After an exciting January of memorizing the Word together, many have asked, "When’s the next Challenge?"
Now that February is upon us, the Journey team is gearing up for the first Journeys of 2009 and also making plans for the Living the Journey Conferences in August. With a full schedule, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to host an official Challenge here at livingthejourney.com until possibly next January. So now our challenge to you is … start your own memorization challenge!
It will take some initiative and diligence, but the rewards can last forever. Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Select a Chapter
The entire Bible is good, but you have to start somewhere. Different passages speak directly to different areas of life. What needs and struggles are you facing right now? Many Psalms are excellent when you are feeling depression or discouragement, such as Psalm 42 or 139. Are you struggling with the lusts of the flesh? Try Romans 6, 7, and 8. Fighting temptations? Memorize James 1. Do you want a closer relationship with Jesus Christ? Engraft John 15. If you’re up for a challenge and would like to gain a hunger for more of the Word, try Psalm 119!
There are so many wonderful chapters! Leave a comment and share what passages have meant a lot to you.
2. Gather a Team
Ask the Lord to bring to your mind some other believers whom you could challenge to join you in memorizing a chapter of Scripture in a specified period of time. It could include the members of your very own family, young people in your church, those whom you are keeping in contact from your Journey, or even a Christian family in your neighborhood. Go to them and see if they would be willing to join you in a challenge.
3. Set a Deadline
Stretch yourself and make it something you have to work to accomplish. Don’t make it impossible but don’t make it too easy. You’re not a wimp. 
For me, a verse a day is a lot to keep going over a long period of time and it allows me time to meditate on the verse throughout the day.
4. Establish Accountability
Ask your parents, your grandparents, your pastor, or someone you look up to to keep you accountable. Select someone whom you’d hate to disappoint. Without the motivation of accountability, it is much too easy to become "too busy" to complete your objective.
5. Report the results
Let us know what the Lord taught you as challenged yourself and others to memorize His Living Word, mediate on it, and apply it to life. We may even post your word of testimony here to encourage others!
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February 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Even though the “challenge” is over… may God give each of us the grace and strength to continually hide His word in our heart! Remember that it takes disipline and perserverance. I have been personally challenged to continue — thank you!
February 7th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
What good advice. Thank you Robert.
After “ruminating” on II Timothy 2, I have started on Romans chapter 12. A great help with memorization/mediation for me came from an old IBLP pamphlet called, “The Secret of Success.” I found it stuck in a character sketch book, and it seems rather old (the signature from my dad was from 1986!). Robert, do you know if the institute still puts a version of this out, or whether it is online somewhere? It has been a tremendous help for my memorization and meditation of God’s Word.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Thank you so much Robert for the inspiration! I’m looking forward to starting a challenge of my own with my friends! God Bless everyone for seeking Him through the memory of His Word. Thanks to all the Journey staff for the discipleship you give me and all the “Journey Goers.”
Persevere,
Max Clark
Psalm 119:11
February 8th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Thank you all for the encouraging words! I know you’ll enjoy Romans 12, Tim. That is a rich passage from start to finish. And I’ll look forward to hearing a report of how your memorization challenge is going, Max!
Tim, I think the “Secret of Success” resource you are referring to is an IBLP alumni supplement. It appears to still be available from IBLP at http://store.iblp.org/products/M12/
February 12th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Thanks for all of your encouragement throughout this past challenge Robert.You are for sure an energy-giver. =)I am currently working on memorizing the book of Philippians…it’s an incredible passage of scripture. God bless you all.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I decided to keep working through the book of II Timothy. I am trying to make it a goal to memorize at least one verse each day for the remainder of this year, and I have already begun to see awesome results!
Sarah Stelzl
February 13th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I finished up Romans 12.
I plan to more on to the book of James next, but I want to take time to meditate on it and engraft it spiritually and not just mentally in my memory.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
It looks like Stephanie, Kayla, and Allison over at princessesindisguise.wordpress.com are doing a Scripture Memory Challenge with the goal of completing Colossians 3 by March 25th! Their daily studies on each verse are very insightful. Be sure to swing over to their blog and give them a word of encouragement!
March 4th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Thanks, Robert, for your words of encouragement and for grabbing our button! It didn’t occur to me to comment over here about our challenge, so thank you for doing that as well.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:01 am
[...] would strongly encourage each of you to start your own Scripture memorization challenge. If you don’t have a blog, you can start a challenge among a group of family members or friends, [...]
June 1st, 2009 at 7:59 pm
[...] Workshop that would be creative and not a giveaway. Then, God reminded me of the Challenge, and how we had been encouraged to put our own on. I myself just happened to be due to start memorizing James 3 on my own schedule. [...]
October 12th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
[...] we need to have God’s Word in our hearts—ready to fill our minds during any idle moment. So pass on the challenge! Decide on a book from the Bible, set a date, provide a sign up sheet, and watch God bless a good [...]