West Ridge Bible Memory - Dallas, GA

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers, 

Wow - Terrence really gave us a great word today.  We have a High Priest that is greater.  We can approach God's throne of grace.  We can pray the simple prayer of 'Jesus, Help!"  and He will hear.   

Our memory verse will be Hebrews 4:16.  "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence so that we mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  We need to go BOLDLY before the throne because our High Priest Jesus is GREATER. 

Then Terrence read how Jesus is made known through every book of the Bible.  That was so powerful and it reminded me of an old song.  I strongly encourage all of you to listen to this - basically it is what Terrence read set to music.  So powerful.    (oops - I can't put a link through here - but go on youtube and search for He Is by Aaron Jeoffrey!!!)

If you have questions about how to join West Ridge Bible Memory group, feel free to pm me.  

Blessings, Donna

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Paul continued the study of Hebrews today and dwelt on the rest of God discussed at the beginning of chapter 4.  We need to be diligent to enter God's rest; yet we enter that rest by faith.  We get salvation by faith, but this is a warning about maintaining the daily dwelling confidence in the presence of God.  We need faith and belief that we will have victory.  We can forfeit God's good plans with a lack of belief.  We need to have faith that God is still at work on our behalf even if you are not.  And we must enter rest.  

      A special rest is the Sabbath rest.  Paul spoke of the Sabbath as he experienced it in Israel and about the Sabbath rest that Chic-Fil-a has followed.  Paul challenged us to set aside at least 4 hours of Sabbath rest.  Make plans for it and set parameters.  (Make an apple pie - listen to the sermon to get that one.)  And trust that God will bless your faithful efforts of entering rest. 

     Paul ended the sermon with a prayer from Psalm 90:17.  "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands upon us, yes establish the work of our hands."  Let's learn this one so that we can have faith that God will work toward establish our lives as we faithfully enter rest in Him.

     If you have any questions about how to join West Ridge Bible Memory group and use Scripturetyper to enhance your Bible meditation, feel free to pm me.  Blessings to all, Donna

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers, 

Pastor Brian's talk today from Hebrews 3 was a bit deep.  I took a lot of notes.

Hebrews was written during a hard time for early believers.  Many were tempted to fall away and return to Judaism.  In Hebrews 3, the author urges believers to "Consider Jesus", to think deeply of Him.  

First, Jesus is greater than Moses, greater as a person, as a High Priest and in His work in His house.  The 'house' is where the priests did their work.  And now we believers are a 'house full of priests'.  We have the priviledge of serving.  If we stand firm in our confidence in Him we remain useful in His service.  If we fall away in doubt and unbelief we lose our usefulness.  

So we must beware of doubt and unbelief (see v 12-14).  Doubt and unbelief will cause ut to chase idols and false gods.  Our hearts are designed to worship God, but doubt and unbelief harden our hearts.  Even true Christians can go through seasons of this.  But we must be aware of this and not let our hearts be hardened.  Seasons of struggle are not a litmus test of salvation, but if we let those seasons continue and we fall away we will have a useles life.  

So, this chapter encourages us to keep our confidence and trust in Jesus.  Verses 12-13 talks about this and encourages us to encourage one another. This speaks both to us individually and to the power of community in building each other up.   Let's learn these verses.  

Scripture memory takes effort, but it is worth it and gives you a great way to 'meditate' on God's word.  If you have any questions about how to use scripturetyper, feel free to  pm me.  Many blessings, Donna

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

I am excited that we have had 3 more people join our group this week.  If you use the tool, it really will help you learn more scripture so that you can think about it throughout the day.  It does take effort, but it is worth it!

This week Pastor Brian continued with discussing the book of Hebrews.  This book was written at a time when both Jews and Romans were threatened by Jesus and hated his followers.  Early Christian leaders were being killed and there was a lot of pressure to give up on Jesus and go back to Judaism.  

The book of Hebrews gives 6 warnings against falling away.  The first in in verse 2:1.  We must pay greater attention to the message of the gospel so that we do not drift away from it.  Are we neglecting what we know is true?

Verses 2:10-14 talk about how suffering is part of the salvation journey.  Because He became a man, Jesus understands our suffering.  God uses suffering to let us know we are hs child and to make us more like Jesus.  And it makes us long for heaven.  

Part of our suffering comes through 3 pains:

1. The pain of slavery of sin - v14-16

2. the pain of failure -v17 - In Jesus we find a high priest who is forgiviing and loving

3. the pain of temptation - v18 - He is able to run to our cry for help

Suffering may make us become suspicious that God cannot be trusted.  But He gives hope.  Brian ended on the verse in 1 Peter "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who calls you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore confirm, strengthen and establish you."  While this verse is not from Hebrews, I chose it as the memory verse this year since Brian ended in it and because he took lots of time for prayer for those suffering today.

So I encourage you all to memorize this verse.  It can help you when you suffer and it can give you something to comfort others with when they suffer.  If you have any questions about how to use scripturetyper, feel free to pm me.  

Blessings to all,

Donna    

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

We were blessed yesterday to hear from Rob Bell from Scotland.  He told of his total lack of any belief as a teen and young adult.  He began his conversion when a man ask him, "If you were to die today, do you know that you are going to heaven?"  This question got Rob thinking.  The man followed up later with the passage from Romans 10:9 - "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."  This is a verse we should all know.  So it is our verse of the week.

Other tidbits from Rob's interview:

-You may not be called to be an evangelists, but we are all called to be ministers.

-If you've forgotten what it is like to be lost, something has gone wrong with your walk with God.

-Too many people become cul-de-sacs of the gospel.

-Passive Christianity is the biggest challenge in America.

-Your faith should cause your life to be different.

Please consider joining the small group of memorizers and learn Romans 10:9.  If you have questions about how to join the group on scripturetyper, feel free to pm me.  

Thank you, Rob Bell, for the insightful talk.  And God bless the West Ridgers that are headed to Scotland this Friday to help Rob's ministry.

Blessings,

Donna 

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

We had a triple hit today with Paul, Terrence and Brian for the Anniversary sermon.  Paul started using Philippians 2:13 to point out that it is God who gets all the credit for West Ridge's success.  He used Luke 10:21 to show that Jesus is joyful when His work is done.  And when work is done well, he stands and takes notice (Acts 7:55-56).  

Terrence then talked of the Hail Mary play.  What you do when you are out of control, time is running out, and God has to intervene.  In your desperation you will either be totally distracted or your you will greater intimacy with God and depend on Him.  His example of this is from Mark 9:14-20,29.  A father had brought his son to be healed and disciples couldn't heal him.  But Jesus said "Bring him to me."  We are to bring anything we are dealing with to Jesus.  We can pray often, honestly, specifically, and believe that God has the power to change the circumstances for you or you for the circumstances.

Then Pastor Brian came for the finally.  Nothing of eternal significance happens apart from prayer.  We need faith to believe that God can do the impossible - even if you are standing on a ledge and are fearful, God wants to you to take the step of faith.  Believe.

Our memory verse today is a broken up part of Mark 9:23-24.  I've left out words just to make it shorter and easier and still get the point.  "All things are possible for one who believes."  "I I believe!  Help my unbelief."    (If you don't like the way I've broken up the verse, feel free to use the whole verse on Scripturetyper - remember it is a tool for you to adapt to your needs.)  

This verse as I have listed it is very easy to learn.  So this is a great time to get started with us on scripturetyper.  If you have any questions on how to use scriptertyper, either the website or the app, feel free to pm me.  Just think, how much would your faith/belief grow if you had the WORD floating around in your mind all day.  Scripture memory can be powerful!

Blessings to all,

Donna

Happy Labor Day to all,

I just got a chance to watch Pastor Paul's sermon from yesterday.  It is the fourth one on prayer and gives a definite 'method' of praying.  It is a method that King David used (2 Samuel 22:29-31, Psalm 12:6, Psalm 119); it is a method used by the Apostles (Acts 4:24 which quotes Psalm 2); it is a method used by George Mueller, the great man of faith who never asked for money as he 'raised' thousands of orphans.  The method is to pray Scripture back to God.

Scripture is the very Word of God.  If you pray His Word back to HIm byou can be sure that you are praying God's will.  There are over 3000 promises in the Word.  One will surely fit your circumstances:

Do you need a new heart of love:  Exekiel 36:26

Do you need forgiveness:  1 John 1:19

Do you battle fear: Psalm 34:4

Do are lack of resources stressing you:  Philippians 4:19

Do you need wisdom:  James 1:5

Do you need peace:  Isaiah 26:3

Do you need to confess sin  Psalm 52:2-3

Are you tire of waiting: Psalm 69:3

And these are just a few of the promises that find their 'yes' and 'amen' in God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Are you ready to fully submit and pray the prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden?  "Not my will but your's (Mark 14:36)

Pastor Paul challenged us to read the Bible as the Father's saying to you that He wants you to to give back to him.  Pray the Word.  

And pray that we see God working in our lives, in our homes, in our schools, in our church, in our community so that it will be like at the healing of the paralytic where "people were all amazed and were glorifying God saying, 'We have never seen anything like this.'"  (Mark 2:12)

I realize that this is a strange memory verse because I am only including the last half of the verse to make it shorter and easier, but I think it is the best one to remember WHY we should pray the Word back to God - so that people (ourselves included) will be amazed and will glorify God saying, "We have never seen anything like this."    God is able.  God can do it.  Let's pray the Word back to Him.

If you have any questions about how to use scripturetyper to memorize more of the Word so that you can easily pray it back, feel free to pm me.  Scripturetyper is a free app and website that uses proved repetition methods to help you learn and retain scripture.  I hope more and more people will join the group.

Blessings,

Donna    

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Brian gave us an in-depth look into the history of God's kingdom and why prayer is important.  

When we pray 'in Jesus' name' and say 'amen' we are taking authority and making a pronouncemnt of a battle weapon.  There is a collision of kingdoms - the Kingdom of Darkness vs the Kingdom of Light.  The Kingdom of Light ois always advancing.  It is what the world looks like when Jesus gets his way.

Here is some history:

1. God made the earth and gave authority to Adam and Eve.  (Psalm 115:16)

2. Adam and Eve forfeited their authority to Satan. (John 14:30)

   (Satan tempts Jesus by offering to give that authority back - Luke 4:5)

3. Jesus took back the authority when he made atonement for sin on the cross and with his death.  (Collosians 2:13-15)

4. He gave His authority to his followers. (Matthew 28:18)

Then why hasn't Satan been defeated?  

Pastor Brian compared it to DDay - when the allies took the beaches of Normandy.  The battle wasn't won then but the army started advancing.

The Kingdom of God is still advancing and taking back ground.  But the work is not done yet.  

The first part of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-10) is praying for God's kingdom to come on earth.  The implication is that it will not always come.  There is lots going on that is NOT in God's will.  People have free will and make bad choices.

So we must pray that the Kingdom of God will come.  Our prayers make a difference.  Jesus gave us authority (Ephesians 2:4-6), but do we pray like a person of authority?

How should we pray?

1. With other believers - in groups (Matthew 18:19-20)

2. Pray earnestly and fervantly (James 5:16)

    (Yet realize that sometimes things don't change right away.  Don't lose trust or hope because he answers in a different way.)

3. Pray without stopping.  In 1 Kings Elijah prayed for rain at least 6 times before he saw a small cloud forming.  

Saint Augustine said, "Without God we cannot, and without us He will not."

So we need to pray.  The memory verse is going to be James 5:16, "The effectual fervant pray of a righteous man avails much."

Join me in memorizing this short, easy verse.  Jump on the bandwagon of Bible memory.  You will be glad you did in a years time when you know 52 verses that you can carry with you always.  (And you can alway choose your own personal verses to learn and add to the sermon verse memory chest.)  Feel free to pm me with questions about how to use scripturetyper.  It is free and it is fun.  :)

Blessings,

Donna

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Brian continue the series on prayer today.  He started with a lot of ideas of what prayer is.  I couldn't get them all, but one was: Prayer is recognizing that there is someone greather than me and I need his help.

Jesus taught the disciples to pray in Luke 11 and Matthew 6.  I'm putting Matthew 6:9-13 on our memory list in case you choose to memorize it as listed there.

When we come to God in prayer we need to have the right mindset.  "You are holy and powerful and I want you to get the glory for everythign that happens.  I want to focus on your kingdom and not mine.  I want your will to be done."   In Matthew 6:31-33, if we focus on His kingdom then 'all these things will be added to you.  I am listing Matthew 6:33 as the key verse to learn this week:  "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."

Next Jesus says that we must ask daily for our daily bread.  We must recognize our dependence on Him.  Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious about anything but to pray in all circumstances (another good memory verse.)  We need to pray specifically so that we can know when He answers. And if he answers 'no' or 'not yet' or appears silent, we should still choose to trust Him and ask him, "Lord, show me what I can't see."

We should pray big with 'shameless audacity."

We need to forgive others.  Unforgiveness hinders your prayer life.  We need to confess our sin to eliminate barriers to our prayers and keep our conscious clear.  And we need to ask God to protect us from our enemy who wants to lead us into temptation.  We are no match for the enemy.  But the enemy is no match for our God.  (1 Corinthians 10:13 and 1 John 4:4 would be great additional memory verses.)

So... many good verses today, but I am going to highlight Matthew 6:33 because if we seek first the kingdom, the rest will fall into place.

If you have any questions on how to join us on scripturetyper, feel free to pm me.  Scripturetyper can be done on your computer or on your phone. It prompts you to review verses regularly so that they really stick long-term.  You can type out the whole verse or you can type just the first letter of each word.  You can be 'graded' on speed or accuracy.  You set the rules.  It is a great tool.  

Blessings,

Donna

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Today Pastor Paul gave sermon #2 on Prayer and he provided a wealth of things to think about!

Why should we pray?  Jesus said to.  It is a command (Luke 11:9-10).  But with the command comes a promise.  "So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you..."

