Lisa Burgess, Author at Do Not Depart

Why Memorize Philippians? Make the Trade

January 21, 2019 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

On Monday, January 28, we’ll begin memorizing Philippians 1, a few verses per week. [See the memory challenge here.]

But why? Why should we trade our time and energy for that?

What’s in it for us?

Let’s remind ourselves about the basics of Philippians, the 11th book of the Bible in the New Testament, the 5th letter. Who was it written to, who was it written by, what’s it about?

TO: Holy people living in a city in Greece (Philippi)

Philippi was a rich Roman colony in Greece, made up of both Romans and Greeks. They frequently worshiped the Roman emperor as well as Egyptian gods and other deities.

Although we don’t live in Philippi, are we holy people, too? Our gut response is: No! I’m not good enough to be called a holy person.

But the truth? If we’re a believer in Christ, we ARE holy ones, saints, the set-apart, in Christ Jesus. Not because we’re good. But because Jesus is.

This letter is for our encouragement, too.

FROM: Two servants, Paul and Timothy

Just as we don’t likely introduce ourselves as saints, we don’t usually say this either: Hello, I’m a servant.

But again, in Jesus Christ, if we give ourselves to Him to advance His cause, we are His servants. If it was a good enough title for the apostle Paul and his dedicated helper Timothy, we should claim it as well.

ABOUT: Being like Jesus

The book of Philippians is often called the book of joy. But it contains so many themes. In Philippians 1, we’ll look at:

Thanksgiving
Prayer
Spreading the Word
Living the Life
Encouragement
Standing Strong No Matter What

WHEN: Around 62 A.D.

Paul was probably a prisoner in Rome, Italy, when he wrote this letter. He had originally traveled to Philippi in Greece more than ten years earlier (Acts 16:11-40; remember Lydia? the Philippian jailer?). The church there was likely the first Christian community in Europe.

What’s the Trade?

So how is this useful to us in 2019?

Because Paul was in the midst of hard times, his joy and faith in Jesus are an encouragement to us in the midst of our own times.

Our circumstances differ, but our emotions don’t.

We don’t want our faith to differ much either.

I want the faith of Paul (Philippians 1:6).
The prayer life of Paul (Philippians 1:9).
The joy of Paul (Philippians 1:18)

Will we get Paul’s faith simply by memorizing words he wrote?

No.

But if memorizing these words puts us more in touch with God in the next few months, focuses our thoughts more on Him, and feeds us truths that never change, then the door for transformation is wide open.

Let’s walk right through that door.

The trade of our thoughts for His thoughts, our time for time with Him, and our effort for His delight is an offer we don’t want to pass up.

Memorizing scripture only takes a few minutes a day. It’s a small investment for a lifetime of benefits.

Learn more background on Philippians here.

Get more details about our free Philippians resources here.

Why spend time and effort to memorize Philippians 1? Here’s why.

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What If Progress Means Going Backward?

January 17, 2019 by Lisa Burgess 17 Comments

What can we learn about fresh starts in 2019 from Nicodemus, a crusty Pharisee from Bible times? What if we’re called to start over again, too?

Let’s go there.

We are all four on the floor around the Candy Land board: Jeff, me, and the two young girls visiting for the weekend. Everybody is happy as long as our plastic gingerbread characters are moving forward, even happier when we get cards with two squares of the same color or the Queen Frostine card.

But what if you have to move your marker backward? What if you draw the Gramma Nut card when you’ve already made it to Molasses Swamp (although you don’t want to get stuck there either)?

It can bring serious tears.

Who Was Nicodemus?

I wonder if Nicodemus felt that way, too. He was a Pharisee (John 3:1), the group of Jewish leaders that interpreted the levitical law very strictly, especially for outward appearances. The Pharisees were particularly hard on Jesus, and Jesus didn’t take it easy on them either, often calling them out for their hypocrisy, see Matthew 23.

But Nicodemus was obviously puzzled by this Jesus guy. He’d heard suspicious rumors about crazy doctrines and even crazier actions by Jesus. Nicodemus indicated that he, however, believed Jesus might be straight from God, based on the things he had heard.

