This is the Truth Network. When is the last time you memorized a portion of scripture? When is the last time you got up in front of a crowd of people and quoted? a portion of scripture for for decades. Oh my.
Maybe over 60 years my mom has been studying memorizing. Quoting sharing scripture In fact, if you go anywhere near the hemisphere, Of her swimming pool where she quotes and floats, you are gonna be handed a card and you are gonna be quoting scripture with her. I have been the victim of this, and so many of my friends have, and so many young people who are now older say it's changed their life. Nancy Everson encouraging them to get in the word mom. What is it about this?
And tell us now, how long have you been A Christian, how long have you been studying God's word and memorizing God's Word? Just give us an idea of that. And you don't have to be exact, or you don't have to tell us ages or anything like that.
Well, I became a Christian at 14. My whole life was turned around. I was so excited, so excited to know the Lord. And I started memorizing scripture. I just had this.
passion to write down verses and memorize them. And so that would be. Let's see, 70 years ago.
So I have been doing this a long time and the Bible says let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. in Colossians 3.16 and That's what I've been doing and it is It has just been the greatest joy and blessing.
Well, and you've shared this with so many, including students teaching, I guess, 50 some years or about that at Piedmont Bible College, now Carolina University. teaching uh speak public speaking, teaching pastors how to Articulate, how to project, how to speak, how to enunciate, and using your greatest, the greatest textbook, besides the textbooks that you've authored and that you've used, is the Bible to help them get to do that right. And today, We are going to see this on display as you have agreed to quote something that is new for you. You've memorized all kinds of passages and books of the Bible, mom, but. There's something rich.
That you just can't get enough of with all the Bible, but particularly. The treasure trove of Ephesians chapter one. Would you quote that for our listeners, mom, today on this special? A broadcast podcast, and we're going to make a series of these podcasts called Quoting and Floating with Nancy Epperson. But, Mom, would you quote Ephesians chapter 1 for us?
Yeah, I'd be glad to. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ? according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. according to the good pleasure of his will. to the praise of the glory of his grace. wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth. even in him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ.
in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. in whom also after that ye believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, And love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in thy prayers. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, May give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling.
and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe According to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ. when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. and hath put all things under his feet. And gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
And you hath he made alive. who were dead in trespasses and sins when in time past you walked according to the course of this world. According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. among whom we all had our lifestyle in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath. even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us. even when we were dead in sins, hath made us alive in Christ. By grace ye are saved. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding greatness of his Goodness.
in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith. and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God. not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
which God hath before ordained. that we should walk in them. Wow. That was Ephesians chapter 1 and chapter 2, 1 through 10.
Okay, that's what I thought because I started hearing.
Some familiar verses that we often use in sharing the gospel there in chapter two, and that wonderful passage on grace. Mom, so encouraging. Thank you for sharing and. For those out there listening. I think a lot of times in evangelism we say, well, I'm no D.L.
Moody, I'm no Billy Sunday. I just can't do evangelism like that. But, you know, and I've had a lot of your former students and I've had a lot of other believers say, oh, your mom, she has scripture memorized. I'm just no Nancy Epperson. But, mom, will you talk about how.
Everyone listening. can hide God's word in their heart. Can you talk simply just about how How easy it is, and I don't want to oversimplify it, but how practically can People listening young and old. Study and then memorize the word and quote it because you never know when you're going to be called upon to share a word. Right.
And let me just say: there is no magic formula for memorizing scripture, but I will say, if I had to condense. I'm technique into one word. It would be repetition. If you go over anything enough times, you will learn it. And believe me, I can testify to that.
Because I actually don't have a good memory, but I work on it and I go over and over passages.
Now the key. In your repetition is this. to meditate on scripture.
Okay. And that is our ultimate goal. We want to meditate on it. And so remember, the entire process. is an act of worship.
And if you approach it that way, it makes it such a joy and such a blessing.
So your goal isn't just to memorize the verse. The goal is to meditate on it.
So the entire process from the first time you read the verse To the hundredth time you've reviewed it and gone over it, to the thousandths time you've reviewed it because you've meditated on it, you have thought on it. and then one day you have it memorized. But the ultimate goal is the meditation, not the memory. The memory is a vehicle. The memory is a means to the end.
But the ultimate end is to meditate. And that's what's such a blessing.
Now, Psalm 1. Which says, Blessed, happy is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. I was standing in the But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Now, that doesn't mean you're going to drive a big car, have a big house, have a lot of money in the bank. But what it does mean is God's hand of blessing will be on your life. as you meditate on his word and the same thing as basically repeated in Joshua 1.8, this book of the law shall not Depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night. That you may observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you'll have good success. And again, God's hand of blessing will be on you as you meditate on his word.
And the wonderful thing is, as you meditate, you memorize. And so That's my my key. Two words, repetition. meditation. And remember always, the entire process is an act of worship.
And that's the condensed version, Stuart. Wonderful. I encourage everyone to start. Give us a starting point, mom, in the final 30 seconds here. What's a good starting point, baby steps, to Get into more.
Well, just start with a verse and go over it every day, five minutes. Literally, five minutes. Set your phone to five minutes. every day five minutes meditating on it thinking on it I can almost guarantee at the end of the week you will know it. You'll have it revised.
I love it. And then the next week, do the same, but then go back and review the first week. Just remember, if you learn a verse a week, that's 52 in a year. That would be amazing. True to Why
