An Appraoch to the Extended Memorization of Scripture

Dr. Andy Davis spoke at a chapel service at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary this past semester, and he brought with him a box full of booklets he had written on "An Approach to the Extended Memorization of Scripture." Rumor has it that Dr. Davis has memorized the entire New Testament, and is working on portions of the Old Testament.

I am amazed by this extensive exercise, but at the same time I am terribly shamed. I have often struggled in my adult life to memorize Bible verses, and I often struggle to remember the words to a song I might be singing, and yet David lets us in on a secret to combating sin in Psalm 119:11; "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

May God have mercy on us for our laziness and toleration of sin.

The Takamine EG361SC

Well, I think I have found the guitar for me. I never knew all the variables involved in producing great, rich sound from a guitar! Rosewood, apparently, is the Cadillac wood of guitars, and the sound it produces is much deeper and louder than most others. I think the Takamine EG361SC is my best bet for the money, and I have not played a guitar in its price range that comes close to the beautiful sound this guitar produces.

I have been practicing the guitar for almost two weeks. A good friend at work let me borrow a guitar that he learned on, and I've been playing almost every day. My fingers are starting to become calloused, but my inability to put together the chords fast enough to play a song really irks me! The guitar I am playing on is a bit difficult to play, and I am really looking forward to practicing on this guitar!

One Way Christianity Is Different

I am reading a compilation of three of John Owen's works entitled Overcoming Sin & Temptation, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor. Owen, in the first work, Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers, contrasts the work of the Spirit in "killing sin" with the normal way by which most of us try to be better Christians:

Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.

Are you trying to be a better Christian by making yourself better? This is not biblical. Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit will do this in our lives.

Now, I have an idea that Bible intake and meditation play a big part in this, but I'll have to keep reading.

Two More Classes Down

I just completed two more classes on my way to a Masters degree from Southern Seminary. This was possibly one of the most difficult semesters I have taken. By the grace of God, I completed Elementary Greek and Church History I. Hopefully, I will have more time now to blog occasionally.