But he needed more information. So he went to the source Himself.

Round 1 – Back to Go

When he snuck in to see Jesus in the cover of night (John 3:1-21), he was likely disappointed by Jesus’ words:

Go back to the Start line. Be born again.

We might not like that advice either. We don’t like losing ground we thought we’ve gained. We don’t want to risk a turnaround, to face a loss of reputation or current momentum.

But if the direction we’ve been heading is off course? Sometimes the best position is to start all over. A fresh start.

Jesus told Nicodemus he needed a new birth. To look straight at Him. To believe in Him.

Trust Jesus more than tradition. Take pride in the Kingdom more than the nation. Grow your relationship more than your religion.

Round 2 – Defend Your Friend

Nicodemus shows up again in Jesus’s story six months before Jesus’ crucifixion (John 7:46-53). When his fellow Pharisees were questioning Jesus’s authority, Nicodemus asked them this:

Does our Law say a man is guilty without first listening to him and seeing him?

It was a brave question amongst a hostile crowd.

Could Nicodemus’ courage have been a direct result of his earlier encounter with Jesus? Did going all the way back to the start line, the new birth, after their talk in the dark, totally revamp Nicodemus’ faith?

Direct encounters are often the most life-changing ones. The ones where we’re on our knees before Jesus. No mediators. No pretensions.

Would an encounter like that make us more brave also? More faithful? More devoted?

Round 3 – Acts of Love

Nicodemus appears a third time in the gospel of John after Jesus is buried (John 19:38-42).

After Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’s dead body off the cross for burial, Nicodemus showed up—in broad daylight this time—with about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, per the Jewish burial custom, to wrap Jesus’ body in linen and spices.

This could only have been the action of a devoted disciple, a true lover of Jesus, the Son of God.

And it all had started with his curiosity. A let-down of his guard. A genuine seeking of the truth.

It’s Our Turn Now

Can we do those things, too? Even in the middle of our faith, can we be inquisitive enough to learn new lessons? Remain open to new evidence. Humble ourselves for fresh revelations.

Even if it means starting all over again. And again. And again.

One of the rules of Candy Land is that young players can ignore the backward cards. They might not can handle it. But older players?

When our Candy Land cards kept sending Jeff and I backward instead of forward toward King Kandy, we tried to model healthy adult behavior of accepting our backward movements as fine with us. (It wasn’t too hard.)

But the real test comes in everyday life.

At the start of this new year, can we be like Nicodemus? Are we willing to let go of things we thought we knew, of ministries we thought we’d mastered, of jobs we think we’re the best for?

Returning to square one is not usually our first choice. But if it means a clean slate and seeing the Father in Candy Castle in fresh ways, let’s go back to Go.

Going backward is sometimes a step forward.

What if you have to go backward to move forward? Go there. #NewCreations

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Have you ever had to start all over at a project or job or relationship? What happened? What about in your faith? Please share in the comments.

Sign Up Now – Memorize Philippians 1

January 14, 2019 by Lisa Burgess 12 Comments

UPDATE:

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Have you always wanted to memorize scripture but lacked the motivation to stick with it?

Then join us now and TOGETHER we’ll memorize Philippians 1.

Why Memorize?

This chapter is full of togetherness. Paul encourages his fellow believers in Philippi to keep their joy in Jesus. Read the whole chapter here and see how good it is.

We, too, will benefit from these same encouragements. We’ll move one to two verses per week, learning these powerful words and increasing our faith.

When we memorize, we take the sacred truths about Jesus off the page and place them into our hearts.

Memorize Philippians 1 button — [download the button for your own blog]

You’re also invited to join our Hide His Word Facebook group. Here you’ll find extra encouragement, memorizing tips, and fellowship with like-minded believers to help you stay focused.

Our pace will be slow enough that anyone can keep up, but fast enough that we don’t lose momentum.

See the full schedule here.

What happens when you sign up?

Three things:

1 – You’ll immediately receive an email giving you access to a full packet of resources you can download and print to help you memorize each verse.