Prayer is the intentional act of coming into God's presence and talking to God and listening to Him.  God is the hearer of our prayers (Psalm 65:2).  He is an ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He is near to all who call on him (Psalm 145:18).  He will answer. (Isaiah 58:9) The promise of God is the presence of God.  You will find Him if you seek Him. (Jeremieh 29:13) God wants to give good gifts to his kids even more than we want to give them to our kids. (Luke 11:13)   

I really liked one line of Paul's (I think he quoted it from someone):  God never does nothing in response to our prayers.  (Great double negative!)  In silence or in waiting He is still present.

But prayer is never to be done alone.  Life is better together!  We need others to pray.  "Wherever two or three are gathered....  Matthew 18:19-20).  But even if we are alone, we shouldn't pray alone because the Holy Spirit is with us.  Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray in the Spirit. "And pray in the Spirit on all occassions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind be aleert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."  The Holy Spirit helps us to pray even when we don't know what to say. (Romans 8:26-27)

Prayer isn't about you getting God's attention but about Him getting yours, so that in your weakness He can be your strength.

This week's memory verse will be Luke 11:9-10.  It is an easy one to learn!  Let's all learn it so that it becomes part of our thinking and prayer become an even bigger part of our lives.  And the many other verses Pastor Paul mentioned would be great to add to your personal list to learn also.

If anyone have quesitons about how to your scripturetyper, feel free to pm me.

Blessings to all!  

Donna

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Brian started off the sermon series on prayer with the insightful comment, "Studying prayer doesn't matter, if you don't pray."  We need to pray like the disciples, "Lord, teach us to pray."

The theme verse for today is Hebrews 4:16:  "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  This will be our memory verse!

To do this we need to know who we are praying to and how He sees us.  He is the God who created all things and His resources are unlimited.  Too often our God is too small.  We wonder if He can handle the messiness of our lives.  But He reigns over everything.  And He is not far away from us.  

Then we wonder if He loves us.  But we know that He sacrificed His Son's life for ours - even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).  We are sons and daughters with full rights as heirs.  We are friends and allies.  (There are great verses for all this stuff...)

So we need to fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and pray!!!

Let's join together and memorize the 'command' in Hebrews 4:16 and let us go with confidence to the throne of grace.

If you have any questions about joining this group using scripturetyper, feel free to pm me.  I have found that memorizing a verse a week is the best way to keep the sermon alive in my thinking for more than just a few hours on Sunday.

Blessings to all!

Donna

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memory folks,

Pastor Brian was back today to ask What do you smell like?  or How do we show the love of Jesus to those who are not like us?  

2 Corinthians 2:15 says that we are the aroma of Christ to others.  What should that aroma smell like?  It should smell like love.  We should ask in love because the love of Christ compels us (see 2 Corinthians 5:14).  That love should make us look at people differently.  We should spend more time in His presence so that we can see people like He sees people.  We need to speak truth and grace.  Truth is realizing that we are each far worse than we can ever imagine.  Grace is realizing that we are each far more loved than we could ever hope for.  Others need to hear the truth.  But they also need to hear the grace.

So how do you smell to people who are different than you - to the Muslim, to the gay, to the atheist, to a Repubican/Democrat, to another race?

While it would be good to learn the whole thought given in verses 14-16, I am just listing verse 15 in our memory list. It is of a managable length to memorize.  

Please consider joining us on the Scripture memory journey.  It helps the truths that we hear in the sermon stick in our brains so that we can actually act on them and share them with others.  Our highest member has 134 verses memorized from sermons over the last 2+ years.  Wouldn't it be great to have that many nuggets of truth in your head.  You can get there too - but you need to get started.  Feel free to pm me if you need help getting started.  Scripturetyper is easy to use.  You can find the West Ridge group on the Groups page.  We are currently number 304.  

Blessings,

Donna

Hi West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Yesterday, Pastor Paul did a great introduction to parenting.  As God commanded the Israelites in Deuteronomy, we also should talk to our children about Him 'along the way, day by day'.  And the panel gave some great advice which I will sum as up 'Be Intentional in your parenting'.  

We should heed the call that Moses gives in all of Deuteronomy 6 - to Love God and to talk about him to our kids 'along the way, day by day'.  But that while thing is a bit long to learn.  So I am going to list Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  This is what the Hebrews said upon waking each morning.  "Hear O Israel the Lord, the Lord our God the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

Let's learn this together!  

If you have any questions about using scripturetyper, feel free to pm me.  Scripturetyper uses a scientifically proven method of spaced repitition to be sure you learn these verses deeply.  And the challenge is fun!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Todd Hampton did a great job talking about selfishness/selflessness.  Selfishness is often a sin we don't think about because we live in a self-centered culture.  Narcissism is becoming an epidemic.  

But Jesus' teaching is completely counter to that.  Todd brought up many verses showing this:  Matthew 20:28, John 10:11, Philippians 2:6-8, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Luke 9:23-25, Philippians 2:3-4.  Any of these could be great verses to help us fight the selfish tendency.

But Todd camped out on Galatians 2:20.  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Let's learn that one!

But what does this look like?  Todd continues:  Full devotion to Jesus requires that we die to ourselves.  We should no longer look to what we want in relationships or in our finances or in our time.  We should not just think about what is in our self-interest.  It is easy to be selfless when it does not cost us much, when our lives aren't negatively impacted.  But what do we do when it is not convenent, when it doesn't benefit us, when it costs much?  These moments reveal whether we have did to ourselves or if we still live for ourselves.   In those moments we can look to that verse to see that in dying to ourselves we gain something better.  Christ lives in us.

Thank you, Todd, for a timely message.  

If anyone has any questions about how to join our Bible Memory group, please pm me and I can answer questions about scripturetyper (the app and the website).  Blessings to all.

Greetings West Ridgers,

Today John Arnold, our missionary in Burkina Faso, told stories of spiritual warfare in Africa via video.  He spoke of 1 Peter 5:8 which will be our memory verse.  

Pastor Paul then continued with the topic of spiritual warfare with a great, well-balanced sermon.  There is a battle going on in the spirit world.  It was spoken of in the story of Elisha (2 Kings 6).  Paul wrote about it in Ephesians 6 (the armor of God section).   In Ephesians 4, Apostle Paul wrote about not giving the devil and foothold.  Pastor Paul then explained that the word foothold is a progressive word, meaning opportunity, seat, residence.  Don't give the devil an opportunity or he will take a seat at your table and take up residence.

Pastor Paul then refered to James 1:13-15 which tells how sin starts with the desires you love  But we have weapons to fight against the devil (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).   We need to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Sin doesn't leave you until you kill it or command it.   But the Bible assures us that no weapon formed against us will prosper and the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).  And we fight with spiritual weapons (Ephessians 6:3-17).  But we must put the weapons on and we must stand.  The weapons are the Word and prayer.  

This sermon is a great reason why you should join our Bible memory group.  The Word is a weapon.  We need to have our weapons readily avaible.  So... join our Bible memory group and start with this week's verse.  1 Peter 5:8  "Be sober-minded; be watchful. For your adversary the devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." 

If you have questions about how to join the group, feel free to message me. Blessings to all!

Hello West Ridge people,

What a blessing to hear Terrence talk today.  He has earned the right to talk about this subject because of his outstanding ministry!

Luke 15:7 says, "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who need no repentance."

God cares about the one.

And what qualifies someone to be the ONE that He cares about - only that they stand in need to be loved by God.  And that includes all of us.  

-The ONE seems unimportant - but not to God.

-It is not convenient to pursue the ONE.  But God did.

-The ONE is not celebrated enough.  We tend to care about numbers.

But we need to LIFT others up.

L - Let go of your comfort zone.

I - Involve yourself with people who are not like you.

F - Figure out ways to walk with people and not for them.

T - Testify and share the goodness of God.

Today's memory verse is the one quoted above.  It is a repeat from October 2016.  Maybe today is the day to join us on a Bible memory habit.  If you have any questions about how to get started using scripturetyper (either the website or the app), feel free to contact me.  Remember,  the words you memorize can never be taken from you.

Blessings to all!  

Hello West Ridge Memorizers.

Pastor Paul spoke on Daniel and Revelation and prophecy and the anti-Christ and Armegeddon and the sacrificial system being restored and the Temple Mount and....  

But the bottom line is that our God is a restoring God.  Here is Betty Arnold's (our Burkina missionary) post today in which she summed up the sermon:  

"West Ridge Church:  Psalm 71:19-20: Paul Richardson: God has done great things, He has made me see troubles, many and bitter, and He will restore my life again.

Fixer Upper: a popular TV show, and others like them, are more watched and more popular than even sports on TV.  Why?  We all love the change and restoration of what was ugly once again remade beautiful again.

It begins with demo day, demolition, tearing down, before the renewing, rebuilding, the change.  This analogy is like our lives with Christ.  We have demo days and also restoration days.  And all of it is for our good, so we can be grown and changed, so we can over time mature and become more Christ-like. 

May we embrace all the processes that come into our lives!"

Thanks, Betty.  Our memory verse will be Psalm 71:19-20.  It is a bit longer than most we've done, but we can do it.  David wrote this.  He had seen troubles, many and bitter, but he had also seen that God restores.  God is a restoring God!

If anyone has questions about how to get started on scripturetyper, feel free to message me.  I'd love to increase our group of people.  

Blessings to all!

Donna

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory group,

Thank you to Pastor Brian and his brother Kevin for sharing what you learned from your father.  Thank you for being real and sharing the good parts and the hard parts of your father's life.  You made many meaningful points (and also entertained us with a few funny stories!).  I will not try to summarize this sermon - it should be listened to.  

The Bible verse for the day is represents a goal that each of us should have for the end of our life.  It is the one that Both Brian and Kevin have under a picture of their father.  2 Timothy 4:7 says, "I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."  May each of use set this as a goal - to be able to say this at the end of our lives.

We need more people to join us in memorizing scripture every week.  It is such a great way to be able to meditate on the Word.  And meditating on the Word will help us to 'keep the faith'.  So please consider joining the online group.  You can use either the website or the app.  Scripturetyper is easy to use and helps you review your verses until they really become YOURS.  If you have questions, feel free to reply to this post or to pm me.  I'd be glad to help you get started.

Hello fellow Bible Memory people from West Ridge,

Pastor Paul continued in the book of Daniel today and got into some interesting prophesy.  He talked of language changes, and Alexander the great, and Palestin and Antiochus Epiphanes, and the angel Gabriel and the Messiah and the Time of the Gentiles and the Antichrist.  That sounds like so much!  And it is.  But the bottom line is really in the beginning of his talk.  

God is the Alpha and the Omega.  He is the first cause, the beginning and the end.  Yet He is not distance.  He sees you, knows you, calls you by namd and wants to be known by you.  (Revelation 1:8, Psalm 90:2, Psalm 139:15-16).  God's desire is to be in every area of your life.  

His illustration of each of our tombstones is really good.  We don't control our name.  We don't control our date of birth.  We don't control our date of death.  The only thing we have some control over is the dash that represents our life.  And even that is in God's hands.  God is God.  He is sovereign.  And we need to rest and abide in that fact.

Our memory verse for today is the first one Paul spoke today.  Revelation 1:8: '"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who was and who is and who is to come, the Almighty."'  

Now we had this same verse back in December of 2016.  It is such a foundational verse, that I hope more people will join in memorizing it this time.

Scripturetyper has really been a blessing to me.  If you would like to know how to use the free app just send me a message or comment under this post.  You can join in our sermon verses or you can choose your own verse to learn.  You can choose which Bible version to use.  You can choose whether you want to type the whole thing out or just put the first letter of every word.  You can choose if you want to learn it for speed or for accuracy.  It is really a great app/website.  We have 5 people keeping current on verses now.  What if West Ridge had 100 people memorizing the Word every week!!!!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory group,

And now we delve into the prophetic part of Daniel!  Pastor Brian did a great job introducing the puzzle we are given in describing the vision Daniel had when he was around 68 years old (about 14 years before the events of chapter 5).  

To summarize:  God takes a seat on the throne and the books are open and Jesus will appear.

The lesson:  God is sovereign over every detail of the future.  And God, who has mapped out the detail of the future, is able to handle the issues of present.  

Brian told of his grandmother often quoting Romans 8:28 and how that stuck with him.  So that is the verse we will learn. "And we know that in all these things God works for the good of those who love him..."    

Yes, there is tribulation.  (John 16:33).   And defered makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12).  But while you are waiting on God, don't let Satan lie to you about God's heart.  Because 'in all these things, God works for the good..."  

Since this is a familiar verse, this will be a great time for more people to jump in and join the group.  If you need to know how to use scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  We are now at #269 on the group list.  :)  

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

I'm a few days late in listening to the sermon this week.  I almost decided to just skip this week.  But I'm so glad that I didn't.  Pastor Brian had a great message on integrity using the story of Daniel and what got him thrown into the lion's den.  

I'm not going to summarize the sermon because it is worth watching in total (and because I don't think I can do it justice).  Daniel was now in his 80s and had lived a life of integrity and consistent walk with God.  And he wasn't going to compromise or hide his faith for some king's edict.  And God proved himself again to Daniel and to the witnesses.

Pastor Brian then makes this story much more personal in talking about specific ways that we may be tempted to give up our integrity.  He makes it personal in talking about how he was tempted to give up after a broken engagement.  Yet he remembered the promise in Psalm 84:11.

I couldn't decide on one verse this week.  We already memorized Daniel 6:25-27 in 2016.   That is the verse that shows how your integrity can be a witness and make a believer out of a heathen king.  Then I wanted to remember what Daniel did right - he consistently prayed out of habit.  So I added Daniel 6:10 (the last part of it anyway).  But the verse that Brian dwelt on, that got him through a hard time, is a great verse showing the consequences of a life of integrity.  So I added Psalm 84:11.  "The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor.  No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."  

