Needless to say, I don’t relate much to Jesus’ parable of the sower and the various kinds of soil that his seeds fall on (Luke 8:4). There is the hardened soil where nothing grows, the rocky soil where things grow for a while but cannot survive, the soil full of weeds that crowd out the seedlings, and finally the fertile soil that lets things blossom and bear fruit.

What I do get is that your heart has to be open in order to hear God’s word. I understand that you have to make God’s word a priority in your life that at times needs to be protected and defended. Growing things, from plants to children to relationships to faith, require constant and diligent work. And don’t even think about blaming the seed if things don’t take root and prosper. The seed is just fine, the sower made sure of that. You just worry about the soil you are giving him to work with!

The not so comfortable truth in all of this is the hard and unfaltering work it all requires. And while I am o.k. with my backyard looking like no human hand has ever touched it, I don’t want my soul to look like God has never been there.

Spiritually speaking, I am finally getting off my deck chair and getting my hands dirty: I am taking a lesson on inductive Bible study at my church, and you can now find me underlining my Bible text in every color of the rainbow. Before I read my Bible, now I am studying it. I am taking it apart much like a textbook in college. Who, what, when, why, how, to whom, where, what result, what message – and most importantly: what does it all mean to me? The experts call this process observation – interpretation – application. I am still on Chapter 1, nowhere near expert level, but I am already hooked. Think of it as window cleaning: before I saw outlines, now I am beginning to see details. And what an awesome view it is!

I have said it a thousand times before: know your Bible and study it by heart… little did I know that I was preaching only half the truth! Don’t just learn scripture by heart at the push of a button (or the daily reminder of your Bible Memory app); study the Bible inside and out. Invest some sweat and brain-power to unlock the text, and you will find brand new and initially overlooked or misunderstood verses to commit to memory.

It is a beautiful spring day in Virginia and I am heading out to my deck, Bible in one hand, colored pencils in the other… and who knows, I may go and clean up the yard a little later… much, much later.

Just picture Gary Cooper in High Noon, staring his opponent in the eye, calmly planning his next move. Then, in the heat of the moment, he has the perfect response.

I have had perfect responses heaps of times – only never in the heat of the moment. My brainwaves usually hit about half an hour too late. Oh the witty, biting replies I could have made, if only I had thought of them in time! Afterwards… afterwards I am incredible. My mental powers are on full alert, my pointed sense of humor is at its best… but my opponent is long gone and my insightful comeback falls flat on its face.

Don’t let that happen to you when you talk BIBLE! In an everyday discussion, a missed point only means a lost argument. In the discussion of faith, a missed point could mean a lost soul.

There is no greater reward than speaking of your faith and getting it “just right”: “just right” for the other person to feel your love and commitment, “just right” to give them a glimpse of the answer they were looking for, “just right” to whet their appetite and make them search for more.

I write a blog that I fill with stories about my family and our walk with Christ. I also write for Mobilize Faith trying to get my fellow Christians to take notice of our Bible Memory app. Every once in a while, quite often actually, I find myself writing for both at the same time… faith and Bible knowledge clearly go hand-in-hand.

Sharpen your wits, dust off your ammunition and be Gary Cooper the next time a friend is looking for guidance or a foe is trying to pick a fight. May the Word be with you!

Bible memorization is an essential practice in Christian life, but there is no simple, organized and effective way to ensure that intention translates into practice, especially given today’s busy lifestyle. Many have resorted to index cards or paper, which are outdated and inefficient, and identifying a catalog of verses to memorize can be cumbersome and difficult.

Bible Memory is the first app for the iPhone and iPod touch that solves many of the barriers associated with creating a daily, weekly or monthly practice of memorizing scripture. Bible Memory puts 250 categorized verses in four translations at users’ fingertips wherever and whenever they have a free moment for quiet study and reflection – while commuting, during a break, or while waiting for an appointment.

“The idea for Bible Memory came to us while listening to our pastor, who was speaking of the virtues and importance of memorizing scripture and challenged the congregation to memorize one verse a week for the rest of the year. When we got home, my husband and I began thinking about how we would memorize our verses. We were still on fire after that morning’s call to action and out came the index cards and pens and we began to wonder whether there was a better and less archaic way to memorize scripture,” said Petra Barrientos, Managing Partner of Mobilize Faith. “It was at this point that we thought of creating Bible Memory and are especially delighted to introduce the app at the beginning of the New Year for anyone who is looking for an exciting and personally rewarding way to strengthen resolve and spirit in 2010.”

Bible Memory Features

The Bible Memory app has been designed from the ground up to creatively utilize the interactive features of the iPhone and iPod touch to help users have fun and stay engaged while memorizing Bible scripture.

Bible Memory guides users through regular practice to build verse memorization.

- Each Bible verse is presented in three learning modes: read the Bible verse; review the verse a phrase at a time as users practice their ability to recall words of scripture; and complete three rounds of timed, fill-in-the-blank quizzes that become more difficult.

- Users can work through the verses in Bible order, or focus study on particular categories or books.

Bible Memory not only helps users memorize verses, it also creates a support system for scripture study and extends the benefits through social networking and sharing.

- The app allows users to identify up to three Bible study partners who are notified of progress and who can help keep users accountable.

- Users can set an alert to remind them that it is time to study.

- Automatic quizzes test retention of previously memorized verses.

- Metrics provide visual feedback on overall progress, by category, and by retention quiz results.

- Users can also share any verse with integrated email.

Bible Memory was designed and developed with the help of Hawk Ridge Consulting, LLC, a developer of unique and entertaining applications for the iPhone and iPod touch.

About Mobilize Faith

Mobilize Faith is a technology startup based in Great Falls, VA that harnesses mobile technology to provide tools for anyone seeking to follow a God-led Christian lifestyle. The company’s first product, Bible Memory, is the only app that helps you both memorize and share scripture with the iPhone and iPod touch. Mobilize Faith is committed to bringing products to the faith-based marketplace that are imaginative, effective, fairly priced and of the highest quality possible.