2 – Throughout the challenge, you’ll find a short email in your inbox each Monday morning, reminding you of the week’s verse.

3 – Surprises of grace! None of us can predict how God’s Spirit will move in our lives as we devote ourselves to more time with Him. We just know it will be good and it will be valuable. The Father loves when His children intentionally pull in closer to hear Him speak.

Free Packet of Resources – Memorize Philippians 1

January 14, 2019 by Lisa Burgess 1 Comment

Click the memory packet below in your preferred translation. Then save it to your desktop.

Print any or all of the pages in your packet to help you memorize Philippians chapter 1.

For further instructions on how to use each item, check your FAQ email that you received after registering for the Philippians 1 memory challenge. Or ask a question in the comments here or in our Hide His Word Facebook group. We’re here to help!

Each packet contains:

1 page full text
Schedule bookmark
Daily checklist
3×5 text cards
First-letters page
Journal pages

Investing time in preparation now will pay off throughout the whole challenge.

For extra community, join our Hide His Word Facebook group.

Post pictures on Instagram with #Philippians1 and #HideHisWord. Share tweets using #Philippians1 and #HideHisWord.

Any questions, problems, comments? Let us know in the comments.

NEW Bible Memory Challenge – Coming Soon!

January 7, 2019 by Lisa Burgess 3 Comments

Are you ready to memorize more scripture?

We’ve got a plan for you!

Join us this winter as we memorize another important chapter from the New Testament. Learning 1-2 verses a week, we’ll walk together through a Christ-centered text that will increase our thanksgiving and strengthen our prayer lives.

We’ll give you all the details and open up registration on Monday, January 14.

What can you do now?

1. Pray about it.

Is this for you? Maybe with a friend? Or your small group? Ask the Lord and listen for His response.

2. Share it.

We appreciate when you share our memory challenges with others. We want to continue celebrating the good news about Jesus not only amongst ourselves, but also into our wider circles of friends and families.

3. Come back here January 14.

We’ll unwrap our new chapter then. When you sign up, we’ll send you a package of resources you can print to help you memorize easier.

New #BibleMemoryChallenge coming soon! Encourage yourself to live more like Christ through scripture memorization. #HideHisWord

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Tired of Looking for the Perfect Gift?

December 13, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 20 Comments

The Dreaded Gift List

If you ask my husband Jeff, he knows the reason why he dreads Christmas each year.

It’s the presents.

Watching the gift craziness can ruin Christmas for him.

Trying to find the perfect gift for everyone can take the joy out of Christmas.

We labor over our gift choices.
We spend money we don’t have.
We exchange gifts that often are neither needed nor wanted.

I wonder which ideas got scratched off the Wise Men’s gift list before they settled on the big three of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And I wonder what Mary thought when she saw those three gifts.

(I’m guessing she appreciated them in ways we couldn’t understand.)

3 Ideas for Your Gift List

What can we do to relieve our stress over gift lists?

Here are three ideas.

1. Close Your Computer

I did most of my Christmas shopping this year online. I love the convenience of it.

But the internet never locks its door. It doesn’t close at midnight and reopen in the morning. It stays open 24/7 and tempts us to linger, look around, and shop longer than we should.

We can’t depend on sore feet to put a time limit on our shopping anymore, so we need to set our own time (and money) limits on how long we’ll shop online.

And also limit how long we’ll look at other people’s perfect-picture Christmas gifts wrapped perfectly under their trees. Let’s not allow social media to swap our Christmas joy for Christmas envy.

2. Put Aside Perfect

Let go of the idea that THIS gift will be THE gift to remember for all time. No object we can buy, make, or wrap will satisfy someone’s deepest longings. Maybe we can scratch an itch by gifting the latest piece of technology or a shiny new trinket.

But nothing we can give will last forever.

Yes, we can still wrap a present and give our tokens of love, but let’s keep them in perspective. They only represent our love; they aren’t Love itself.

The only perfect gift is the one we’ve already been given: Jesus.

If we truly want to keep Christ in Christmas, then we should be Christ this Christmas.

3. Prioritize People

But how? How can we not just DO Christmas again this year? How can we BE Christmas?

