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I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might . . .
Prove my Bible expertise in a heated online debate.
Write it in cute handwriting on all my coffee mugs and tote bags.
Be the star student in my Thursday night Bible study.
Ouch.
Obviously, these things aren’t completely wrong. Handling Scripture accurately is good. Writing God’s Word on our “doorposts” is good (Deuteronomy 11:20). Participating in Bible studies is good.
But, as always, context is king. Let’s take a closer look.
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119:9–16)
Scripture Memory = Powerful Faith Formation
When it comes to the faith formation of our kids, we want them to belong to Jesus, believe the truth of Scripture, and become like Him by walking in His ways. According to Psalm 119, Scripture memory is a powerful discipleship tool. It enables us to:
● not be put to shame;
● praise God with an upright heart;
● keep God’s statutes;
● help keep our way pure;
● helps us not wander from God’s commandments;
● delight in God’s testimonies; and
● fix our eyes on His ways.
Sign me up…
And my family…
And my church.
Isn’t this exactly what we want for ourselves and our families? We want to raise resilient disciples with heart and spine to love others and stand for the truth of God’s Word. We want our children to have a vibrant faith, delighting in God’s Word, and running the race God has called them to. And where does this passage say it starts? With storing up God’s Word in our hearts.
At Awana, we have the privilege of standing on a 75-year legacy that clearly shows the lifelong impact of hiding God’s Word in children’s hearts. Whether visiting a church, speaking at a conference, or hosting a webinar, I have the joy of being regularly reminded by our former Awana Clubs kids, now adults, how learning, understanding, and memorizing Scripture and being discipled by a loving, caring adult in their local church changed their lives.
But let’s face it. Scripture memory is hard. And the older we get, the harder it seems to be. The verses I’ve attempted to memorize feel like they spend more time written on notecards than written on my heart. But we can do this, together.
Here are three ways your family (and the families you serve!) can commit to Scripture Memory this Easter season:
1. Choose five verses to memorize as a family, one each week leading up to Easter.
This is completely up to your family. Maybe your kids are already memorizing verses as part of their weekend or midweek church services. If so, work on memorizing them as a family. Perhaps your church or family has a Bible reading plan for Easter. Scan the passages in advance and select five verses to memorize. We’ve also included five formational verses below that we believe will benefit your family.
2. Share your memory verse with your kids and ask them to keep you accountable to the plan.
Discipleship is deliberate and it takes time. But you can also be intentional about the moments you have together as you go throughout your week. If you create a plan and tell your kids that the whole family is going to stick to it, believe me, they’ll hold you to it.
Here’s an example:
Read the verse on Sunday evening. Write the verse on two notecards and put one on your kitchen table and one in your car. Read the verse together every time you sit together at the table or before you get out of the car. If your family is as busy as mine, that means you’ll read the verse 586 times before Wednesday. Just kidding… sort of.
3. Plan a celebration.
Plan a celebration and tell your kids about it in advance (Doing this will help keep both the kids and parents accountable!). This can be as simple as a special sweet treat, a family game night, or making family dinner extra fun by adding balloons and streamers. There are so many things we choose to spend time and energy celebrating. If we can take kids for ice cream after a fantastic t-ball game, we should also celebrate hiding God’s Word in our hearts!
Five Formational Verses for Your Family
If you’re looking for something pre-made, here’s a Scripture memory plan I’d love to invite you to participate in. It includes a question to consider and a verse that answers the question. Each verse you memorize tells an important part of God’s redemptive work, pointing your family’s hearts toward Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and His perfect plan of salvation.
What is God like?
John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
What are we like?
Romans 3:23 — For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
How does God respond to us?
Romans 5:8 — But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
How can we respond to God?
Acts 16:31 — Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
How does God save us?
Ephesians 2:8–9 — For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
So, this Easter, feel free to paint beautiful verses on your coffee mugs or use them in other fun family crafts. But more importantly, let’s hide Scripture in our hearts.
Join us this year as we journey through Holy Week.
Shawna Murlin is passionate about equipping leaders and parents to disciple kids with a lasting faith and serves as the Awana Clubs lead developer. She is saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8–9) and thankful that in His steadfast love, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).
