Page 73 - First Steps 2023

• Third, commit key passages to memory
When Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:2-11), he stood
strong in part by quoting Scripture he’d committed to memory.
That the Word of God is a powerful weapon against temptation
and evil is an excellent reason to do what Jesus did: Tuck passages into
memory so you have them when you need them.

But since you can’t memorize the entire book, how do you decide
what passages to memorize?
Do this: Use the Life Issues/Life Verses Guide to identify which issue
is currently most troublesome for you and then memorize several “life
verses”—passages that speak directly to that issue.
God will use that Scripture to renew your mind and help you fend off
temptation.
And don’t be ashamed about having issues that cause you to stum-
ble. All disciples deal with this tension—but they don’t all let the Bible help
them stay faithful.

Three Circle Reading Plan

If you’ve never read the Bible, here’s some advice: Don’t begin with
the book of Genesis and then plow through from the front to the back
cover. The first few books are action-packed, but midway through the book
of Leviticus your enthusiasm for Bible reading will evaporate.
It’s far better for new readers to spend time in sections of the Bible
that are more applicable to living the Christian life. To do that, consider
the “Three Circle Plan” for reading.
There are five general categories of books in the Bible: History, Wis-
dom/Worship, Prophets, Gospels and the Early Church, and Letters and
Application. They’re all good, but they’re not all equally relevant for people
just diving into discipleship.
So read through the categories listed in the chart on the next page.
Read a chapter a day from the section of the Bible that falls in each
circle. Doing so will give you a balanced diet of wisdom and worship litera-
ture, fill you in on what Jesus said and did as well as how the early church

grew, and provide practical advice for following him.

72