Like Jesus showed us.

Jesus came to live among us.
To serve us.
To love us.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

Especially at Christmas (but all year-round!), these gifts that Jesus gave—living, serving, loving—are also the best gifts we can give.

Prioritize the people in your life. Be totally present to them when you’re sitting around the table. Listen to their stories about work parties. Smile at how much their children have grown.

It may be cliché, but your presence is truly the best present you can give.

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes or bags!”

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas. . . perhaps. . . means a little bit more!”

The Only Perfect Gift

Maybe your niece’s eyes won’t light up as brightly if you give her a knock-off Scruff-A-Luv instead of the real thing.

But if you remain present to her—looking eye-to-eye, playing together, laughing together—that’s the gift that will outlast all others.

That’s the gift that Jesus gives us.

Full attention.
Complete sacrifice.
Total grace.

Jeff and I have actually finished our Christmas shopping for this year. It’s a record for us to finish this early. And to have stressed this less.

The gifts aren’t perfect. But we are at peace. Now we’re freer to visit, to volunteer, to pass along the gift that Jesus was born to give us.

Himself. The only perfect gift.

Tired of looking for the perfect gift? Try this instead. #SimplifyingChristmas

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If you truly want to keep Christ in Christmas, then be Christ this Christmas. #SimplifyingChristmas

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Have you finished your Christmas shopping? What stresses you the most during Christmas? What relieves your stress?

Please share your thoughts in the comments. We love hearing from you.

Want to save or print this blog post for later? Download it here.

Want to read more?

Giving and Receiving the Gift of Presence
Is God calling you to be more present? To enjoy His presence more?
4 Things Everyone Wants to Hear You Say
Your words are gifts to be handed out to help others. You’ve never had greater opportunity to say more words to more people with greater speed than today.
No Voice Like Yours: An Uncommon Gift
Designate your voice to be a divine gift this Christmas. How?
Get this accompanying printable: My Voice Is a Divine Gift

How Do You Live a Good, Long Life?

November 15, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 19 Comments

When we are having a good day, we wish it would last forever.

But how do we string those good days together to make a whole life?

And what does that have to do with worshiping God?

Join in as we continue to study Psalm 34. See in verses 11-14 that worshiping God is the good life.

Our Happiness and Our Worship

When my grandmother made it to her 90s, she wanted to put in her mouth whatever tasted good to her. Cheetos. Chocolate. Candy.

We all want to be happy. And sometimes we think we’ve earned the right to be happy, either because of our age or our current position or previous circumstances.

But we don’t always know how to make ourselves happy past the moment, how to build a desirable life year after year.

And even more rarely, we don’t always see the connection between our own happiness and our reverence for God.

Listen to David

In Psalm 34, David connects the dots. Like a father gathering his children around him, he says, “Come here. Pay attention.”

“Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?”
Psalm 34:11-12

Do you want to love life and see good things?

Worship the Lord.

And how do we do that, David? How do we worship an invisible being?

David keeps it simple.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 33:13-14

In other words:
Mind your mouth.
Discipline your doings.

What words are we taking in?
What words are we speaking out?
Are we running away from bad things?
Are we running toward good things?

Begin Now

The good life requires sustained intention as we reverence the Lord.

When we intentionally shield our tongues from hate, keep our lips from lies, we will honor the Lord.

When we intentionally choose life over death, pursue peace over chaos, we are respecting the Lord.

It may not guarantee we live to see our 90s like my grandmother did. And it doesn’t mean our lives will be easy.

But living our lives to honor the Lord will help us see more goodness.

A holy life begun now will continue forever into the afterlife.

It’s No Secret

In the last months of my grandmother’s life, she could no longer live alone. She moved in with my aunt. And her diet got healthier again. What she put into her mouth was more nutritious.

And what came out of my grandmother’s mouth? She continued to give praise to her Creator.

The secret to a long life may be complex and dependent on many things.

But the secret to a good life doesn’t have to be a secret.

Respect the Lord.
Mind your mouth.
Discipline your doings.

