from what people see on the outside?

What do you say to yourself? Do you critique and criticize all the aspects of your life you wish you could change? Or do you remind yourself that, even though you may not have it all together, God has wired you with specific passions and gifted you with certain skills that you get to share with the world?

When you think about who you are, how do you feel? Content? Disappointed? Grateful? Bitter? And do those feelings even matter?

Your view of you drives everything you do.

Said another way, what you believe determines how you behave. This is especially true when it comes to the things we believe about ourselves. This is why understanding how you see yourself is a really big deal. Because everything you do flows from what you think of you.

But, you know what’s an even bigger deal? Knowing what God thinks of you. He sees you more truly and clearly than you will ever see yourself, because He’s your Creator. He formed even the deepest, innermost parts of you. The maker of a thing is the one who gets to define it, and your Maker sees you clearly, knows you fully, and loves you completely.

Throughout this Plan, we are going to practice the spiritual discipline of Scripture Memorization. Why? So we can internalize the truth of how God sees us so that we actually believe it and can be changed by it.

We will focus on memorizing two different passages of Scripture, learn skills and techniques to help us commit those verses to memory, and see over and over again just how much God loves us.

Here’s what it will look like:

Pray …

Heavenly Father, show me what You see when You look at me. Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from sin and bringing me into a relationship with You. Holy Spirit, help me to live in alignment with who You say I am. I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read …

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13–17 NIV

Consider …

Can you imagine a more incredible scene? Jesus, who is God in human form, getting ready to begin His ministry—a ministry that will span three years and involve calling disciples, casting out demons, healing the sick, performing miracles, and teaching with an authority that no one had ever experienced before. But before any of that happens, His Father tells Him: You are my Son. I love You. And I am so proud of You.

Now, are you ready for this? When you say yes to Jesus, God starts to see you the same way He sees Jesus. Over and over again, the New Testament authors describe our relationship with Jesus as a union. When we put our faith in Him, we become one with Him. He clothes us in His goodness and wraps us in His righteousness.

Your view of you drives everything you do.

Does your view of you line up with what’s true—that is, with God’s view of you? Because He sees more clearly and truly than anyone else. When He sees you, He sees His child. He sees someone He loves. He sees someone He is proud of. Not because of the good things you do, but because of His relentless love for you. And that is really good news.

Practice …

In this first week of the Plan, we are going to work on memorizing Ephesians 2:8–10. It’s a beautiful picture of how God sees us and how His grace, not our works, is what saves us. It reads:

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8–10 NLT

Committing something to memory is just the practical way of saying “internalize it.” Tuck that truth into your back pocket so that when, in a low moment, you need to be reminded of who you really are, it’s right there waiting for you.

There are lots of ways to commit something to memory. This Plan is a great opportunity for you to try a few methods and discover what works best.

Today, grab a notecard or journal and simply write out Ephesians 2:8–10 by hand. This method will engage you physically as you write and visually as you see the words on the page.

If you prefer a more digital method, look into some of the different Bible memorization apps out there. Try a few and then choose the one that works best for you. Our favorites are Verses and Bible Memory.

Listen …

As we prepare to close out our time today, we are going to create space to experience the presence of God in a different way through a practice known as Silence and Solitude.

Start by setting a timer for 5–10 minutes.

Then, create space in your mind and heart to hear from God. Lead into your listening by using those verses from Ephesians as a prayer:

God, thank You for saving me. Your grace is a gift and I am so grateful for it. You didn’t save me because of the good things I’ve done, so I have no reason to boast. You saved me because You love me. You are a master artist, and You’ve made me into a masterpiece. Because of Jesus, I have been made new. Now, I can do the good things You planned for me to do before I was ever born.

Next, ask God to speak to you. And then, simply listen.

When you get distracted, come back to Jesus by reading the verses or repeating the prayer above. Say them out loud. Focus on each line and let the truth you are learning redirect your thoughts.