So, if you are memorizing with us, you can choose Daniel 6:10 or Psalm 84:11 or both.  Make scripturetyper YOUR tool.  Add  verses that YOU love.  

If you have questions about our Bible Memory group, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  It is a fun and inspiring hobby.

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Paul did a great job today explaining Daniel 5 and showing what we can learn from it.   The family line between Nebachnezzar and Belshazzar is fascinating.  And the fact that Belshazzar would throw a huge party while the enemy is approaching tells a lot about him.  Bel knew the stories of King Neb and of Daniel.  He saw the signs.  But he ignored them - even to the point of throwing a grand party while the enemy was approaching.  And even when he saw the Handwriting on the Wall, after his initial fear, he chose not to respond.  

There are always signs before the handwriting is on the wall.  When God puts out signs they are acts, not of condemnation, but of mercy.  Are you ignoring the signs?  What guardrails do you put up to protect yourself from sin?  Or do you think you are just fine until you 'go off the cliff'?

The literal handwriting on the wall in Daniel 5 was God's last ditch effort. But still King Belshazzar didn't heed the warning.  And he was killed that very night.

We need to watch for the signs (Proverbs 19:20) and not quench the spirit by ignoring the signs (1 Thessalonians 5:19-24).  And when we see the signs that we need to change we need to repent (Teshuvah in Hebrew) and turn around, turn back, have our minds changed. And then return to God (Joel 2:13-14) and fix our eyes on Jesus.  

So... the verse for the week.  I had a hard time with this one.  I've been trying to get verse coming from Daniel for this sermon. So it could be Daniel 5:27:  "You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting."  But that just didn't seem like the right verse even though it is true for all of us.  :)  Then I could choose Joel 2:13-14 about returning to God and he might relent or the 1 Thessalonian verse refered to earlier.  But I finally chose Proverbs 19:21.  Belshazzar thought he could ignore the plans and signs of God and do his own thing.  But God's purpose did prevail.  Had he repented and turned to God, who knows what the story would have been.

Proverbs 19:21:  "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Please consider joining us in our Bible memory.  There are 5 active memorizers now.  What if we had a dozen members all memorizing the same verse each week?  Each of us would be blessed and it just might be a blessing for the whole church.  If you have any questions about how to join the group, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Scripturetyper can be used on your phone, ipad, or laptop.  You can choose whether you type out the whole verse or just type the first letters of every word.  The app reminds you to review old verses so that you continually refresh your thinking with God's Word.  

May you have a blessed week.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

I loved the sermon yesterday and how Paster Brian and Amy gave an honest talk about their prayer journey and walks and about growing in their own personal prayer life and about waiting for God's answers.  I also loved how they tied it in to the Daniel series by going back to the prophecies of Jeremiah when he prophesied about the Babylonian Captivity.    

Many people know the promise of Jeremiah 29:11.  And that is predicated on us seeking him according to Jeremiah 29:13.  And seeking Him means prayer!  

God has a plan; God has made promises; God wants us to pray.

In the Jeremiah prophesy, God's plan was tied to Israel's willingness to seek Him. And now we are part of that story.

What happens when we pray?

1. We enter into God's presence.  We should focus on the greatness of God.  Don't let God be too small.  We remind ourselves who we are as God's children.  We preach the Gospel to ourselves.  We rest in teh fact that he loves us and likes us.

2. Prayer heightens our awareness of what God is doing around us.  Just like in Elisha's day, God's forces are around us, we just may not see it. (2 Kings 6).  Prayer opens our eyes.

3. We receive strength to make it through tough times.

4. We become bold and confidant.  

5. We can receive God's guidance.

6. We will have protection.  We can pray the Bible back to God. 

Each of these topics has good scripture associated with it (see the notes on the website).  And the Jeremiah prophecy would be good to learn.  But for our memory verse I am choosing the verse that Pastor Paul spoke over us.  Psalm 27:14.  This encourages me so much as I wait for some prayers to be answered.  

This is an easy verse to learn so it is a great time to jump in with us in Bible Memory work.  Yes, it takes effort.  But what better way to meditate on the Word than to memorize it.  If you have questions about how to join our small group on scripturetyper.com, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Last week we had 5 people with verses current.  

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memory folks,

I am a bit late in posting this week's verse because I was out of town and just got to listen to the sermon today.  And what a great sermon it was.  Thank you, Terrance, for the great talk on Spiritual Pride.  Spiritual Pride is like having a fine-looking car with a lousy engine.  On the outside it looks like we have it all together.  But the 'check engine' light of your heart goes off.  If we ignore the sign we can experience inner death.  

Our pride can be at war with humility and that makes us ignore the signs and think we are above the 'warnings'.  

But God is more concerned with what He is doing on teh inside of us that what we are doing on the outside for him.

Back to the book of Daniel.  It has been 30 years since King Neb's dream about the statue falling.  And he has gotten prideful talking abou But Neb was greatly humbled when he was made to eat like a beast of the field for a year.  (See Daniel 4)

When pride sets in:

1. Our attitudes shift - from what God has done for us to what I am doing.  

2. Our decisions become poor and distorted.  And the poor decisions effect those around us.  We should instead ask ourselves, "Is this the best decision to honor God and serve others."  If we don't we set ourselves up to be humbled (just like Neb).

[D.L.Moody said:  God sends no one away epty except those who are full of themselves.]

But God can humble us:

1. for heart correction

2. to remind us of who is in control

3. to put our redemtion on display for His glory.  

(See the end result for King Neb at the end of chapter 4)

But as you seek him in humility, dont' focus so much on what you have lsot that you don't see what God has left us.  Even in his rebellion God left King Neb a stump (remember the dream from a couple weeks ago).  God wants you to come back to Him and grow in Him again.  

This week we are going to learn Daniel 4:37.  The end is especially relevant: "those who walk in pride he is able to humble."   I think the hardest part of learning this verse is learning how to spell Nebuchadnezzar.  :)  

I love the fact that we are using one verse per 'story' to remember the story of Daniel - starting with the young teens resolving not to defile themselves, then the dream, then the fiery furnace, now King Neb's madness.... I wonder what chapter 5 will hold...  Stay tuned.

If you have any questions about how to get started in scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Have a blessed, but humble, week.

Hello West Ridgers,

I am thankful for the internet replay that enabled me to watch Pastor Brian's very relevant sermon even though I was out of town.

Pastor Brian focused on the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and the blazing furnace to talk about our choice to bend, bow or burn.   And I have a lot of notes...

-As Christ followers we have been called to be different. 

-Are we willing to die rather than to dishonor God?

-Sixteen years after the events of last week's sermon, King Neb's prophetic dream had not yet come true.  So he thought he was supreme.  He commanded all his people to Bow to the idol, bend to the pressure or burn in the furnace.  

-The 3 Jewish men refused to bow.  They trusted that God could save them and would save them.  But even if He didn't, they stated their refusal to bow to other gods.

Lessons to be learned for our lives:

1. Every time you face the fire successfully it strengthens your resolve.    

You won't know the strength of your faith until you have been in the fire.  God uses the fire to refine you.  (Malachi 3:3)

"A faith that can't be tested can't be trusted."  

2. God will give us the strength as we choose to walk in faith. (Isaiah 40:31)

3. The fire will reveal what is really going on inside a person.  Chip Ingram said, "Christians are like tea bags; you don't know what they are really like unto you put them in hot water."

4. When you choose not to compromise, God is always glorified.  See Daniel 3:29-30 for King Neb's change of heart.  God is glorified by your obedience and faithfulness and the world is inspired.

5. Jesus will be with you in the fire.  You can face the furnace when you know that Jesus walked with thm.  Don't fear this world, now or in the future.  Rely on God's faithfulness even if you don't feel it.  His promises are more certain than our feelings.  See Psalm 34:18 and Joshua 1:5.

For our memory verse this week I am going to choose the 'speech' made by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:  Daniel 3:17-18:  "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace the God we serve is able to deliver us from it and he will deliver us from you Majesty's hand.  But even if He does not we want you to know Your Majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have set up."  

Yes, it is a bit long - but it is such a good model of how to repectfully decline to bend or bow.

If anyone wants more info about how to join West Ridge Bible Memory group using scripturetyper.com, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory folks,

What a great sermon Pastor Brian gave on the dream of King Neb that Daniel interpreted in Daniel 2.

First of all, Daniel stays humble and gives all the glory to God, saying "Praise be to the name of God forever and ever.  Wisdom and power are His.  He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning..."   (Daniel 2:20-21).

Daniel then went on to explain the dream:

-a head of gold representing Babylon.

-a chest of silver representing the Medo/Persian empire (593 BC, took silver as tribute).

-a belly and thighs of bronze representing Greece (331BC, used shields of bronze)

-legs of iron and clay representing the Roman empire (started 146 BC and fell 476 AD because moral corruption (clay) weakened the iron).

-The statue is toppled by a stone (not made by human hands).  This is the Kingdom of God which will never be destroyed.

After Daniel's interpretation, King Neb's terror over the dream became a holy fear of God.

Pastor Brian pointed out that

1. Seeing God's mighty yand in history gives us great hope for the future.

2. The Kingdom of God is everlasting.

3. God is writing an epic story that begins and ends with Jesus.  And Jesus is coming back.

To remind us that God is in control of history and that He is the source of all wisdom, let us memorize the quote of Daniel listed above.   It is a little long, but it has a good cadence to it that will make it learnable.  (And I'm all for learnable since I am still struggling over last week's verse.) 

If you have questions about how to get started, email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Blessings to all!

PS I almost skipped this week because I was still struggling with learning last  week's verse.  But last week Pastor Paul spoke about diligence.  And the verse was about diligence.  So I thought I should remain diligent in posting these and learning a verse each week.  

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memory folks,

Continuing in the book of Daniel, Pastor Paul showed how Daniel could be strong because he knew the guiding purpose of God.  God's love is the backdrop - He created us and loves us and calls us.  But He does this for His glory.  Isaiah 41:1-2,4-6 tells that God did all He did for us 'that they might declare my praise." 

Daniel successfully told the king's dream because he relied on God.  And then he gave God all the glory.  (See Daniel 2:20-22 'Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his.')  

We need to keep remembering to live for God's glory. We do this by prayer, God's Word, Intentional Relationships, and Diligence.  

I had a hard time deciding on a memory verse for today.  Daniel 2:20 is great (see quoted above).   1 Corinthians 10:31 would be a good summary verse: "And whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it all for the glory of God."  But since Pastor Paul ended with a single word from God, I thought I would stick with that.  The word is Diligence.  Diligence is defined as careful and persistent work or effort.  Hebrews 6:11 says 'We want each of you to show the same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized."  Then Hebrews 6:12 says "We do not want you to become lazy but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."  I'm going to put these separately on scripturetyper so that you can choose to learn just 1 verse or both.

So... let's be diligent in our scripture learning so that we can diligently meditate on God's word and then can diligently DO according to all that is written in it.

If you want to join our scripture memory group using scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net and I can tell you how to get started.  It is free and I think it is fun.  Blessings!

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Brian started the new series about the Epic love story of failure and redemption and love.  It is a real story and we get to choose how we live in the story.

Brian related how, like Daniel, we are temporary residents in this world and our real citizenship is of a different world.  (See 1 Peter 2:11 and John 17:14).  

When King Neb wanted the smart intelligent strong young men of Israel to conform to the new Babylonian world he used a 4 part strategy.  

1. Make them learn the language.

2. Indoctrinate their minds with foreign philosphy.

3. Expose them to a different lifestyl.

4. Change their identity (nams) and loyalty.

We are like Daniel, strangers in a foreign land. And we need to do what Daniel did according to Daniel 1:9.   "But Daniel resolved in his heart not to defile himself..."  The KJV said he 'purposed in his heart'.  

1. He knew who he was.   2. He knew what his purpose was.  3. He knew the source of his strength. 4. He knew how to connect to the source.  (He was a man of prayer.)

We can also know our identity, our purpose and our strength too - see 1 Peter 2:9-10.

So, to remember this, let us memorize the beginning of Daniel 1:8:  "But Daniel resolved in his heart not to defile himself..."

If you have any questions about how to get started with scripturetyper feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory folks,

What a great Resurrection celebration.  The house was packed, the worship inspiring, ahd the Truth presented clearly.  

I'm not going to go through my notes on Brian's clear presentation of the Good News.  Jesus told them what he was going to do and he did it.  He paid for our sin with his death.  But he didn't stay dead.  

Let's memorize Jesus' words in John 11:25-26 - "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me though he die yet shall he live and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"

If you have any questions about using scripturetyper or how to join our West Ridge group, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Have a lovely week.

Happy Holy Week to West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

This morning Paul did a great job connecting our study of Moses to the sacrifice of Jesus for us. The Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11 relates how Moses did what he did because 'he considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt.'    Like Moses and like Jesus we should go beyond our gates of comfort to align ourselves with God's plan.  

God wants you to experience Exodus, to draw you out so that He can draw you in.  He wants to destroy the sin that has enslaved you.  He wants to give you the courage to live a life beyond the gates.  

So many good passages to learn:  Hebrews 12:1-2, Luke 9:23-25, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  But I am going to choose what Paul quotes at the end of the sermon, Moses' song of triumph:  "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation...."  Exodus 15:2a.  Let us be like Moses and fix our eyes on Jesus.  

We would love more people to join us in the Bible memory habit.  What better way to meditate on God's word!  If you have any questions about how to use scripturetyper or about how to find out group (We are now at #230), feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Have a lovely Holy Week.

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Paul gave us so much to think about this week.  He started with the Mosaic Covenant from Exodus 19:5-6 in which God promised to set the people apart and make them holy.  He wanted to set them apart so they would be set apart, responding out of love for God.

1 Peter 2:5,9 takes up this idea in the New Testament.  (We learned 1 Peter 2:9 last week.)  The chief responsibility of the believer is to set himself apart and to proclaim God's excellencies.  But external holiness is not what it is all about.  In fact, Jesus greatly criticized the Pharisees for their external works (Matthew 23:26).  Jesus wanted them to be clean, set apart, on the inside.

