Monday, March 29, 2010

Scriptunes! - Bible Scripture Memory!


Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

What is the most important thing Christians should be filling their hearts and minds with? God's amazing Word, of course! When His Word is ingrained into our souls, it is there when we need it ~ to guide our thoughts and actions, to help us make wise choices, to lovingly help others, and to uplift and support in times of need.

But what if your memory skills need a little boost (like mine)? I find that when studying Scripture, I can remember the concept that I want, but have a difficult time quoting exactly without paraphrasing. I also have a hard time remembering the reference from where the verse is located in the Bible.

Why is it important to remember the verses and references exactly? When going through daily life, knowing the Word exactly and correctly is going to aid me in all I do or say. By knowing the reference I can easily refer to it to share that knowledge with others. it's much more convincing to be able to locate a verse and allow them to contemplate it than to just say that its in the Bible somewhere.
 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, 
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 
so that the man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work. 
2 Timothy 3:16-17

A method of making memorization easier is through music! So, one way my family has been memorizing Biblical Scriptures is using catchy, lively tunes. I believe all music should be used to glorify God in some way, so by singing Scripture we may worship Him and at the same time be implanting and teaching verses to ourselves, children, and anyone else who may listen.

The children have been participating in a wonderful program called Upwards for the past few years! It is a Christian organization for children and their families based around the fun games of basketball, soccer, and football. Several churches in our area band together to reach out to children grades K-8 in this mission. Not only do they have weekly basketball games and practices in which they learn to strengthen their sportsmanship and athletic skills, but they also have devotions and work together memorizing Scripture. They also have the option of cheerleading squads where the young ladies learn to be fantastic encourages to their fellow Christians.

"Upward Sports, the world’s largest Christian sports program for children, was created with a vision to provide the best sports experience possible for every child.  Each year some 1 million people around the world play, coach, referee, or volunteer in Upward Sports leagues and camps hosted by more than 2,600 churches.  Anyone – children and volunteers of any faith or no faith – can participate in Upward Sports.  Specifically designed for children in K5- sixth grade, Upward Sports aim to bring out “the winner” in every child – regardless of the game’s score." from Upwards Sports Site.

He replied, "My mother and brothers
are those who hear God's word 
and put it into practice."
Luke 8:21


Okay, Pamela, this blog is supposed to be about Christian music, so where are you going with this? Well, when the children start the yearly Upward program they are given a CD of incredible Christian music called Scriptunes! It contains an exciting, memorable song for each of the ten Bible verses the children will be studying. The songs are bouncy, repetitive, and easy to memorize! They contain the verse itself, a life application attached to it, and many time the reference right within the song itself. The music is composed and performed by a gentleman by the name of Mike Blackwood, a musician and pastor from Charlotte, North Carolina. My children and I have loved listening to and singing these songs to help to memorize each week's verse, then since the children enjoy them, listen to them year round. Since we have been participating for 5 years, we have 5 different CD for hours of inspirational listening!

If you would like to obtain a copy of one of the CD's, you may join Upwards, or just visit Mr. Blackwood's site or Amazon to order some for yourself! The songs are rewarding for all ages of believers!  :-D


If anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
1 John 2:5

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Hi! Thanks for visiting Graceful Notes! May God grant you a wonderful day! ~ Pamela