The First 8

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirt. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:1-8

I have no way to prove it to you, but I just typed those verses from memory. On Monday, I started an approach to Scripture memorization mostly based on the methods in this paper (I say loosely because I'm not memorizing a whole book, nor am I doing the references...the verses tend to separate themselves in my head ok and if I have to remember Romans 8:4 by remembering what comes before it, I don't think that's the worst thing in the world). Since I've been spending so much time on Romans 8:1-2, and have been tremendously instructed by other portions of the chapter, I thought I'd just go ahead and memorize the whole thing.

One thing I LOVE about this approach is the sheer number of times I repeat every verse. I already had verses 1 and 2 down when I started, so I started on what would otherwise have been "day 3". I repeated the first two verses 10 times. Then I read verse 3 out loud 10 times. Then I said verse 3 out loud without looking 10 times. Then I said the first 3 verses 10 times.

Now my math people here have figured out that if I learned the first 3 verses Monday and now have 8, I must be doing more than one verse a day.

True.

This a familiar chapter to me, so even if I'm trying to make sure this stays in my long-term memory by taking time and going slowly, I don't think 2 verses a day is a terrible stretch.

The practice is, however, the same. When I added verse 4 to verse 3, I repeated verse 3 ten times out loud. Then I read verse 4 out loud 10 times. Then I recited verse 4 out loud 10 times. Then I went back and did the first four verses together 10 times. On Tuesday, I did this with verse 5, and later with verse 6. Today, with verses 7 and 8 (8 is super short and easy so it came quickly alongside 7).

I like this method so far because it has me proclaiming truth to myself over and over again. There will never be a day on this earth when I don't need to be reminded that to set the mind on the flesh is death but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Instead of repeating Scripture until I remember it, I repeat it until I can't forget it.

Anyone else have anything that's really worked for them? Or maybe you want to try this one out?