For Study and Reflection:

Read Psalm 34:11-14. What is David promising to teach?
Make a list of good things you see on a daily basis.
Say a prayer of thanks for those good things, and ask God to show you even more.
Study the following passages: Luke 6:45; Romans 12:18; Proverbs 8:13. How do they fit in with Psalm 34:11-14?
Put up a special effort the next few days to live in peace. Use your words only for good, not for harm.

How do you live a good, long life? Here is David’s answer. #Psalm34TasteAndSee

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How long did your grandparents live?
What good things have you seen in your life this week?
We’d love to hear.

See all our posts on Psalm 34 here.

This Hope Is Not Passive – Lamentations 3:26 {Scripture Memory Challenge}

November 5, 2018 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

Here’s that word again.

It’s the third time in three verses of the six we’ve been memorizing.

Yachal

What does it mean?

Yachal is the Hebrew word for “to hope, to wait.”

We’ve seen it in Lamentations 3:21:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have HOPE:

In 3:24:

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will HOPE in him.”

And this week in 3:26, even though the English translation in ESV is “wait”, it’s from the same Hebrew root word as “hope” in the other verses:

It is good that one should WAIT quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

(KJV says, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

This hoping, this waiting, is not a passive thing. It is having an expectant attitude. It is keeping your eyes open for something good to show up.

Because God is good. And God always shows up to deliver us.

Thanks for reading along with us these six weeks as we’ve concentrated on these six verses in Lamentations 3. We pray these truth’s about God’s goodness and faithfulness stay with us much longer.

We can confidently expect God to stay with us forever!

This is not a passive waiting. This hope is expectant. #HideHisWord

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What are you hoping for as we move into November toward Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Please share what you’re thinking in the comments.

If You Wait, If You Seek – Lamentations 3:25 {Scripture Memory Challenge}

October 29, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 2 Comments

Is God good?

Have you ever wondered where God is?

Sometimes it doesn’t seem like the Lord is present—or good—when bad things happen. We wonder why He doesn’t step in and stop things.

We may never get the answers we’re looking for on this side of heaven.

But we can trust this promise:

“The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”
Lamentations 3:25

We may not see the good immediately.

Or we not agree with God on what is “good.”

But eventually, and hopefully sooner rather than later, if we keep waiting and keep seeking, we will know that the Lord is good.

If you keep waiting and keep seeking, you will know. #Lamentations3 #HideHisWord

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Are you good at waiting? At seeking? What reminds you that the Lord IS good?

Please share what you’re thinking in the comments.

Do You Know Enough Already?

October 24, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 11 Comments

Who Am I?

Their first baby is due next spring.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby will have no idea who he or she is for a long time.

It will know very little. Except who gives it food. Who gives it comfort. Who keeps it warm and dry.

And that will be perfectly enough.

What about you? How much do you think you need to know to be enough?

It’s a lot less than you think.

What We Don’t Know

Sometimes what we don’t know can hurt us. An unhealthy work environment. A toxic church leader. Or even a spoiled chicken sandwich.

Knowledge can be power.

But when we think we don’t know enough to be a “good” Christian? Or we don’t know enough to deserve God’s love? Or to share His good news with others?

We’re misguided.

We do know enough already.

Remember how little the original apostles knew. They misunderstood Jesus at every turn. Not just in the little things, but in the overall picture.

Yet even with their minimal knowledge, they were still empowered to spread the gospel all around the world.

And for those who thought they did know many things? It filled them with pride.

“But this knowledge only fills people with pride. It is love that helps the church grow stronger.”
1 Corinthians 8:1 (ERV)

And this:

“Those who think they know something do not yet know anything as they should.”
1 Corinthians 8:2 (ERV)

It’s Not What WE Know

It’s not just our own knowledge that gets us out of tight spots or into healthy places.

It’s the Lord’s knowledge through us.

“Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil!”
Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message)

As followers of Christ, we can rely on His knowledge to lead us into good things.

Just as a baby doesn’t have to understand that he’s royalty in order to be royalty, neither do we have to understand every intricate working of the kingdom in order to be children of the King.