Back to Exodus, after giving the Mosaic Covenant, God commnds the peole to prepare for his arrival, to consecrate themself.  As Paul quoted from someone, "Amazing always begins with consecration."  Then God comes and gives what we know as the Ten Commandments.  I like the idea that Paul gave that there is only 1 commandment - the first one - the rest is all commentary.  :)  

God sets us apart so that we will be set apart.  God calls us to be holy (Deuteronomy 5:32-33 and 1 Peter 1:15-16).  Our lives should look different.   Don't try to just fit in when you have been set apart.  And it is God who sets us apart and changes our heart (Ezekiel 36:26).  

Paul then challenges us to do a 3 minute a day 'set-apart' plan.

1. Begin every day by reminding yoruself and the devil that you belong to God and invite him to rule and reign over your life. "God, you are in charge."

2. Confess sins - ways that you have tried to live apart from God  - and receive afresh the mercy and faithfulness of God.

3. Ask God for help to direct your path.  Pray over every appointment and person you will deal with.

4. Yield yourself to the spirit of God.  "Fill me, use me, have your way."

There were many options for memorizing this week.  I am choosing the first commandment because, as Paul said, the rest is only commentary.  Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me."  Now that one is short!!  It is an easy verse to start your Bible memory with.  So I challenge new people to jump in and start learning.  If God is really our God and we have nothing before him we will be set apart, a 'people of His own possession' [from 1 Peter 2:9].  And then we can see what God can do with a people set apart and holy for him.  If you have any questions about how to get started with scripturetyper using either the website or the app, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Today Paul continued on the Exodus journey by showing how God's relationship with His people was like a love relationship.  God is in love with his chosen people as his 'treasured possession'.  God bore them 'on eagle's wings'.   They had only to trust Him.  God proposes the relationship.  Our obedience is eidence that we want the relationship.  

This was all originally said to the Israelites.  But in Jesus the promise of God's presence is kept for us.  And that presence abolishes every bit of the slavery that we have been under.  God draws us out of slavery to draw us closer to him.

Today's verse for us to learn is 1 Peter 2:9.  We believers are now God's chosen people, his holy priesthood.  Join me in memorizing this verse that tells who we are and what we were chosen to do.  

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

We'd love to have more people join us on the Bible Memory journey using scripturetyper.  If you have questions about how to join the group feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net or get in touch through fb messenger.  Blessings to all.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

We don't seem to learn from history.  Pastor Brian stepped us through the Wilderness Cycle that the Israelites went through again and again in their wanderings.  First they had abundance; then they expected continued abundance; then they were disappointed; then they grumbled and complained; then God, instead of whacking them (Brian's word), offered grace and provided for them again.  This cyle was repeated often.

And the Bible is clear that God can use things to test us.  We don't just wander into the wilderness, God designs moments of wilderness to test and thereby strengthen us.  If you are a child of God nothing happens to us that does not pass through God's hands first.  God allows it. 

The truths that Brian pointed out:

1. God doesn't want us just to endure tests.  God wants us to grow and learn from them.  

2. Sometimes it takes a lot of testing to really change our hearts.  "It is easier to get us out of Egypt than to get the Egypt out of us."  But God never wastes our time or our tests.

3. Everyone is going through their own wilderness testing.  We must trust that God knows what he is doing to shape us.

I'm going out on a limb this week.  Though the stories Brian told are perfect examples, they don't lend themselves to be the best memory verses.  So I am going to skip ahead a bit to Exodus 20:20.  It says:  "Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for the lord has come to test you that the fear of him may be before you that you may not sin."  I think this sums up the idea pretty well.  While we shouldn't fear (be afraid) of the test, God wants our fear (reverence and awe of Him) to be so strong that we no longer sin.   I'm listing this our memory verse so that we can remember that we do get tested by God, but the tests have a purpose - that you may not sin.

If you have any questions about how to use scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  I'd love to help you get started on your own Bible memory journey.  Blessings...

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memory folks,

Pastor Brian continued the Exodus series this week by looking at predicaments.  His conclusion:  God wants to draw you out of the mess to draw you into the miracle.

In Exodus 14, God actually led the Israelites into a predicament.  He could hae taken them a shorter way but he took them to what looked like a dead end.  And then he strengthened Pharaoh's resolve against them.  In verses 13-14 Moses tells the people to:

1. Fear not

2. Stand still.

3. Watch.

4. Quit Talking.

God knows you are in a mess.  He may have led you there.  He might be waiting for you to quit talking about it and watch Him.

Four miracles then happened:

1. The people actually listened, stopped crying, and moved.  (Maybe your miracle can't happen until you step out.)

2. God moved behind them.  (He kept the enemy hidden so that the people could listen to Him.)

3. God opened a path through the sea that even included dry land.

4. God brought confusion to the Egyptians (so that the Israelites didn't even have to fight).  

So... sometimes God wants us to engage and sometimes wants us to lay down our arms in surrender so that He gets the glory.  

This week's verse is Exodus 14:13-14.  "And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and you will see the salvation of the Lord which he will work for you today.  For the Egyptians you see today, you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be silent."    This one is a bit longer, but we can do it!!!   Whatever your 'Egyptians' are, may this help you see God's deliverance when he leads you out.

If you have any questions about how to join our small but faithful group of Bible memorizers using scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Just imagine if we got dozens of people memorizing God's Word every week...  

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Pastor Brian continued his discussion of the Exodus by examining the hardening of Pharaoh's heart.  God knew the condition of Pharaoh's heart.  He predicted how Pharaoh would respond.  He gave Pharaoh opportunity to repent and submit.  But Pharaoh first hardened his own heart and then God hardened it further by allowing Pharaoh to be firm in what he had already decided.  

The key is that a hard heart is not something that happens instantly.  It is a progression.  We can choose to harden our hearts.  When we choose to harden our hearts we build up more callous layers between ourselves and God.  There are always consequences when we harden our hearts and fail to obey.  It may even cause innocent people to suffer for generations.  The root cause of a hard heart is pride.  And the cure is God's grace.  

This week's memory verse is from Hebrews.  "So, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts..."   Let us memorize that so that we can remember that we have a choice to harden our hearts or to keep our hearts soft and humble toward God.

If you have any questions about how to join our Bible Memory virtual group through scripturetyper, please contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory people,

Brian continued with the life of Moses today and talked about how God loves to take the ordinary of this world to do the extraordinary.

Moses didn't know God's plan for him until he was 80 years old.  And when he heard God's plan he came up with many excuses:

-I'm not qualified.   (See Matthew 19:26)

-I don't know enough.  

-I'm afraid.

-I don't have the ability.  (I almost chose Exodus 4:11 as the memory verse...)    See Philippians 2:15.   God's call usually is for something that you don't think you are qualified for.

-I don't have the desire.  (Now this one made God a bit mad...)

The lessons that Brian pointed out from this are:

1. God will do whatever it takes to get your attention.  What is your burning bush?

2. God is not interested in your resume but in your willingness.

   Here Brian referenced 2 Corinthians 9:8 - the verse I've chose for today.

3. Failure is never a final sentence in your life.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says:  "And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."  I like all the ALLs in this passage.  And the purpose of the ALLs is so that we may do good works.  Good stuff!

I encourage you to join us on the Bible Memory journey using scripturetyper. Feel free to email me if you need help in figuring out the app or the website. West Ridge Bible Memory is now at 214 if you search for us in Groups.  Blessings to all, Donna - donnaeckert@comcast.net

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Today we started our study of Exodus.  Pastor Brian states that this Old Testament book is a foreshadowing of how God wants to deal with His children today.  

This week's beginning involved the Israelites being in a hopeless situation.  We, also, have 'hopeless situation' where we may question God's goodness and ask if He hears or cares.  But we should trust God, knowing that He is working and has not abandoned us.  Exodus 2:25 says, "And God saw the people of Israel - and God knew."

Brian's points:

1. Hard times don't remove God's promises.

2. Harsh treatment doesn't escape God's attention.

3. Heavy tests don't overshadow God's concern.

He has not left you!

Brian summed up his sermon with Psalm 46:1.  "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble."  This will be our memory verse of the week.  

This is an easy verse to learn so it is a great time to jump in and start your own personal Bible memory program.  You can memorize with us and you can also add your own favorite verses to learn and review.  Scripturetyper is a great app/website.  I hope more of join us.  If you have questions, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings to all!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory people,

What do you do when you are faced with a crisis or a time of testing?  Terence Lester made a great analogy today using a set of jumper cables.  Who you are connected with becomes important in a time of crisis.  We can get strength, support, and wisdom from each other.  And our togetherness shows enables us to show Christ to the world.  

The verse that he shared when he pulled out the jumper cables was Galatians 6:2: "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."   Now that one certainly works with our Better Together theme, and it is short and easy to learn.  So maybe more people will consider joining us this week. (I'm very excited that we have another active member as of this week!!!)  

If you want to know how to start your Bible Memory journey with us using scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Just imagine if 100 people in our church we meditating on and memorizing the same scripture each week....

Hi West Ridge Bible Memory peeps,

   Paul had a great sermon today, but he did make it hard for us because it seems that we should memorize the whole section of Ephesians 4:11-16.  But I'm not feeling quite that ambitious today.

  He used that entire section to show that you will not have solidly rooted faith unless you are engaged in spirit-directed work.  Bible study in isolation or even in groups does not lead to spiritual maturity unless you also do spirit-directed work.  We need to be do-ers of the Word and not Hearers only (see James 1).  

   This is a great point.  But a more minor point that really struck home with me was what he said about waves in referring to verse 14.  'Children' are tossed to and fro by the WAVES.  I've always just thought of water waves.  But Paul talked about sound waves.  The messages we get from the culture (winds of doctrine)  AND the self-talk that we give ourselves (human cunning) AND the messages that we get from the devil ('craftiness in deceitful schemes')  can really mess up our thinking and cause us to be tossed to and fro.  Oh ,that we (I)  would study and work to grow up in the faith so that we are no longer tossed about by 'waves' of our secular culture, our own bad thinking, and the devils lies.  

  So... I am memorizing Ephesians 4:14.  Yes, it starts in the middle of a sentence, but I hope it will continue to remind me of this teaching.  I would love it if others joined me in this memorizing quest.  If you have questions about how to get going with our memory group, just email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings to all.

Hello West Ridgers,

Would you like to jumpstart your spiritual growth this year?  Consider joining us on our Scripture memory journey.  Every week I choose one verse from the sermon to memorizze and we use scripturetyper to help with the review. 

Today Brian talked about how to be a disciple and grow spiritually.  I'll try to outline the message - this one has a lot of points...

1. Your spiritual growth begins as soon as you receive salvation.  (1 Corinthians 6:11).

2. God is the architect of your spiritual growth.   The whole Godhead has a part:

      a.  God the Father - He works in you to will and to do for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13, and Hebrews 13:20-21)

     b. Jesus - John 15:5 promises that is we abide in him we will bear fruit.  I am choosing this one as our memory verse!!!

     c. Holy Spirit - Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit to teach us all things (John 14:26).  The Holy Spirit is our helper - teaching us what God wants us to know.  We need to have total dependence on him and total surrender to him.

3. Spiritual growth is a lifetime journey.  We haven't arrived!  The longer you walk with Jesus the more humble you will be.  But we have the promise that God will bring our growth to completion.   (Philippians 1:6)

4. Spiritual growth is "Better Together".  There are 59 times in Scripture that we are told to do things with 'one another'.  The Church was God's idea and we were told not to forsake coming together.

5. Road blocks to spiritual growth include:  sin, busyness, apathetic culture, and lack of understanding.  

6. Spiritual growth is our  personal responsibility.  We need to become self-feeders.  (Hebrews 6:1)

Let's memorize John 15:5 this week so we can be reminded to abide in Jesus.  Scripturetyper can be done on a computer or as an app.  You can join our group and you can also add verses of your own choice.  If you have any questions about how to join the group, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings to all!

West Ridge Bible Memory group,

      Let's  get going again.  I took some weeks off of posting sermon scriptures, but the verse from this week's sermon inspired me to start again.

This week Brian used a long section from 1 Corinthians 12 to talk about the importance of every one of us to the body of Christ.  The body should be united and we should all know that we belong.  Jesus makes it possible for everyone to belong.  But still their are barriers in the church today, and we need to break them down.  Every person and every gift is vital in our overall effectiveness.  We are better together and should depend on one another in a relationship of interdependence. 

      While 1 Corinthians 12 is a great section (though a bit too long for us to memorize), I was inspired mostly by the verse from Colossians that he quoted.  "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for man." Colossians 3:23.  That one is worth memorizing (and it is easy too!).  

Please join me and a few others as we add one verse a week to our mental Bible.  You never know when these verses might pop into your head to inspire and guide you.   But you have to put them there before they can pop up.  Join us in using scripturetyper to review the verses and make them stick.  

     [Scripturetyper is both a website and an app.  You can join West Ridge Bible Memory group to get our verses every week.  If you have questions, email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.]

Hello West Ridge Scripture Typers,

Let us pray with Paul that God gives us a miracles-still-happen faith.

When we look at miracles in the Bible we should ask, "Show me what this is saying about You."

The twelth miracle (by some counts) of Jesus was calming the storm.  Jesus must have known the storm was coming, but he had them put out to sea anyway.  The disciples must have been wondering, "Couldn't you have stopped it?"  or "Do you really care?"

Everyone will go through storms.  Don't abandon ship.  Don't forget who is in the boat with you.  If you get distraught you are saying that you think He can't handle it.  

And as Babbie Mason says, "When you cannot trace His hand you can always trust His heart."

Oher good verses that Paul referenced are Isaiah 43:2-3, Hebrews 13:5b-6 and Hebrews 13:8.  But we are going to memorize Mark 4:39 where Jesus sayd, "Peace, be Still."

