Scripture Memory Verse List

Do you ever wonder which Bible verses to assign to your children for memory work?  Not that any of them would ever be the wrong ones - after all, the whole Bible is the inspired Word of God!  But you know, Judges 21 - the story of finding wives for the almost-decimated Benjamites - might just not be what your kindergartner needs to memorize this month.

My kids have had a number of lists of verses over the years from Awana, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, camp, and their homeschool curriculum.  I decided for this year that I'd like to have one compiled list on which I would challenge them all to work.  I am including my list below, in case anyone else is looking for something similar.

I broke my list of verses down into three levels.  The first one is mainly single verses for my youngest to memorize.  Each level is roughly in Biblical order, except that the first one starts with John 3:16, since that is the first verse each of my kids memorized.  The second level has passages with several verses each for my older kids to memorize, and the third one has some multiple-verse or whole-chapter challenges.  I have realized that some of the passages on my second level are as long as those on my third level; that is probably because at least one of the kids memorized it earlier on and I already had it written down.  I may need to re-sort for the younger kids.  Some of the passages in Levels 2 and 3 include verses that were previously memorized, but are now being memorized as part of a larger passage.  The kids may learn these in any order they wish.  We keep verse journals in which they can write down the passages they are currently memorizing.  Each passage on this list has a clue in the parentheses beside it - possibly the topic of the verses (i.e. Fruits of the Spirit), the first few words, or a phrase from a song which helped them to memorize the verse.

The third level list is fairly short and will probably start growing as the kids complete the items on the other levels.

We also have a "One-Minute Club," in which I challenge the kids to do flashcards or some other activity in various subjects in under 60 seconds for a prize.  I often include the Bible verses in the One-Minute Club challenges.  The shorter ones are, of course, easy to recite in under one minute, but the incentive keeps the younger kids working.  The most common prize for a short verse is 10 extra minutes on the Wii.  They each start with 30 minutes on the Wii each Saturday, so if my 2nd-grader memorizes 3 verses in a week and recites them each in under 60 seconds, he can double his Wii time and get to play for an hour on Saturday.  If he's memorizing 3 verses a week, that's fine with me!  The older kids can already say some of the longer passages and the books of either the Old Testament or New Testament in under 60 seconds.  I am impressed by anyone who can say all of the books of the Old Testament correctly in under 60 seconds!!

So here it is, no frills, just the list of verses we are working to memorize this year:

Scripture Memory List

Level 1

John 3:16 (love)

Genesis 1:1  (beginning)

Deuteronomy 6:5 (greatest commandment)

Deuteronomy 31:6 (Be strong & courageous)

Joshua 1:8 (meditate on Book of Law)

Joshua 24:15  (As for me and my house)

Esther 4:14 (For such a time as this)

Psalm 19:1 (Heavens declare the glory of God)

Psalm 37:4 (Delight yourself in the Lord)

Psalm 46:10 (Be still and know that I am God)

Psalm 63:3 (your love is better than life)

Psalm 96:1 (sing to the Lord a new song)

Psalm 113:3  (From the rising of the sun)

Psalm 118:8 (almost Center Verse of Bible)

Psalm 118:24 (This is the day)

Psalm 119:105 (Thy Word)

Psalm 139:14 (fearfully and wonderfully made)

Proverbs 18:10 (name of the Lord a strong tower)

Proverbs 30:5 (every word of God is true)

Isaiah 9:6 (prophecy of Messiah)

Isaiah 26:3 (perfect peace)

Isaiah 40:31  (Wait upon the Lord)

Isaiah 43:5 (do not be afraid)

Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the plans I have for you)

Daniel 1:17 (our school name)

Zephaniah 3:17 (mighty to save)

Malachi 3:10  (Tithing)

Matthew 5:44-45a (Love Your Enemies)

Matthew 6:24 (God and money)

Matthew 7:12 (The Golden Rule)

Matthew 16:26 (what good will it be to gain world but lose soul)

Matthew 17:20 (faith as small as a mustard seed)

Matthew 21:9 (Palm Sunday)

Matthew 21:21-22 (receive what you ask for in prayer)

Mark 16:16 (believing and baptism)

Luke 10:27  (greatest commandment)

Luke 19:10  (seek and save what was lost)

John 11:35 (shortest verse)

John 14:6  (way, truth & life)

Acts 2:38 (repenting and baptism)

Romans 1:20 (evidence of God in what has been made)

Romans 1:25 (worshipping created things rather than Creator)

Romans 3:23 (all have sinned)

Romans 8:28  (all things work together for the good. . .)