And to have access to His treasures.

We Know Enough

We already know enough to be used by God.

We already know enough:

To help our sister
To mentor our child
To love our enemy
To serve our neighbor
To praise our God

We know enough to run to Jesus and learn from Him.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29 (ESV)

We don’t have to wait to know more.

Let’s use what we already know as we keep learning more. (Acts 19:2-6).

Identify with Royalty

Who we are is not dependent on what we know, but on Whose we are (2 Timothy 1:9). We can cry, “Abba! Father!” because we have been adopted as daughters and sons (Romans 8:15-16).

Our identity in Christ is solid, regardless of whether we can recite all 66 books of the Bible or if we need the index to find Genesis.

We can rest from striving to know it all.

We can find freedom in living out our true identity.

The royal baby next year won’t understand for years that he or she is an heir to a rich inheritance. But as it grows in understanding, it can appreciate and be empowered by its position.

So it is with us.

We can’t yet grasp how wide and long and high and deep is Christ’s love for us (Ephesians 3:18).

Christ’s love surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19).

But the more we grow into our identity, the more aware we are of the benefits of our birthright.

We are called (2 Timothy 1:9).
We are free (Galatians 5:1).
We are royalty (1 Peter 2:9).

How much do you know? Enough to do something. #WhoAmI

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Do you typically think, “I don’t know enough yet to do this or try that”? Or do you forge ahead anyway?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Here’s a beautiful new song by Lauren Daigle—“You Say“—to remind you of who you are.

Put All Your Eggs in One Basket – Lamentations 3:24 {Scripture Memory Challenge}

October 22, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 1 Comment

There is one basket that is safe for all your eggs. Memorize Lamentations 3:24 with us and see what and why.

You’ve heard this before:

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Maybe it’s true in general. If you drop that basket of eggs, they all crack.

You can’t expect one person to meet every need you have.
Or one food to provide all the vitamins you need.
Or one stock be the sole investment for your retirement.

We know what it’s like to hope for the wrong things and be disappointed. Or to trust a friend only to feel betrayal.

Sometimes it causes us to stop hoping at all. What’s the point?

But we learn from our memory verse this week that there IS a place—or rather a Person—that we can place all our eggs.

Put all your hope in the Lord.

The author of Lamentations wrote that the Lord was his portion, his allotment, his inheritance. And therefore he could hope.

God is the basket to hold all your hopes.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:24

Does that mean He’ll give you whatever you hope for?

Thankfully, no. Often we mistakenly hope for the wrong things.

But it does mean He’ll always move in your best interest for His glory and for your good.

And you will discover . . .

Warmth in His never-ceasing love,
Comfort from His never-ending compassion,
Joy in His daily mercies, and
Security in His great faithfulness.

So pile up those eggs. Put them in the hands of the Lord. He’ll never drop them.

He’ll never drop you. No one can snatch you out of His hand (John 10:28).

Your soul is safe in Him.

Put all your eggs in this one basket. Your soul is safe there. #HideHisWord

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Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist by nature?

How has the Lord shown His faithfulness to you?

Please share what you’re thinking in the comments.

Get Your Hopes Up
We are lousy predictors of our futures. How do we deal with the fear of getting our hopes up? We place our hope in God’s future grace.
A Daily Dose to Overcome Anxiety
God gave it to them daily for their journey: manna. What does He give us every day for our journey? Grace.
3 Words to Silence Your Worries
Worrying is painful. It leads us to doubt God’s goodness. Use these 3 words to change your mind.

Remember to Use Yours Today – Lamentations 3:23 {Scripture Memory Challenge}

October 15, 2018 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

Remember This

The promise in this week’s memory verse is irresistible.

Even if you’re not memorizing with us, read this verse today.

“They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:23

Then tell God thank you for it.

Every Single Day

Thank God for what?

What is it that is new every morning?

God’s mercies (Lamentations 3:22)

Every morning. Not the 2nd Sunday of every other month. Or January 1 of each new year.

But you get new mercies every day of your life.

A fresh batch of grace arrives at the foot of your bed before you wake up, ready for you to unwrap and use up, until you rest your eyes again that night.