If you need any help in figuring out how to use Scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  We have a small group, but I am still convinced that there are others out there who would like to join our fun!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

This week Brian talked about the Holy Spirit and his role in our life.  He said that the Spirit is like the sap flowing up into a branch.  It can't live without it.  

Two truths:

1. Jesus wants to have a growing intimate relationship with you.

2. Jesus expects his followers to bear spiritual fruit in their lives.

But this is impossible by ourselves - just like it is impossible for a branch to stay healthy and bear fruit apart from the vine.  

John 15:1-5 talks about this and the key word is 'abide'.  'Abide' means to stay, dwell, remain.  We must pursue Jesus and abide in Him and then the 'sap' of the Holy Spirit will flow through us.

There is more to this sermon - about the results of abiding and the method of abiding - but for now I'm going to just focus on abiding.  

Our memory verse is John 15:4 "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, nether can you unless you abide in me."  

Consider joining our group and starting your road of Bible memory.  It is just one may way to abide with Jesus.  If you have any questions about how to start on scripturetyper or how to find our group, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  

Paul gave us many potential memory verses this week.

He started with 1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called...."

Take hold; seize it; grab it.  Eternal life - you can have it here and now.

Then he told the story of the rich, young ruler (Matthew 19) - the man wanted eternal life now; he wanted to count for something.  He knew he folloed the commanments and led a good, moral life.  But something was missing.

Paul explained that there is a direct conection between how we treat what God has given us and the life we take hold of.  The rich young ruler continued to choose mediocrity.  Instead we should conisder everything God puts in our hand to be for God's work and then we will have treasure in heaven.  (See Matthe 6:19-21). 

Making it very clear, Paul challenged us:  You can tell what you love by how you spend your money.  And it isn't because God needs or wants your money.  The benefit is to you.  

God promises in Malachi 3 that if we stop robbing him by withholding our tithes and offerings, He will pour out blessings.  He tells us to test him - to make it a prioirity.  (This is the only time in the Bible where God says to test him.)  Malachi 3:10: "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

This goes along with Matthew 6:33 (Seek first the kingdom.)  and Matthew 6:19-21 (Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.... for where your treasure is there your heart will be also)  and 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly....) and 1 Timothy 6:18-19 ((Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundaiton for the coming age so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.)  

The life that will last is in the overflow.  The end goal is not a full cup - but the overflow.  

For our verse this week, I am choosing the Malachi verse - mainly because I have never memorized anything out of Malachi before.  So Malachi 3:10 it is!  Let's take on the one time God says to test him.  I hope that more of you will consider joining us on this Bible memory journey.  Just like we give a portion of our finances to God, maybe we should give a portion of our memory space to Him too.  If you have questions on how to start on scripturetyper, feel free to email me a donnaeckert@comcast.net. 

The Power of Persistent Prayer -

Brian used the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 to talk about our commitment to prayer.  

The unjust judge in the parable is nothing like our  God.  And we aren't like the widow.  Our God is loving and we have full access to him.  But this parable shows that prayer works...

Why should we pray persistently?

1. Persistent prayer helps us keep our focus on who God is and what he has done in the past.  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

2. Persistent prayer helps us to keep focus on who we are.  We are powerless in ourselves.  But we are children of God.  John 1:12;  Hebrews 4:16; Romans 8:15-16

3. Persistent prayer helps us to focus on what is important.

4. Persistent prayer helps us to not get discouraged.  Philippians 4:6-7

5. Persistent prayer helps us to see God's hand move.  It glorifies God to answer prayer.  James 5:16

6. Persistent prayer helps me to demonstrate faith.  So that God will find faith on earth?  (see Luke 18:8)

I'm choosing Philippians 4:6-7 as our verse of the week.  This one is probably familiar to many of you and is easy to learn (and you get credit for 2 verses instead of one!).  

Please consider joining our scripture memory group using scripturetyper.  Imagine if hundreds of us memorized the same verse each week so that we could keep the ideas of the sermon in our minds the rest of our life.....

If you have any questions about how to get started, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

It appears that Brian has been eavesdropping in my home this week because the sermon was a bit too applicable to my life....

Forgiveness means to let go, to send away, to release.  In Matthew 18 Jesus upped the level of what we need to do in terms of forgiveness - unlimited forgiveness.

Why should I forgive?

1. God has offered forgiveness to me.  Romans 3:23, Ephesians 4:32.

2. Bitterness will destroy my life; it is a self-inflicted prison.  Hebrews 12:15

3. God asks me to forgive.  Romans 12:18

4. I will need forgiveness in the future.  Matthew 18:35

Brian then went on to discuss myths of forgivness, who to forgive (3 tests), and how to forgive.  I really recommend you go to http://www.westridge.com/messages/series/2017/levelup and watch the whole sermon and look at all the notes.  

Any of the verses listed above would be good to know.  But I am choosing Ephesians 4:32.  "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you."  

I encourage more people to join our group using scripturetyper.  If you have questions about how to get started contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Now...to go live out the truths of this topic in my own life...

Blessings, y'all.  :)

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Today Brian share a great message about becoming disciples and making disciples.  He talked through all the West Ridge imperatives of Love, Grow, Serve, Share.  He talked about the costs of following Jesus and how we have to leave our 'nets' in order to follow.  And he talked about the results - the fruit that comes to disciples.  

But what struck me most today is how Spencer, Steve, and Brian all talked about the idea of 'Yes' and 'Amen'.  So our memory verse for the week will be 2 Corinthians 1:20.  "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.  That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory."

So, join our Bible Memory Group and learn with us.  Go to scripturetyper.com or download the app.  Search for West Ridge Bible Memory in the groups section - we are currently at 185 - and join the group.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Start now and in a year you will have 52 verses memorized!  Let's do it together!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

We were blessed to hear from Gary Hougen of the International Justice MIssion today.  He challenged us to help the world see that God is good.  In a world of hurt, how can people believe that God is good?  God's plan to accomplish this is to use the church.  We are Christ's ambassadors.  We are to let our light shine.   He used many verses:  Ecclesiastes 4:1, Psalm 10:17-18, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17.....  But for our memory verse I'm choosing his first reference - 2 Corinthians 5:20 - "We are Christ's ambassadors..."

And as Christ's ambassadors we have to answer Jesus' question (at the feeding of the 5000), "What do you have?"  And then give it to him so that he can do miracles.

So open up the borders of your heart and don't underestimate what you have to offer (your lunch).  And join us in memorizing this scripture which encourages us to be Christ's ambassadors.

Please join us in using scripturetyper.com to hide the word in your heart.  It is free and painless.  And using your brain like this is a great way to ward off dementia too!  To join our group go to the site (or app) and search for West Ridge Bible Memory - we are currently at #186.  If you have any questions, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings to you all.

Hello Fellow West Ridgers,

What a great anniversary celebration we had.  Brian started his sermon with the verse that will be our memory verse - and he quoted it in the New Living Translation which we will use.  Ephesians 3:20 "Now all glory to God, who is able, according to his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."  What a good summation of what God has done through West Ridge.  

Brian went on to talk about asking God for greater things.  (Matthew 7:7, John 14:13), dreaming bigger dreams (Jeremiah 32:27), relying on God's might to do the impossible, and giving God all the glory (Psalm 115:1).  

He mentioned some specific areas to address:  racism/diversity, poverty, mentoring, special needs, generosity, Scotland.

So, may we as a church step out into the next 20 years and see what God will do.  I still have a dream of expanding the Bible memory in our church through scripturetyper.  John 15:7 says, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."  What better way to have God's word abide in you, than to memorize it so that you can think of it throughout the day.  Please join this small group of Bible memorizers and make it a big group.  What would the result be in 20 years if many of you started this week to learn one verse a week....  If you have questions about how to join us on scripturetyper (either the website or the app), contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Our group is currently at #185 if you search under groups.

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memory peoples,

Todd did a great job speaking to all of us 'unqualified' people.  He related moments when he felat unqualified and also told of a phrase that his youth leader, Brian Bloye, told him that stuck with him, "God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."

We all feel unqualified at times but feeling unqualified can paralize us in our relationship Jesus and make us feel like we can't start or that we can't start again.  But hte Bible is full of stories of unqualified people.  

Todd then related the story of Peter.  He had lots of instances of 'failure', of doing or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.  After denying Jesus, he probably thought that things would never be the same.  But after the resurrection, Jesus didn't ask Peter why he denied or check to see if he were remorseful enough.  But Jesus did ask, "Do you love me?" - meaning 'Who do you love most?',  'Who are you loyal to?'.   Then, after Peter confirmed his love, Jesus repeated the words he had said to him first, "Follow Me."  He gave him an invitation to start again.

Jesus doesn't question our qualifications, but he willl question our love.  The question lets you examine your heart and confirm your love all over again.  

So this week's memory verse is John 21:15.  It isn't a typical memory verse, but it will remind us that even when we mess up (like Peter did), Jesus gives us a chance to re-assert our love for him and follow him again.

I'd love for more people to join our group actively.  One verse may not seem like a big deal (or it may seem like a mountain), but if you follow along with us, a year from now you will have 52 verses of God's Word in your heart.  What a great step that would be in your spiritual growth.  To get started just go to scripturetyper.com or download the app.  Search for us in groups - we are now at #183 in the ratings.  If you have questions, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory Group,

Today Brian explored Jesus' short conversation with Bartimaeus from Mark 10.  Here is my summary:

We want a life of 'wholeness' - unbroken completeness.  But Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy and he uses whatever he can to keep us from 'wholeness'.  Some of these things are sin (yours and others' toward you), wounds, bondage (trapped in relation or emotional issue), and strongholds (mindsets taht accepts situation as unchangable).

Bartimeaus wanted to be 'whole' and called on the Messiah.  Jesus paid attention to him.  He let Bart express his faith and then he healed him.

Brian's key points:

1. God won't deny someone who calls out for help. (Psalm 18:6, Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21)

2. God may not change your situation immediately.

3. Don't underestimate the power of your faith.  (Hebrews 11:6)

4. Sometimes in teh midst of your dark moments, Satan will pile it on.  (John 10:10; Luke 22:31-32)

5. Sometiems you have to make a courageous choice to move forward. (2 Timothy 1:7)

6. Jesus loves you and cares deeply about what you are going through.  You must remember this because pain and suffering will mess with your theology.  (Psalm 34:18; Luke 4:18)

For the memory verse, I am choosing the first part of Mark 10:51 to remind us that Jesus asks us, "What do you want me to do for you?"

This is an easy verse, so it woudl be a great time to jump in and join the Bible Memory Group.  I'd love to help you get started.  Contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net for info - or just check out scripturetyper.com and search for our group West Ridge Bible Memory.  We are currently at 180 on the list - but if more people join us in memorizing we can move up the list.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Brian used the story of the Woman at the Well (John 4) to speak against division and superiority among the races.  Jesus used kindness and grace as he modeled how to deal with race, gender and religion issues.

Some key points:

-Anytime that we elevate ourselves above another group of people, it is sin.

-There is a difference in anger fueled by hatred and righteous anger.

-To Love our neighber we need to get over our fear and prejudice and we can do that by getting to know them through fellowship and conversation.

-The only thing that can tear down the walls that separate us is the Gospel.

-It is our responsibility as Christ's ambassados to lead the way to reconciliation and unity.

Brian used many scripture that we could learn.  Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 5:20.  But I found that those didn't roll off my tongue well in memorizing them (OK so that is a personal preference...)  So I am choosing a foundational verse he mentioned:  Genesis 1:27.  "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him. Male and female he created them."  If we see others as co-image-bearers, then it will be harder to discount their value as persons.

If you have any questions about how you can get started hiding God's Word in your heart using scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  I'd love to have a huge group all pondering the sermons together as we memorize key scripture.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

This week, Paul told the story of Lazarus' death (John 11).  Mary and Martha didn't know the ending of the story.  They didn't know Lazarus would rise from the dead.  But still, they trusted Jesus.  Mary said, "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."  

That doesn't seem like common sense.  But common sense is not faith.  Faith is trust even when it seems uncertain.

Paul related the story of Dunkirk and how the call to the action was the reference from Daniel when Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace.  "I know God will deliver us. BUT IF NOT..." Regardless, we still have faith. (Daniel 6)

Jesus responded to Mary by saying, "I am the resurrection and the life..."  Not just the resurrection in the future, but for life right now...

While John 11:25 is the more famous line (most famously quoted in A Tale of Two Cities....a favorite book of mine....), I am choosing John 11:21-22 for our memory verse.  "...Even now I know..."

Please consider joining us in our scripture memory hobby.  Every week, I add one (or two) verse(s) from the sermon.  Just imagine if a 100+ people were memorizing the same scripture every week.  Scripturetyper helps so much; it 'makes' you review your old verses so that they really stick.  Join us for a year and by the end of the year you will know 52 verses AND you will be better able to remember the great sermons that you hear.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Scripturetyper can be done on any computer, tablet or smartphone.  And it is free.... So join the challenge!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory People,

Today Brian used the story of Zaccheus to talk about new starts.  You can't start over, but you can start again.  Jesus specializes in people who feel inadequate, who have failed, made mistakes, and need a new start.  Zaccheus was certainly such a person.  (You can read his story in Luke 19:1-10.)  

If Jesus we can start over.  2 Corinthians 5:17 states just that.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.   The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  Memorize that one with us this week - maybe it will give you the hope that it gives me!

If anyone has any questions about how to use Scripturetyper please contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  I still have a vision of having lots of us memorizing the Word together.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers:

Paul was spot on today!  Of course, it might be 'easier' to preach so well after the joy of giving a new van to such a deserving family.  :)

Our family had a guest in church today and when we asked his thoughts of the sermon, he commented that he really liked the way that Paul used so many Bible verses and that he didn't know that Jesus taught so much on the Kingdom of Heaven being a present day thing.  

