https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/GodsWordInMyHeart.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Psalms 119:11-16<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. God’s Word is important to the Christian<\/p>\n
A. It tells us how to live – II Timothy 3:16-17<\/p>\n
B. It has everything we need to know about life and godliness – II Peter 1:3<\/p>\n C. But it is frustrating for a lot of us when there is a passage we want to find but you\ncan’t remember where it is at.\n
II. Hidden in my heart<\/p>\n
A. Psalm 119:11 – We should have God’s word always with us<\/p>\n
B. Jeremiah 15:16 – Chew on them<\/p>\n
C. Colossians 3:16 – Let it live with you<\/p>\n
D. Not just memorization. God is talking about His word becoming a part of us.<\/p>\n
E. When we speak, we speak as God’s word – I Peter 4:11<\/p>\n
III. How to make it a part of us<\/p>\n A. Memorization is one method, but let’s face it, not all of us can memorize portions\nof the Bible.\n 1. Being able to quote passages is good, but what about the person being\nquoted to – how does he know you are reciting the passage accurately?\n
2. They need to look up the verses for themselves – Acts 17:11<\/p>\n B. Even when I happen to have a verse memorized, I turn to the passage and have the\nperson I’m studying with turn there as well.\n
1. Then I am less likely to misquote because of a faulty memory<\/p>\n
2. Then the person can see for himself that this is really what God said.<\/p>\n 3. They can also read the context to see that it wasn’t being pulled out of\ncontext.\n 4. You’ll notice that I turn to passages during lessons, give at least a moment\nto turn to the passage and read the verse. All so that you can check to see if\nwhat I am saying is so.\n
C. Grow – II Peter 3:18<\/p>\n
1. Never become satisfied that you know enough<\/p>\n
D. By reason of use – Hebrews 5:13-14<\/p>\n 1. Memorizing a passage doesn’t do you much good if you don’t have an\nimmediate use for it.\n a. I’ve met a few excellent mathematicians who can solve the most\ncomplex geometric problems. Most of us can’t. We wouldn’t even\nknow where to begin.\n b. But I’ve seen carpenters solve complex geometric problems daily,\nwithout effort, because they use the same methods over and over\nagain.\n
c. Repeated use, locks ideas in our head<\/p>\n
2. Use also increases interest.<\/p>\n
E. How to encourage growth and use:<\/p>\n 1. When you answer a question in Bible class, don’t answer with “I think.”\nFind the passage first and then state “Over in … it says …”\n 2. When someone tells you about a problem in his life, think about what\npassage would best address his situation and then share it with that person.\n 3. When something really bothers you, think about what passage would best\nguide you and then go read it again.\n 4. Start a cross-reference in the margin of your Bible. When you run across a\nverse that particularly fits well with other, jot the reference down in the\nBible.\n
5. Keep a list of key verses on the blank pages in your Bible.<\/p>\n
6. When a speaker mentions a passage, look it up.<\/p>\n 7. Talk with people about the Bible. There is nothing like a discussion to get\nyour mental gear engaged.\n
F. Give yourself reminders – Deuteronomy 6:4-9<\/p>\n
1. Write out a favorite passage and put it where you can see it.<\/p>\n 2. One woman took the idea from Deuteronomy 17:18 and copied books of\nthe Bible. She then bound them as gifts.\n
G. Think about it <\/p>\n
1. Think about it day and night – Psalms 1:2<\/p>\n
2. A meditation all day – Psalms 119:97<\/p>\n
3. A meditation at night, during boring times – Psalms 63:6<\/p>\n
H. Help someone else learn – Proverbs 15:7<\/p>\n
IV. Reasons to learn<\/p>\n A. Few learn purely for learning sake. Most of us need a reason to learn, a goal in\nmind\n
B. One way is to figure out why<\/i> things are as they are.<\/p>\n 1. You can memorize all the English grammar rules you are able, or you can\nfigure out why those rules exist and the rest comes easy\n
2. Knowledge is easy to him who understands – Proverbs 14:6<\/p>\n C. Never allow yourself to think you know it all. Understand that you will be wrong\nat times – Proverbs 12:1\n
1. A corollary is that you don’t have all the answers.<\/p>\n 2. Studying with others helps because they will bring up a point you never\nthought about before.\n 3. So go learn. Never think you must have all the answers before you start\nstudying with another.\n
D. Don’t ignore a subject because you don’t understand it – Proverbs 1:22<\/p>\n 1. It is easy to mock what you don’t know, but it doesn’t make you a better\nperson.\nV. Bible study is hard for some because they never make learning the Bible a part of their\nlives.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 119:11-16 I. God’s Word is important to the Christian A. It tells us how to live – II Timothy 3:16-17 B. It has everything we need to know about life and godliness – II Peter 1:3 C. But it is frustrating for a lot of us when there is a passage we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[219,913,558],"class_list":["post-62624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-bible","tag-bible-study","tag-study"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51035,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-preacher-and-his-study\/","url_meta":{"origin":62624,"position":0},"title":"The Preacher and His Study","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hiram Kemp The preacher of God's Word is to speak with all the authority God has given him (Titus 2:15). He is to speak as the oracles of God (I Peter 4:11). He is to proclaim the gospel as the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). However, all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28758,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/hearing-the-spirit\/","url_meta":{"origin":62624,"position":1},"title":"Hearing the Spirit","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 30:5-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many people are convinced that the Holy Spirit directly speaks to them \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Yet, these same people will claim things contrary to the teachings of the Bible \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And they rarely agree with each other II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Bible is the product of the Spirit \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16912,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-power-of-god-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":62624,"position":2},"title":"The Power of God: The Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 1:8-19 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Word of God is precious to believers, an object of desire - Psalm 19:7-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0O, how I love your law! - Psalm 119:97-100 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Longing for God\u2019s law - Psalm 119:40 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Desire it like a new born babe desires milk - I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17813,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/give-attention-to-reading\/","url_meta":{"origin":62624,"position":3},"title":"Give Attention to Reading","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 4:1-16 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Timothy was told to give attention to reading, exhortation, and teaching (I Timothy 4:13) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You cannot teach without knowledge about the subject you are teaching \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You cannot encourage people to go the right direction if you don\u2019t know where you are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45272,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-we-have-a-right-to-our-own-opinions\/","url_meta":{"origin":62624,"position":4},"title":"Do We Have a Right to Our Own Opinions?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 1:16-21 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When two disagree, one will say \u201cWell, everyone has a right to their own opinions.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is a statement saying, \u201cI disagree with you, but that is okay. Your thoughts are just as good as mine.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In some sense this is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":89864,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-bible-alone-is-the-word-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":62624,"position":5},"title":"The Bible Alone Is the Word of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton No other book is equal to the Bible. Neither the Quran nor the Book of Mormon equals the Bible in the marks or proofs of divine origin. What convinces me that the Bible alone is God's Word? In summary, I would appeal to three areas: It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62624\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}