Look for your batch of mercy today.

There’s enough for you to take all you need and still have plenty to pass along to others.

Why does God give it away?

Because our God is great. And our God is faithful.

Remember that, too, this week, beginning every single morning.

You get a fresh batch of this every single morning. Notice it. Use it. #HideHisWord

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Please share your thoughts in the comments.

No End in Sight – Lamentations 3:22 {Scripture Memory Challenge}

October 8, 2018 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

Implant these powerful facts about God into your heart this week.

As we memorize together for six weeks, Lamentations 3:22 is a verse you’ll want to return to again and again, even after the six weeks have ended.

Remember These 2 Truths

And now we get to two of the beautiful truths we need to call to mind. Truths that will bring us hope.

What are they?

(1) The Lord’s love is steadfast; it never runs out, and

(2) His mercies have no ending point.

A bottomless pit of love and mercy. No cut-off date for God’s grace.

What more could we ask for?

As you meditate on these truths this week—and may He bring them to mind often—thank God often and fervently for these gifts.

We don’t deserve them, but praise God we are invited to receive them.

These two truths are worth thinking about all week. #Lamentations3 #HideHisWord

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What in your refrigerator or pantry do you often have to throw out because it expires? Can you imagine a love that never gets old or runs out?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

If you want to receive our weekly email for the six weeks of memorizing Lamentations 3:21-26, sign up here. We’ll send you links to a package of resources to download as well as reminders and memory hacks along the way.

Why Should You Think About THIS? – Lamentations 3:21 {Scripture Memory Challenge}

October 1, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 6 Comments

What were you just thinking about?

Where does your mind drift to when you’re alone with your thoughts?

Capture Your Thoughts

While it’s good to have downtime, time to allow our brains to unwind and wander, we don’t have to give our thoughts free rein.

The apostle Paul reminded his readers to:

Capture every thought to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Think about these things (Philippians 4:8)
Set your minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)

Recall THIS

As we begin our new memory challenge today, we also hear from the author of Lamentations (often attributed as Jeremiah the prophet) to channel thoughts in a specific direction.

He says THIS we are to call to mind.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”
Lamentations 3:21

What is THIS?

We’ll find out again and again in the coming weeks, but peeking ahead this week, we see that it’s going to be good.

Among other things, we’ll discover that THIS is:

The loyal love of the Lord
Fresh, unending mercies
God’s great faithfulness

Lead Your Thoughts

For this week, let’s remember that our thoughts don’t have to lead us.

We can choose what we think about.

We don’t have to dwell on whatever pops up, but we can take our thoughts to a different place, to thoughts of God, thoughts that are higher than we would have on our own (Isaiah 55:9).

And when we do? Therefore?

We have HOPE.

That is a reward worth thinking about.

Can you control what you think? Why should you remember THIS? #HideHisWord

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What is worrying you lately? Where does your mind drift to in the middle of the night? What higher thought can you call to mind to substitute for a lower thought?

Please share what you’re thinking in the comments.

Spend Time in Six Verses with Us

September 28, 2018 by Lisa Burgess 3 Comments

UPDATE:
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Do you want to spend some rich moments with God in these beautiful six verses?

For the next six weeks we’ll be spending quality time memorizing these glorious promises from the Lord. One verse per week, we’ll be soaking in every word to allow God’s grace to reach new places in us.

Here is our schedule.

If you want our free memory resources and a short email reminder each Monday morning, register today. See more details here.

We’re excited to start this Monday, October 1, 2018. Thanks to all who have already signed up. We are ready to travel this journey together in Lamentations 3:21-26!

It will be good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3:26).

Memorize 6 Verses in 6 Weeks

September 24, 2018 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

UPDATE:
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Would you like to memorize Lamentations 3:21-26 with us? We’ll start on Monday, October 1, 2018. We’ll learn one verse per week for six weeks.

When you sign up, you’ll get access to a package of resources to print. These are designed to help you get the most out of the passage, both in memorization and in study.

We’ll also send you a short email each Monday morning with the verse of the week.