Besides singing the water buffalo song and "I have decided to follow Jesus", laughing about our day and debriefing from the previous bible study, our times in the van as we travel long distances have been filled reviewing and memorizing scripture.
When we wake up, we read these verses, at breakfast we’ll challenge each other's minds, on long rides we stutter and fight through getting a verse we just started memorizing, while building and helping where we are staying we'll pull out those worn cards, at dinner we quote a verse before eating and as we go to lay our heads, once again we read another verse.
Living out Deuteronomy 6:5-9
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.'
Although as we learn verses, we pray that we don’t just memorize words as if we are cramming for the final exam, but living out each verse.
Some teammates shared their reflection on the verses we have been memorizing:
Acts 20:24 I consider my life worth nothing, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me; the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace
“I’ve really been hung up on the ministry given to us by the Lord. Something that I need to remind myself is- that my job is not to convert people. My job is to humbly testify of the gospel of the grace of God. The Holy Spirit is the one to prepare and bring conviction into the hearts of people. I am only here to be a vessel of the Lord, His hands and feet.”
Titus 3:5
He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
“It’s been amazing to apply this to my heart as we do ministry- to remind myself the things we are doing are simply an overflow of the Lord’s mercy.
Also it’s been a blessing to explain that verse to someone who things they are following Christ, but are constantly drowning in trying to be enough for Him (the Roman-Catholics here). They are lost and searching, so for them to hear the truth is incredible!”
Please pray for us as we continue to memorize verses, that we will not simply memorize words but memorize instructions for our life and words to guide others to life.
Pray as we implement each verse into our daily life.
- Holland
Bicol Media Team