Paul spoke of the Kingdom being whereever God is in charge.  And that the kingdom is so valuable - the pearl of great price - that it should be most important to us and should effect every part of our life.  

He quoted Jim Elliot, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  

The Kingdom is worth our everything because it is the Kingdom of our risen Savior.  And the benefits are both for now and for eternity.  And God is glad to give us this treasure.

Paul used many verses that would be suitable to memorize - I guess the whole Bible is 'suitable to memorize' - but I chose 1 Corinthians 15:19.  Living for the Kingdom is valuable now because in Christ we have hope for eternity.

Please join us in memorizing the Word.  It really does effect your thinking - I still struggle with 'taking every thought captive' - but there are moments now when verses jump into my mind at unexpected times - and this is after a full year of memorizing effort. 

If you have any question on how to get started, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

West Ridge Bible Memory Group,

Todd did a great job with the Parable of the Sower today.  Jesus spoke in parables to weed people out.  He wanted people to really listen and not just want to show.  What he had to say was more iportant that some temporary miracle.

Most of us are familiar with this parable.  But Todd brought up 2 main ways of looking at it:

1. We are the recipients of God's Kingdom.  We are the soil.  What type of soil are you?

2. We are participants in the Kingdom.  We are the farmers who plant the seed.  The farmer doesn't try to predetermine who will acept it and who want - he just sows everyone in his field.  Whose lives are you sowing into?

Since this parable is more familiar and sincer there is no one good summarizing verse and I'm not ready to memorize the entire paragraph, I chose a short intro verse so that when we learn it, it will remind us of the whole parable and all its meansings.

So.... Mark 4:3 - "Listen!  A sower went out to sow."  That will be enough to remind us of the meanings Todd talked about.

I'd love more people to join us in our scripture memory challenge.  If you want to know more about our group on scripturetyper.com then contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Paul's talk on the Parable of the Talents (or the Parable of the Unprofitable Servant) was great today.  What you believe about God's love for you will directly impact how you live your life.  The unprofitable servant was given much and was valued much, but he refuged to serve God with his life.  The key here: don't waste your life - use it for good so that God can say "Well done, good and faithful servant."  

Paul's main verses for the sermon:

---Ecclediastes 9:14-15 - quite interesting - you can save a city even if no one knows your name - I had never noted this verse before.

---Matthew 25:21 - "Well done...."  Great verse!  But we learned this one back in November of last year.  Our goal - to have the Lord say, "Well done..."

---Colossians 3:23-24 - "Whatever you do work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ."  Great verse - I think I will put it on my personal list.

---1 Timothy 6:17-19 - This was Paul's closing point and his call to actions.  "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

  I'm choosing the last one as our verse(s) for this week.  Yes, it is a bit long (90 words).  But what a great and motivating verse that can truly impact how we live this life and therefore how we live the future life.

Since we are starting a new series, this would be a great time for more people to join us in Bible memory.  What if, for our 20th anniversary as a church, we began a churchwide movement of Bible memory.  God's Word is powerful.  If you start this week, you can have 52 verse memorized by next year and you will better remember and live out the sermons that you hear.  What a great way to become more fully devoted followers of Jesus.  

If you have any questions about how to start scripturetyper or how to join the West Ridge Bible Memory group, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net or text me at 678-485-5593.  Blessings to all.

Hello Fellow West Ridgers,

Mac Lake presented some great wisdom this week.  He started with Matthew 7:24-27 about the house built on the rock.  He quickly moved into the idea of wisdom in parenting and talked about rear-view mirror questions.  Are the decisions I'm making and the attitudes I'm showing and the dependence on God that I am modeling be the ones that I would want to see reflected in my child.  Jesus said that whoever hears his words AND DOES THEM is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.  The AND DOES THEM is in present continue tense.  We need to keep doing them.

Then Mac talked about wisdom as related in Proverbs 3 and gave some great examples.  

We could memorize lots from Proverbs 3, but since we have focused on the Sermon on the Mount for all these weeks, I think we should memorize the conclusion of it.  Yes, it is a whole paragraph.  But we can do this!  

If you look back over the last several months, you will see that we have learned about 1/5 of the Sermon on the Mount.  Pretty good stuff!  If anyone has any questions about how to join us on this Bible Memory journey, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory peeps,

      Paul really nailed it today.  He started by contemplating the 35,000 decisions we make a day.  Wow - that is a lot!  

      And some decisions lead to life and others to death.  There is no middle ground or third way.  He referred back to Deuteronomy when Moses told the people to choose life or death (Deut. 11:26-28).  But we live in a culture that  celebrates the middle ground of moderation or compromise.  Instead our verse today says that the way to life is narrow and difficult.  

     At first this seems to contradict Jesus' later call to "Come to me and I will give you rest...."  (Matthew 11:28-30).  But Paul notes that we all default to drifting and Jesus is always calling us back to 'Come'.  

      Paul goes on to talk about false prophets and about abiding in the vine and about being prunes.  He notes that being pruned isn't being punished but is preparation for more fruit.  And choosing Jesus is hard but without him it is impossible.  And you can't facke yoru way into teh Kingdom of Heaven.  We have to strive to enter the narrow gate.  There is so much good here - you just need to go back and re-listen to the sermon....

    But I have chosen the wide vs. narrow gate sermon to be the memory verses.  Matthew 7:13-14.  So go grab the next verse on the list and start learning about the narrow way - so that you can make great decisions in all 35,000 decisions of each day.

     Blessings to you all!   If you need help in joining the West Ridge Bible Memorizers on scripturetyper, please contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  It is a free app or website and it really provides a way to make the Word stick in your head with practice and repetition.  

Hello West Ridgers,

Brad and Todd gave us a great verse for the week.  This verse has 3 action verbs that we should do.  

1. Ask - Do we forget to ask God for things but still expect answers?

      - Do we demand instead of ask?

2. Seek - Am I actually looking for answers?

       - Am I actually seeking Jesus?

3. Knock - Do I wonder if any anyone is there, if anyone hears my needs.

Our verse for the week is an invitation from God to come to him with all our needs.  And he later (Matthew 11:28) promises rest.  

Maybe we don't ask, seek, knock because we don't see God as a loving father.  Do we not believe he CAN do something about it?  Do we not believe that he CARES about us?  See Matthew 7:9-11

When we believe that God is able and that he cares, we start asking God to do big things.  And what God gives is good and perfect (see James 1:17-18)

This is a great time to get started with Scripturetyper since it is a short easy verse.  If you have any questions, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Thank you, Brad and Todd, for a great message.  Let us go forth and ask, seek, and knock.

Hello Fellow West Ridgers,

Brian continued in the Sermon on the Mount and talked about the issue of judging others.  He made the point that we ARE to judge.  Jesus judged.  He called out sins.  But we aren't to be judgmental - treating others with harshness or anger because we think their sins are greater than ours.

We are going to memorize Matthew 7:1-2, but you could go ahead an memorize 3-6 to get the whole picture.

He brought up 6 ways to make judgment in a Christian way.

1. Judge the right way - only on issues on which God has clearly spoken.  Do not get in to legalism.

2. Judge as you would want to be judged.  God will judge us with either mercy or justice.  We should judge others with mercy. 

3. Judge yourself before you judge others.  See v. 3-5.  Our sin is a bigger than we think it is.  It is a log in our eye.

4. Judge with gentleness and care.  The end goal is restoration.

5. Judge accordingly and aggressively when required. Judge insiders differently than outsiders.  The goal should still be resoration.

6. Judge when to speak and when to stay silent.  See v. 6.   Trust in God's sovereignty and realize you can't change anyone's life.  

So... I put Matthew 7:1-2 on our board, but I think I will add 3-6 to my personal list also.

I encourage more of you to get going on this scripture memory project.  Having God's Word in your heart can only be a blessing to you.  Maybe you could get your Journey Group to join in together and tackle some verses.  If you have any question about how to use the app or website, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings to all!

West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

What a great sermon full of treasured verses.  

I love how Brian introduced Matthew 6:25 by explaining the 'Therefore".  "Therefore, (because life is short, because earthly stuff is temporary, because we should care more about eternal life), do not be anxious about your life..."  That really connects it to the previous section.  

We can control our worry when we know the He CAN and know that He CARES.  He is sovereign and He wants to meet our needs.  

We need to seek His kingdom FIRST - by giving to His kingdom first, by serving others before ourselves, by obeying the King before obeying the world.  

Brian's takeaway:  When I make it my priority to seek His kingdom first, he makes it his priority to take care of mine.

I chose Matthew 6:33 to be the memory verses.  But Matthew 6:25 and 1 Peter 5:7 would have been equally good.

If you have any questions on how to become active with scripturetyper, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Ennis gave me encouragement this morning in saying that for the first time in his 64 years he has been able to remember verses and keep them in his mind.  He says he has some verses set to review every morning so that they will be always there.  Scripturetyper itself makes you review your verses in ever increasing increments.  But you can always re-adjust the timing down if you need to review particular verses more often.  When I get to one that I have had to do for two months and then don't get it right, I drop that verse down to every 2 days again so that I have to go through the review cycle again.  With enough review, you create a neural network that remembers the verse a chunk and then it is really yours.  

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory people,

Brian continued with the Sermon on the Mount and challenged us with where we are laying up our treasure.  The main verses are  Matthew 6:19-21.  Why do we invest so much stuff when you know you will have to leave it all behind?     

Three questions to ask yourself:

1. Where is your treasure stored?  Where are you finding your security?  Where do you invest most of your heart?  Don't let your heart lead you, but take action on what you know is right and trust that the feelings will follow - lead your heart.

2. Is your vision clear or cloudy?  Sin creeps in if our spiritual focus is cloudy.  We need to repent and then set our eyes on Jesus as our treasure.

3. What master are you going to serve?  You can't serve 2 master.  Serving Jesus leads to the life that is truly life.  (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19)

This is a great sermon that we should listen to often.  What a great challenge!  The memory verses are familiar and easy - even if I am listing 3 verses.  I challenge you to learn this verses - God's Word is a treasure that we can store up in our minds so that we can see Jesus as our greatest treasure.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Scripturetyper is free and easy to use on either a computer or a mobile device.  

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

We are going to add 5 verses to our memory this week - but don't worry, you probably already know them.  So it won't be hard!

Paul continued in ther Sermon on the Mount with Jesus teaching us to pray.  But Paul didn't jump right in to the new topic - he first re-iterated what Brian taught last week.  "Your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."  Remember - that was part of last week's memory verse.  Paul summed that up by saying, 'When you take credit for anything yourself, you take the glory off God and put it on you.'  and he referred to Proverbs 27:2 (another good memory verse for another time).

Then Paul continued emphasizing the most important words of Jesus' model prayer:  Our Father.  Everybody can pray - because it is just talking to your perfect daddy.  We are His children.  See John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1 (more good memory verses).  

And what is our reward that God will give us when we give and pray and fast in secret?  His presence.  He says to us, "Here I am."  

So this week I added 5 verses to our list: Matthew 6:9-13 - Jesus' model prayer for us.  I added it in the ESV.  But if you memorized the Lord's Prayer in King James like I did as a child and if you prefer to stick with that translation, you can change the version you memorize by clicking the little pencil icon next to the verse and choosing a different version.  

I invite anyone who is not currently active on scripturetyper to join in. It is easy to do and I would be glad to help you get started with our group.  Just email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Maybe some of your small groups would like to take this on as a challenge????  Just imagine - what if 100s of us were memorizing same scripture every week....

Dear West Ridge Bible Memory peeps,

This week's topic was poverty and helping.  Brian started off with his prayer: Lord, Break my heart with the things that bread your heart and give me wisdom and courage to do something about it.

Then he continued our walk through the Sermon on the Mount getting to the point where Jesus talked on giving and helping people.  We should serve others not for attention or praise or pride, but weshould give freely and spontaneously so that 'our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing.'  Then we will get our reward in heaven.  The only motive should be to honor and obey God.

Then Terrance Lester talked about what all he has learned while helping the poor.  It takes courage to be poor, he says, because each day is a struggle.  But the poor are made in the image of God (imago dei) just like all of us.  Each person is valuable.  

He quote 2 Corinthians 8:9 about Christ becoming poor that in him we might become rich.

And he quoted about Jesus' compassion in Matthew 9:36:  "But when He saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion toward them, because they were weak and scattered like sheep having no shepherd."  We, too, need this compassion.

Terrance's final thoughts were: 1. create margin so you can help; 2. forget your fears; 3. know your community; and 4. give of your talent and treasure and time.

So there are 3 good verses.  But in keeping with the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount I'm choosing Matthew 6:3-4 as our verse to learn this week - "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  And your father who sees in secret will reward you."

So, go forth, create margin, and memorize!

If you have any questions on how to get started, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net and I will help you join our online group.

Dear West Ridge Bible Memory people,

What a great Easter!  We had overflow crowds!  Many heard Brians sermon about resurrection power.  May we now live it out.

I'm cheating a bit on this week's verse.  We are only going to do half of it - and it isn't even a complete sentence.  The full sentence encompasses four verses and has 91 words....  but I only loaded half of one verse (11 words) on scripturetyper.  I hope it reminds me to pray daily 'that I may know him and the power of his resurrection'.  What a great prayer.  So, yes, go back and read the context.   But join me in memorizing the first half of Philippians 3:10.

This is a great time to join us in memorizing God's Word.  Remember, once it is in your brain, no one can take it from you.  Scripturetyper is a great tool to use.  Let me know if you need help figuring out the  site or the app.  Blessings, donnaeckert@comcast.net

This week Paul focused on Matthew 5:38-45 and how Jesus once more raised the bar for us.  Each standard reminds us that we are in need of a savior.  

Jesus shows that we need to change our instincts from retaliation to reconciliation - "What else do you need?"  Serve your enemy.  Love them.  

