"Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalm. 119:11).

One of the most important lessons a teacher can teach children is a memory verse from Scripture.  However, you must realise note that verses need to be repeated at least 15 times for a child to memorise it.  For it to remain in the long term memory, it also needs to be reviewed each Sunday for several weeks.

Overhead Projector Competition

Write a verse on an overhead slide and to see which person or team can memorise a verse in the shortest time.  Switch the projector on for 5, 10, 15 or 20 seconds until someone can say the verse from memory.

Puppet Capers

Use a puppet to teach the memory verse to the children.  Of course the puppet will get it all wrong each time and the children will have to put him right.  Kids really love this one!

Monk Writing Puzzle

The verse is written out on a board but with no spaces between the words.  The children individually or in teams try to decipher the verse.  For example:

"withmywholeheartihavesoughtyou" - Psalm 119:10

Write the memory verse completely backwards on a white board or cardboard.  Let the children try to figure out what it says.  For example:

"25:2 ekul nam dna dog htiw ruovaf ni dna modsiw in werg susej dna"

Which is from Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

Puzzle Race

One way to revise a memory verse is to cut out a large circle, triangle, square and other shapes for each team from different A4 coloured card.  Write a word from the verse onto each shape and then cut each shape into four or five irregular pieces.  Distribute a set of pieces to each team and let them race to assemble the puzzles and then lay out the memory verse words in the correct order.

Scrambled People

Children are called out to form a line and each person is given a card with one word from the memory verse, but in mixed-up order.  A member from each team then competes for the best time to move the people back into the correct verse order.
 
God bless.