Andy Davis on Scripture Memory for Bible Teachers

I’ve known a lot of great Bible teachers in my life. I’m not sure I’ve known a lot of great Bible memorizers. But it makes sense that having Scripture memorized—deeply engrained in our heads and hearts—would only make us better teachers.

In this conversation with Andy Davis, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Durham, North, Carolina, I spoke with someone who has memorized 43 books of the Bible. He started with Ephesians, memorizing it while waiting for a bus in Kenya. When I talked to him, he was working on Joel. In our conversation, Davis not only makes a good case for memorizing the Scriptures, he also challenges common excuses for not memorizing, tells us where to start, and shares how to do it. His booklet An Approach to Extended Memorization Scripture is available as an eBook on Amazon.

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Related: U-Turn in North Carolina: A Story of Church Reform by S. Craig Sanders

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Nancy Guthrie (MATS, Reformed Theological Seminary) teaches the Bible at her home church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as at conferences around the country and internationally, including through her Biblical Theology Workshop for Women. She is the author of numerous books and the host of the Help Me Teach the Bible podcast from The Gospel Coalition. She and her husband founded Respite Retreats for couples who have faced the death of a child, and they’re cohosts of the GriefShare video series.

Andrew M. Davis (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina; founder and teacher of Two Journeys Ministry; and the chairman of the Board of The Gospel Coalition. He is visiting professor of church history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Davis’s books include How to Memorize Scripture for Life, Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again, An Infinite Journey: Growing Toward Christlikeness, Exalting Jesus in Isaiah, The Glory Now Revealed, and The Power of Christian Contentment. He and his wife, Christi, have five children and four grandchildren.