Romans 10:9 (confession)

Romans 10:17 (faith comes by hearing)

Romans 16:19  (wise about good, innocent about evil)

II Corinthians 9:7 (cheerful giver)

Ephesians 6:1 (obey parents)

Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ)

Colossians 3:17 (whatever you do)

I Timothy 4:12 (don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young)

Hebrews 11:1 (faith comes by hearing)

Hebrews 11:6 (faith)

I Peter 1:3 (living hope)

Revelation 2:10b (crown of life)

Revelation 3:20  (I stand at the door and knock)

9 Fruits of the Spirit - list them in any order

10 Commandments - list them in the correct order

Armor of God - list the parts in any order

Level 2

Books of NT - 27

Books of OT – 39

Genesis 12:1-3 (God’s Promises to Abraham)

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (verses in mezuzah)

Ruth 1:16-17  (your God will be my God)

I Chronicles 4:9-10 (prayer of Jabez)

Psalm 1 (Blessed is the man)

Psalm 23  (The Lord is my Shepherd)

Psalm 136: 1-3 (thanksgiving)

Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord with all of your heart)

Matthew 5:13-16 (Salt & Light)

Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord’s Prayer)

Matthew 6:19-21 (treasures in heaven)

Matthew 6:33 (seek ye first)

Matthew 10:32-33 (confession)

Matthew 16:15-16 (Peter’s confession)

Matthew 22:37-40 (Greatest Commandment)

Matthew 28:18-20 (Great Commission)

Luke 24:1-8 (Resurrection)

John 8:31-32  (truth will set you free)

John 15:12-13  (greater love has no one than this)

Acts 8:36-40 (Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch)

Romans 8:14-17 (adoption by God)

Romans 8:38-39 (nothing can separate us)

Romans 12:1-2  (being transformed)

I Corinthians 10:11-13 (no temptation beyond what you can bear)

I Corinthians 11:23-26 (The Lord’s Supper)

I Corinthians 15:1-8 (The Resurrection)

II Corinthians 4:7-12 (treasures in jars of clay)

Galatians 5:22-23 (Fruits of the Spirit)

Ephesians 6:1-3 (obey your parents)

Ephesians 6:10-18 (armor of God)

Philippians 1:3-6 (I thank God for you)

Philippians 2:12-18 (do everything without grumbling)

II Timothy 3:16-17 (all Scripture is God-breathed)

Hebrews 4:12-13 (Word of God alive and active)

Hebrews 4:14-16 (Jesus is the Great High Priest)

James 1:22-25 (looking in a mirror)

James 2:14-19 (faith without works)

I Peter 3:21-22 (baptism)

II Peter 1:5-8 (qualities of a Christian life)

I John 4:7-8  (love)

Jude 1:24-25 (Jude Doxology)

Revelation 3:14-16 (Church in Laodicea lukewarm)

Revelation 21:1-8 (New Heaven and New Earth)

Level 3

Exodus 20:1-17 (The Ten Commandments)

Psalm 100  (praise & thanksgiving)

Isaiah 9:1-7 (prophecy of Messiah)

Daniel 1:8-21 (more about our school name)

Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)

Luke 2:1-20 (The Christmas Story)

John 1  (The Word became flesh)

Romans 6:1-6 (baptism)

I Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter)

Colossians 3:1-17 (living for Christ)

Hebrews 11 (The Hall of Fame of Faith)

Happy Memorizing!  :-)