So we will learn Matthew 5:44-45 - Love your enemies...  Yes, this is 2 verses - but the sentence breaks in the middle and I thought we could handle the hold thing. :)

I encourage more of you to get started with scripturetyper.  It has been a blessing in my life.  I would love to tell you how to get started.  Contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net if you need any help.

Greetings West Ridge Scripture memory group,

Today would be a great day to get started on your Bible Memory journey because this verse is a good but easy one.

Brian's message was about Jesus raising the bar on topic of sexual integrity.  Lust is a sin of the heart that is against God, yourself, and the other person.  

Brian spoke of using the Word to help you fight against this sin. And he mentioned Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."  So let's memorize that one - and it will help us be motivated to memorize others.

If you need help in getting started with scripturetyper, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  I'd love to get more people memorizing regularly.  It is a great way to keep the ideas of the sermon in front of you all the time.

Blessings all!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Paul did a great job talking about anger.  Here is my brief summary:

Every one has an anger button.

Your reaction reveals the condition of your heart.

Anger settled in your heart will murder others and destroy you.

While I had thought we would memorize another line from the Sermon on the Mount, I thought the verse he gave from James summed up the sermon better.  So lets learn James 1:19-20.  "Know this, my beloved brothers, Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.  For the anger of  men does not produce the righteousness of God."

This is a great verse to start on since it is so applicable to every day life.  If you need help getting started on scripturetyper, let me know and I will coach you.  Contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Blessings.

Greetings West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

In yesterday's sermon, Brian talked about the law and how Jesus came to fulfill it.  

What is the purpose of the Old Testament law?

1.The law reveals the holiness of an eternal God.

2. The Law set Israel apart as distinct from other nations.

3. The Law reveals our sinfulness.

4. The Law provided a way for Israel to get temporary forgiveness.

5. The Law brought people together in the festivals.

6. The Law provided directions for physical and spiritual health.

7. The Law pointed Israel (and us) to Jesus - to the fact that we need a Savior.

Galatians 3:19 speaks of why the Law was given.

Hebrews 4:15 speaks of how Jesus fulfilled the Law - our high priest and offering that was without sin.

For our memory verse, I am choosing Matthew 5:17 where Jesus himself proclaims that he has come to fulfill the law.  

You can join our memory group any time.  Go to scripturetyper (either the website or the app).  Search for West Bible Memory Bible Memory (we are now at around 100).  Join the group and click on the current verse collection (Sermon Verses March 2017) to start learning.  If you have questions, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  

Hey West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

This week's verse is quite short and easy:  Matthew 5:16.  

Go forth and let your light shine.

Any questions - contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Today Paul talked about following and surrending to Jesus.  There is way to many good notes here for me to write up! 

But the memory verse is quite simple.  Matthew 4:19 says, "And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'

I bet you can learn that one quickly!

I encourage many of you to start your Bible Memory journey with this quote.

If you have questions, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net and I will help you get started with scripturetyper - the free app that helps you commit God's Word to memory.

Hello West Ridge Scripture Memorizers,

Well, Paster Brian did it today.  He gave us a whole paragraph to memorize.  Mark 1:9-11 tells of Jesus' baptism.  

When Jesus was baptized, three things happened:

1. The heavens were torn open (like the curtain separating the Holy of Holies was torn open at the crucifixion).  God himself had broken into human history to save his people.

2. The Spirit descends on Jesus.  This reminds us of Isaiah 11:2 (which would be another great memory verse.)

3. God the Father speaks and gave Jesus his identy and his approval - and this was before Jesus' ministry even started.  

We can identify with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection in our own baptism.  And what a great celebration of baptism we had today!

So, yes, this passage is a bit longer - 60 words long.  But I promise it can be learned, especially since it tells a story.  Use the scripturetyper system of repeated practice and you can do it!   

If you have any questions or need help getting started with scripturetyper, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Remember, if you don't like the verses I choose from ther sermons, you can choose your own favorites and make your own verse library.  But isn't it fun to be learning the same things together and using the verse to help us remember the points of the sermon.

Blessings!

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers.  

We have 4 people on the board memorizing verses with us.  We have lots more lurking.  I pray that they will soon go from lurkers to memorizers.  If you have any questions about how to get started using scripturetyper email me (see email at bottom).

Brian gave us lots of good scripture today.  I will summarize before I tell you which one I chose to put on our Bible Memory list.  

1. Jesus grew up in a poor home to regular earthly parents, but he still chose to submit and obey.  That was God's plan for him.

Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man."

As Brian said, this isn't a bad life plan for young people - don't rush God but keeping growing in his plan.

2. Jesus was God in the flesh.

Colossians 1:15-16 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whetehr thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Colossians 2:9 "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,"

3. Jesus was also fully human.

Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

4. We are called to tell others:

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness ito his marvelous light."

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.

5. Main points:

-Hardship is not a handicap.  See James 1:1.  Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered.  Hardship is where our roots grow deep.

-Timing is everything.  Jesus lived in obscurity for 18 years.

-To lead well, we must first learn to follow well.  See Luke 2:51

Great verses.  You may add any of these to your personal verse library.  But for the group, I am choosing a pretty simple one that gives a great life plan. Luke 2:52.  May we be like Jesus and grow in wisdom and stature (healthiness - my translation) and in favor with God and man.

Contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net if you have any questions about getting started.  Help us raise West Ridge in the ranks on Scripturetyper.com.  Remember you can choose to do it on your computer or your mobile device.

Blessings,

Donna Eckert

Hi West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

      This week Brian gave a great apologetics lesson.  He used Mark 1:1 to show that Mark wrote his gospel to attest that Jesus was the SON OF GOD.  There is no ambiguity there.  Brian used 7 types of evidence: 1. Early Testimony, 2. Embarrassing, 3. Eyewitnesses 4. Environmental, 5. Excruciating, 6. Extrabiblical 7. Expected.   This sermon needs to be re-listened to, notes taken, and the points learned.  

      Mark 1:1 says "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."  At first it bothered me that it was a sentence fragment.  But it is worth knowing because you may have someone tell you that the Bible never says that Jesus is the Son of God and you can respond - 'yes, it does; the Gospel of Mark holds that as its first premise.'  So.... I added that short but powerful sentence fragment to our list.

Please join us in memorizing.  If you have questions, email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Chip Judd gave a great talk this week.  Here is a brief outine:

1. Know yourself; like yourself; be yourself.   Don't criticize God's work.  We should love what God loves.  Comparison is the root of all inferiority.  The ultimate surrender to the sovereignty of God is self-acceptance.

2. Never stop growing.  Life is movement, growth and change.  Coasting  kills.  The moment you stop growing you start dying.  Where can you do a little something different to promote growth.

3. Learn to fill your bucket from the inside out.  The #1 mistake in relationships is idolatry.  An idol is anyone or anything you use to meet a need only God can meet.  Go to God first for everything you need.  Don't get a right need met in a wrong way.

The verse I chose is the one Chip used for point #3  --- John 7:37-38.  Memorize it with us!!!

Maybe the one thing you could change to grow more this year is to put more of God's word in your heart.  Join the group and actively learn one verse a week and review all the past verses so they stay fresh.  Scripturetyper allows you to do that on your computer or device.  Join our group - West Ridge Bible Memory.  If you want to know how, contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  This is a free online group of West Ridge people. 

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory people,

What a great talk Brian and Amy gave today on making solid marriages.  I hope everyone took notes.  You will see mine below.  There were several possible memory verses.  I've listed them all in my notes below, but I chose the last one to be our verse for the week.  I encourage all of you to get more active on scripturetyper.  Just imagine having more of God's Word in your mind to think about throughout the day.  If you have any questions about how to get going, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Healthiness doesn't just happen.  It takes effort.

You married a sinner in a fallen world.

Don't give up.  Matthew 19:26 says 'With God all things are possible.'

The 6 tips for a strong marriage:

1. You must be willing to fight for it.  And God will also.

Nehemiah 4:20 says, 'Our God will fight for us.'

2. Remember the importance of being a team.

Ecclesiastes 4:11-12 says

     'Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

     But how can ne keep warm alone?

     Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

     A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.'

-Decide to be a team.

-Realize it takes time.

-Overcome difficulties together.

-Always speak positive about each other.

-Have fun.

-Ask God to help you.

-Pray together.

=Work for a common goal.

3. Set up bounaries for your marriage and children.

Satan doesn't have to destroy you; he only has to distract you.

Proverbs 4:23 says, 'Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.'

4. Recognize spiritual warfare

Amy gave a long list of things that could be forms of spiritual warfare - I couldn't write them all.

5. Be a grace giver.

Colossians 3:13 says, 'Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.'

(This is the memory verse forour group!)

6. Finish well...together. (Great video!!)

Dear West Ridge Scripture Memory People,

   Amy and Brian gave us a real gift of a verse today.  No one can say this one is too long!  1 John 4:19 says "We love because He first loved us."  You got that one?  Now just type it into Scripturetyper and you will be 'on the board' and help our group raise its rankings!  I know it's not about rankings, but wouldn't it be neat to see West Ridge people come together and memorize a verse a week together.  And every person counts in the rankings!

    Amy also refered to Colossians 2:9-10 and Romans 12:2 (which we memorized last week).  And Brian brought up the fact that Revelation talks about how marriage points us to Christ, but I didn't think we wanted to memorize that whole passage out of Revelation.  

   So... while you are 1. Making your marriage your first ambition and 2. Realizing that only Christ can be everything to you, and 3. Making your spouse your lifelong project, and 4. Staying connected emotionally, I also challenge you to memorize some scripture together.  Let scripturetyper help you on that quest.  If you have any questions, you can contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Greetings to the Ice Bound West Ridgers,

    Brian's pre-recorded sermon about marriage gave much to think about concerning marriage.  Matthew 19:4-6 is the passage often used in wedding "...What God has joined together, let no one put asunder."  Malachi 2:14-16 talks about how God hates divorce.  So, what can we do to protect our marriages?  We can conform to God's pattern and not the pattern of this world.  So let's memorize Brian's verse Romans 12:2.

   And let's get more people memorizing with us.  Right now it is mostly me and Ennis and Janet.  But if we all want to 'test and approve what God's will is" we need to "be transformed by the renewing of our mind".  One of the best ways to do this is to put Scripture into our minds.  So... join us in the memorizing challenge!  If you have any question about scripturetyper you can email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

   PS - Scripturetyper gives you a choice - you can type the verses out and be judged by either speed or accuracy or you can simply type the first letter of each word and be judged for accuracy.   The last option is best on a mobile device.  If you are 90% accurate the program gives you credit for knowing it and then has you reviewing it at increasingly longer intervals.  You can use teh verses I choose for West Ridge Bible Memory group and you can add your own personal favorite verses.  I challenge you to take up this challenge for 2017 and encourage your West Ridge friends to do the same.  

It was good to be in the House of the Lord on this first day of the new year.  Steve gave an excellent message about Rejoicing and Remembering using Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes.  Ecclesiastes 11:9 starts with "Rejoice O young man, in your youth..."  We will seek happiness and look for something to rejoice in because we were created to do that.  But we must be careful what we turn to for our joy and look to the creator not to created things.  

THen  Ecclesiastes 12:1  starts with "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth."   Throughout the Bible, believers are called to remember their God who loves them.  It is a recurring theme.  God does not want to be forgotten and we must not forget what he did for us in Jesus.  

Steve then turned this Rejoicing and Remembering idea to 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 - the Words of Institution for the Lord's Supper.  We partake in the bread and wine to remember Jesus' body and blood that he gave for us.   On this New Year's Day, may we Rejoice and Remember!

The verses Steve used today are a bit longer and less easily memorized than some in the past.  So I have listed only half of a verse.  You can use it to remember the where to find the rest and go read it again.  So today's verse is Ecclesiastes 12:1a "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth..."  You can add the rest of the verse to your own verse list if you like.

Blessings to you all.   If you have any question about scripturetyper.com or our memory group, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  

Merry Christmas to all.

Brian had a powerful Christmas Eve sermon speaking of Jesus not as the Babe in the manger but as the conquering King through whom we can overcome the world.  To overcome means to overrule a sin or set of circumstances that are an illegitimate part of your life.  To overcome situations when we 'feel stuck' we have to look at Jesus differently.  Brian used many verses to help us see Jesus as the conquering King.  

John 16:33 says: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take hear; I have overcome the world."

1 John 5:4-5 says: "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Revelation 1:8 says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, " Says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Colossians 2:15 says:  "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

Romans 8:37 says: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Revelation 12:11 says: "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death."

All of these would be great memory verses.  Since Brian expressly talked about seeing the present day Jesus, the conquering King that we see in Revelation, I am choosing Revelation 1:8 as the memory verse.  I sure hope you will join us in memorizing it.  And share this with friends too.  Maybe 2017 will be the year that many of us come together and memorize the Word together. 

If you have questions about scripturetyper, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net

Hello West Ridgers,

On Sunday, Paul gave a great illustration of what Jesus, our High Priest, does with our sins.  He used many verses from Hebrews.  I am choosing Hebrews 7:25 as our memory verse - Jesus is able to save to the uttermost....  Praise God!

If you have any questions about how to get started with Scripturetyper, feel free to contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Merry Christmas!

Brian gave a great salvation talk using lots of scripture that we could memorize.  He started with John 1:1-5- Jesus is the Word that was from the beginning.  He spoke of Jesus fulfilling the roles of prophet, priest and king.  But Jesus' mission was different from prophets of the Old Testament - whose mission was judgment.  Jesus came to save.  Brian dwelled on John 3:16-18.  Most of us know John 3:16.  But do you know the next verse?  I chose to make John 3:16-17 our memory verse(s).  You could continue and go all the way through verse 21 for the complete thought.  Brian then refered to Ephesians 2:8-9 (another great couple of verses if you want to add them to your personal list) and then Acts 3:22-23 (which tells us that not believing is Jesus as prophet lead's to our soul's destruction).   So much good WORD to choose from.  But let's focus on finishing the thought of John 3:16 by adding verse 17 to our memory.

