memory verses

Mark 8:34 Memory verse
And when he had called the people
to him with his disciples also, he said to
them, Whosoever will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.
Notes: deny himself. No one who is unwilling to deny himself can
legitimately claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. take up his cross.
This reveals the extent of self-denial—to the point of death, if neces-
sary. The extent of desperation on the part of the penitent sinner who
is aware he can't save himself reaches the place where nothing is held
back (cf. Mt 19:21,22).

Psalm 19:1 Memory verse (NASB)
The heavens are telling of the glory of
God; and their expanse is declaring
the work of His hands.

Notes: heavens . . . expanse. Both are crucial elements of the cre-
ation in Ge 1 (cf. vv. 1,8). telling . . . declaring. Both verbs emphasize
the continuity of these respective disclosures. work of His hands.
An anthropomorhism illustrating God's great power.

Matthew 5:44,45 Memory verse
But I say to you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That you may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he makes
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Notes: love your enemies . . .that you may be sons of your Fa-
ther. This plainly teaches that God's love extends even to His
enemies. This universal love of God is manifest in blessings with God
bestows on all indiscriminately. Theologians refer to this as common
grace. This must be distinguished from the everlasting love God has
for the elect (Jer 31:3), but it is a sincere goodwill nonetheless (cf. Ps
145:9).

Mark 1:17 Memory verse
And Jesus said to them, Come after me,
and I will make you to become fishers of
men.

Notes: Follow Me. Used freqintly in the gospels in reference to
discipleship (2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Mt 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21;
Lk 9:23,59,61; 18:22; Jn 1:43; 10:27; 12:26). fishers of men. Evange-
lism was the primary purpose for which Jesus called the apostles, and
it remains the central mission for His people (cf. Mt 28:19,20; Ac 1:8).

Ephesians 5:15,16 Memory verse
See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time,
because the days are evil.

Notes: be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.
To live morally is to live wisely. Biblically, an "unwise man" is not so
named because of intellectual limits, but because of unbelief and
the conequent deeds (Ps 14:1; Ro 1:22). He lives apart
from God and against God's law (Pr 1:7,22; 14:9), and can't compre-
hend the truth (1 Co 2:14) or his true condition (Ro 1:21,22). Certain-
ly believers are to avoid behaving like fools (see Lk 24:25; Gal 3:1-3).
making the most of your time. The Gr. word for "time" denotes
a fixed, measured, allocated season. We are to make the most
of our time on this evil earth in fulfilling God's purposes, lining up
every opportunity for useful worship and service.

Matthew 7:21 Memory verse
Not every one that says to me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that does the will of my Father
which is in heaven.

Notes: Not everyone who says . . . but he who does. The barren-
ness of this sort of faith demonstrates its real character (cf. v. 20)—
the faith that says but does not do is really unbelief. Jesus was not
suggesting that works are meritorious for salvation, but that true
faith will not fail to produce the fruit of good works. This is precisely
the point of Jas 1:22-25; 2:26.