In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God tells His people regarding the importance of personally knowing His Word:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”

This admonition from God applies to us today as well. So how can we do this? You are invited to join us as we begin a new ministry here at Chapel to “M*A*P*P God’s Word.”

WHAT DOES M*A*P*P STAND FOR?

    M = Memorize God’s Word.
    A = Apply the passage to your life.
    P = Pray the passage.
    P = Ponder what it means.

HOW DOES M*A*P*P WORK?

On Sunday, you will be e-mailed three Bible passages to M*A*P*P during the following week. They will also be in the bulletin. The first passage is for Monday and Tuesday, the second passage for Wednesday and Thursday, and the third is for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. One passage will be a promise of God for the challenges of daily living, the second a word of gospel, and the third a passage of praise. There will be a mixture of Old and New Testament passages.

A key to this is to make it your own. In other words, if you find doing all three passages a week too daunting, just choose one passage per week to get into the habit, then try two, and then all three. If a particular passage really speaks to you regarding your life during a particular week, you might want to do only that one. If memorizing is simply too difficult, then at least apply, pray and ponder the passages during the week.

WILL I REMEMBER ALL THE PASSAGES AS TIME GOES ON?

Probably not. But you will be building up the “good, fertile soil” that Jesus talks about in the “Parable of the Sower” and planting them in your mind and soul. You might find that when a particular situation comes up in your life, all of a sudden a particular verse will pop out.

WHAT ARE SOME BENEFITS I WILL EXPERIENCE BY DOING THE M*A*P*P PROGRAM?

You will begin to focus on God more throughout the day as you go about your daily life. The verses won’t magically make any challenges you are facing disappear, but they will change your thinking and attitude about what is going on in your life. You will realize God is there for you no matter what you are experiencing. Ultimately, your relationship with God will deepen and strengthen.

SIGN ME UP!

If you would like to be a part of this new ministry, click here to subscribe. Alternately, you may: 1) e-mail Dave Funke at dave.funke@chapelofthecross.org and request to be signed up; 2) sign up at the Welcome Center inside the church; 3) talk to Dave personally. If you have family or friends outside of the congregation who would like to be a part of this, give Dave their names and e-mail addresses as well. You will receive the verses only if you contact us that you would like to do so.

You are encouraged to consider joining us as we “M*A*P*P God’s Word” together.

HINTS TO HELP YOU AS YOU “M*A*P*P GOD’S WORD”

Here are some suggestions that may help you to Memorize, Apply, Pray and Ponder the scripture passages. Use what works for you.

1. There will be three basic types of passages:
    a. First is “God’s precious promises for problems or pain.” For the believer, whenever the Bible talks about the problems and challenges of life, it is always connected with a promise from God.
    b. Second will be a passage of praise or thanksgiving for who God is.
    c. The third passage will be a word of Gospel regarding what God has done for our salvation.

2. Go to a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted by others, the TV, phone, etc.

3. Make the verse a part of your prayer life. Ask God to help you understand what the verse means and to live it out in your life.

4. Work on memorizing it throughout the day, or two days. It’s okay if you can’t get it down in five minutes. Take your time and be patient.

5. Write the verses on index cards and put them on the refrigerator, carry them with you, put them by your bed, etc. Refer to them to help you memorize.

6. Memorize the reference, verse, and reference together. Then keep repeating it this way (reference, verse, reference). This will help you connect the reference with the verse.

7. Repeat it out loud.

8. If a passage is longer, do one phrase, sentence, or verse at a time, then put it all together. Concentrate on the connecting words between phrases or sentences.

9. Play a memory game. Write the verse down, read the verse a few times, then randomly begin to erase words as you continue to repeat the verse.

10. Repeat the verse throughout the day as you walk, take a break at work, drive, etc.

11. After you start memorizing the second and third verses, go back and review the previous one or two.

12. Do it with someone else or as a family.

13. The verses are from the NIV Bible. If you prefer a different version, use it instead.

14. If doing all three verses is too much to do to start with, choose the verse that is most meaningful for you and work on memorizing that one throughout the week. Then eventually work up to being able to do all three for the week. If you memorize only one, still apply, pray and ponder the other two during the week.

15. Throughout the day, ponder about how the verse is meaningful to you in your life.

16. The verses won’t magically make any challenges or problems you are facing disappear, but they will change your thinking and attitude about what is going on in your life.

17. This is a very personal ministry, so make it your own. Everyone will do it a bit differently.

18. If you have suggestions that are useful to you, pass them on to Dave Funke (dave.funke@chapelofthecross.org or 314-741-3737, x107) and he will share them with the others as they “M*A*P*P God’s Word.”