Paul gave us many good verses this week.  Here is my summary:   In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus praises the widow for her 'widow's mite' - for she gave out of her poverty.  Giving financial resources is not about the amount of money but about your heart.  Because God is a good God who doesn't fail us, we should trust in him. Paul quoted Lamentations 3:21-26.  This is a great memory section - check it out.  Then Paul quoted Luke 12:29-34 from The Message Bible which makes it very readable and understandable.  This section ends with "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  This is the same as Matthew 6:21 which we memorized two weeks ago.  Next Paul showed off his coloring skills with his heart illustration and used Romans 5:5 which talks about "God's love [which] has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."   Since our hearts are filled with God's love we need to give much back to him.  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each man should give as he has decided in heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  This is the verse I've chose as our memory verse.  :)  Then Paul talks about how Paul (yes, two Pauls) encouraged the Corinthians to excel at the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7).   Finally Paul (our Paul, not Paul of old) related the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abegnago who chose to follow God - knowing that He could answer all their prayers but ready to obey and follow even if He chooses not to. (Daniel 3)

This is a great time to get started with our Bible Memory group since you can start with the December verses and you won't be 'behind'.  Let me know if you need help in figuring out how to get started.  And please share this with other West Ridge folks so we can increase our group.  

donnaeckert@comcast.net

Damian stepped on some toes this morning - in a good way!  He showed how the Parable of the Talents shows the interception between generosity and judgment.  It would be good to learn the whole parable, but I'm going to highlight the most positive sentence in it. We would all like to hear 'Well Done' at the end of our days. So I added Matthew 25:21 (which is also Matthew 25:23).

If you've been with the group for a couple of months you will remember that back in September we learned the verse Brian used from the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats  (Matthew 25:40) which Damian also referenced a lot today.  I love it when I see direct connections with what I've already learned.

Let me know if you have questions!!! I'd love to see our group grow with more activie participants.  

donnaeckert@comcast.net 

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory Group,

Today's sermon verse is not exactly a sermon verse.  Brian's sermon on generosity using the story of the woman anointing Jesus with expensive perfume was great.  But there wasn't one single verse that summed it up well and I didn't think you wanted to memorize the whole story.  But Steve V summed it up well with his 'offering talk'.  Matthew 6:21 says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Now that is a great (and easy) verse to memorize.  Please join us this week by starting with this easier verse.  I still believe God will be pleased as we come together in unity to memorize his word.  

If you have any questions, contact me a donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Please share with your friends too.

Paul powerfully spoke of God not just being Father, but even more personally, being Daddy.  Abba is an intimate word like Daddy.  In October we memorized Galatians 4:6.  Today Paul added the next verse to it.  So this week we will work on Galatians 4:6-7 together.  We are not slaves.  We each are God's child and also an heir.  

Welcome to the new people.  I encourage you to jump in and make Bible Memory a daily challenge.  After you master the verse the first time, check back every day to see what verse you need to review.  You can also add your own favorite verses to your personal list.  If you have any questions contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  

Also - share with others so we can get more members who are memorizing.

Today's sermon is about how Jesus reflected God the Father to people while he was on earth.  After his resurrection, he told the disciples that He was not sending them out to reflect the Father to people.  We are those disciples; we are to reflect the Good, Good Father to those around us.  Pastor Brian ended the sermon with John 20:21.  Jesus gives us peace - and he sends us out.

Bible memory takes effort.  But it is worth it.  How is this for a promise:  "This book of the law must not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success."  Joshua 1:8

Here's to good success to us all.  Lets memorize so that we can meditate on it.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Donna

donnaeckert@comcast.net

Greetings to children of a FAITHFUL FATHER.  Pastor Brian gave us lots of good verses today - all of which emphasize the faithfulness of God, our Father.  I chose 1 Corinthians 1:9 as our group verse.  "God, who called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."  Isn't that a great summary of the sermon!  Other good ones that you might want to add to your personal list are Hebrews 10:23, Philippians 1:6, and Psalm 89:1.  

Welcome to our newest member who named herself Revival.  My prayer is that Bible memory will cause revival in each of our lives.  Feel free to ask me if you need help in figuring out how to use the site or app.  I prefer the website, but I'm not as adept at using apps as most people are.  

Please encourage your friends to join us on the journey of hiding God's Word in our heart.  Joshua 1:8 says:  "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success."   That is quite a promise, isn't it!

Blessings to you all.  Questions?  Contact me at donnaeckert@comcast.net

Donna

    I was out of town on Sunday and am just now getting to listen to Brian's sermon about God our Father.  So I'm a bit late in posting this week's verse.  The main verse - Galatians 4:6 - talks about how we can cry out to God, Abba Father.  Others that you might want to add to your personal collection are 2 corinthians 5:21 and Romans 8:38-39 (a quite famous one).  

    I really encourage all of you to get involved in this Bible memory challenge.  God has really laid this idea of a crowd of Bible Memorizers at West Ridge on my heart, so I must act.  I hope more and more of you will join in.  Thank you, Ennis, for your consistency.  And now Anonymous is on the board and doing well (feel free to add your real name if you desire).  We have a new person who has a couple verses down - welcome, Dean.  And Eric, Tara, and Janet, I know you have some verses down - you just have to keep up with reviewing them so that they stay in your head.  

    If God is our Father, then we are brothers and sisters.  Let us encourage each other to press on toward the goal - hiding God's word in our heart for his glory.

   Bless you all!   Donna

     Today, Pastor Brian emphasized that there is no sheep too lost to be found.  Our Good Shepherd is looking for the lost sheep to find him and save him.  Luke 15:7 says, "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine righteous persons who need more repentence."  God is looking to bring all of his sheep back to safety.

      If you want to add another verse to your personal list, Pastor Brian also shared Rmans 10:9 which tells how you can be saved.

      If you have any questions about how to use scripturetyper, you can email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Share this with others so that our whole church has the opportunity to join the group.  

In yesterday’s sermon, Paul gave a pretty clear set of verses for us to meditate on.  Yes, we should strive to be great.  But greatness is measured differently in the Kingdom.   Mark 10:43-44 says “… Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

You could add the verse that comes next to your personal verses if you want to complete the thought.   (Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.)

Paul also referred to John 15:12-15 and Luke 17:10. 

We now have 23 members with 5 actively working on the verses.  Let's increase those numbers.  If any of you have any questions about how to get started, feel free to email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.  Memorizing God's Word will only be a blessing in your life and if we do it as a church it can only be a good thing.  Please share this with any other church members that you know.  Give everyone the opportunity to join.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Brian made it easy for us this week as the main verse is only 13 words.  So this is a great time to get started memorizing.  Also, since it is the first of the month, you can start fresh on a new verse collection.  Just go to the October 2016 Sermon Verses collection on our group page.

We now have 25 people in the group.  I believe that God called you to Scripture memory when He 'encouraged' you to join the group.  Now you have to get active and make a daily commitment.  You can set site or app to send you reminders so that you reminders.  But it only reminds you to review the verses you have memorized.  You must do the work at first to get them memorized.  

Do you want more encouragement?  Joshua 1:8 says:  "This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success."  How is that for encouragement!

So please get active in learning and also please share about the group on any social media site so that everyone gets an invitation to the party - the Bible Memory party!  If you have any questions about how to use the site or the app, you can email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Blessings to you all!

Donna

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

This Sunday, Brian gave us several great verses.  I chose John 8:36 for the group to work on.  It is short and sweet - yet very meaningful.  "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."   Many of you haven't yet mastered a verse - this may be a great first one.  

Two other verses that stand out from the sermon are Romans 8:6 ("For to set the mind on the flesh is death but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.") and 2 Corinthians 5:17 ("Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has passed away, the new has come.").  Feel free to add these or any other verses to your personal list.  Please let me know if you need help in figuring out how to use scripturetyper.  I want this to be a great tool for growth for all of us.  

Blessings,

Donna

donnaeckert@comcast.net

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizers,

Paul gave a great sermon today, calling on us to commit to praying for our 'neighbors'.  He used several scriptures including verses in Malachi (Thus says the Lord, "I have love you.") and Luke 11 (Lord, teach us to pray...), and Luke 15 (the parable of the lost sheep).  Unfortunately for Bible Memory I found these to be a bit long.  So.... I decided to use a verse that he did not use in the sermon, but one that sums up his challenge for us to pray.  Let's memorize Colossians 4:2.  

If you have any questions about how to use the site or how to get going with the group verses, please let me know.  Also, please tell your friends and Journey Group so that we can get more people getting on board with Bible memory.

Blessings,

Donna

donnaeckert@comcast.net

We have 23 members now.  But most have not yet taken hold of this exciting challenge.  Let's learn some verses.  Once you master a verse, Scripturetyper will send you reminders to keep the verses current, but must do the initial work to learn them.  I prefer to do my memory work on laptop using the website, but others may prefer the phone app.  You can set it up to have to type the whole verse out with a certain speed (my preference because it is more 'forgiving' and gives you a chance to change words), or to type it out for accuracy or to type only the first letter of each word (probably the best for phone apps - you have to get 90% right before it counts the verse as mastered).  Either way you choose, I challenge you to choose a verse from our list and start memorizing.  Joshua 1:9 says 'This book of the Law must not depart from your mouth but you should meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it so that you may make your way prosperous and you may have good success."  Memorizing the word will help you meditate on it and will help you 'make your way prosperous'.  Sounds like a great deal to me!  Join in the fun!!!!

Blessings,

Donna

Feel free to email me if you have any question about how to get going.  donnaeckert@comcast.net

Hello West Ridge Bible Memory Group,

Welcome to the new people in the group.  We now have 22 people!  Keep spreading the word so more people will learn the WORD with us.  Even more importantly we need to get more of us on the board in terms of mastering some verses.  Let me know if you have questions about how to go about it.

For this week, Brian gave quite a few suitable verses.  Since he did say that he would like Journey Groups to discuss Matthew 25 (the sheep and the goats), I decided to make Matthew 25:40 our verse for the week. You'll find it in our group verses.

If you would like to learn even more, then you can import your own verses. Just click on My Verses and under Uncategorized Verses you can add or import any verse.  The others he talked about this week were Luke 10:25:27 (the beginning of the Good Samaritan), Matthew 5:13-16 (the salt and light verses), Mark 8:36 (For what does it profit a man...), and Galatians 6:9 (Do not become weary in doing good....).  You can add any verse to your own collection, but the group only gets credit as you master our group verses.  

Blessings to you all!

Donna

PS. For you competitive types, Scripturetyper tracks the number of verses current for groups - those are the numbers to the right of all the group names.  We are at 27 now.  Let's move up the ranks this week.

Hello West Ridge Bible Memorizors,

I just uploaded 2 verses from this week's sermon.  The verse from Daniel is a bit long, but it is the words of Darius - showing how courage can change nations and draw them to God.  This seems quite appropriate for our time in history.  But since it is a bit long, I also included the last verse that Brian talked about, the one he says he's been meditating on.  So... you can choose the longer verse from Daniel or the shorter one from 1 Corinthians or both....

Please let me know if you have any questions about how to find the group or the verses or about how to use scripturetyper. 

Also, please feel free to share this group with other West Ridgers.  I would love to see hundreds of us memorizing the same verse every week.  (And reviewing the old ones too).  

Blessings,

Donna

donnaeckert@comcast.net

Hi Friends,  

I just added Acts 1:8 to our verses for August.  This is the verse Paul started the sermon with, and it is the last words of Jesus before his ascension.  The main point of his sermon covered Ephesians 1:18-21.  That section includes the idea that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in us.  But, it is a bit long and I didn't want to scare anyone off with longer section that is more difficult to memorize.  You can always add if to your own personal verses if you would like.  

Enjoy memorizing - we want the Word of God to be alive and active in us!

Let me know if you have any questions.  Encourage other people to join us.  

Donna

donnaeckert@comcast.net

Hey WR friends, I see that we have several people who have joined the memory group.  But most of you haven't started using the program yet.  I use it mostly from a laptop so my instructions are for the website.  But the app works in much the same way.  Log onto your site and at the top you will see My Verses  Review  Verse Library  and Groups.  Our group doesn't show up on the list yet because we only have a couple of verses - but we will get there!  Go to My Verses and on the left you will see our group.  If you click on West Ridge Bible Memory you will then see a list of our members.  Several of you are anonymous - it would be great is you clicked on your profile and gave us a name (and a picture!!!).  This is where we can keep track of how we are all doing.  (No judgment - just encouragement!)

In the middle of the page you will see August 2016 Sermon Verses.  Here is the list of verses that we are working on.  You can click them and start practicing them.  The first step is 1. Type it.   Here you simply type on top of the words.  (Or if you choose the first letter option you just type the first letter of each word.)  Then it lets you go to step 2. Memorize it.  Here they leave out every other word.  If you get stuck you can type control 6 and it will give you a hint. (On the every other word version, it gives you the correct word if you make a mistake.)  Then you will do it with the opposite words skipped.  When you have succeeded in that you will go to Step 3. Memorize it - and you will have to do it from memory.  You have to go at a certain speed to get credit for mastery (or in the first letter version you have to get a certain percent of words correct).  

This really does make sense after you try it for a bit.

If you want to work on verses of your own choosing, just go to My Verses (top band) and you will get to the place where you can choose your own verses.  These verses will not show up our group profile so it is a purely individual thing.

Please let me know if I can talk you through any of this.  I promise that it isn't too difficult after the first few tries!  And you will be blessed as you learn more of God's Word.  

Feel free to invite others to join our group.  You can do that in our group section too.  Any questions - ask here or email me at donnaeckert@comcast.net.

Blessings,

Donna

This week, Pastor Brian opened with Matthew 11:28-30.  Since this is a pretty familiar verse that many people have heard quoted together, I actually included all 3 verses.  We can do this!!!