Erwin W. Lutzer - Life-Changing Bible Verses You Should Know

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

Cover photo by Kristy-Anne Glubish / Design Pics Inc. / Alamy

Back cover photo of authors by Jim and Mary Whitmer, Wheaton, Illinois

LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE VERSES YOU SHOULD KNOW

Copyright 2011 by Erwin and Rebecca Lutzer
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lutzer, Erwin W.

Life-changing Bible verses you should know / Erwin and Rebecca Lutzer.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7369-3952-2 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-4123-5 (eBook)

1. BibleMemorizing. 2. BibleQuotations. I. Lutzer, Rebecca. II. Title.

BS617.7.L88 2011

242'.5dc22

2011012493

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

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This book is dedicated to our
delightful grandchildren

Jack, Samuel, Emma, Anna, Abigail, Owen, Evelyn

with our earnest prayer that from childhood they will
know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make
them wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:15

T he purpose of this book is to bring about real change in your lifethe kind that happens when you take the time to both memorize Scripture passages and grow in your understanding of the basic doctrines and teachings of the Bible. When we as Christians want to nurture a stronger faith and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), it is necessary for us to store up Gods Word within our souls and minds. This discipline lies at the heart of Christian maturity.

Whether you have been a Christian for many years or you have just recently come to know about the Christian faith, this book is for you. In fact, we pray that it will be of great benefit to anyone who is serious about having their lives changed by unleashing the power of Gods Word. Tragically, the practice of memorizing Scripture is rarely emphasized today in families and churches. For when we make an effort to hide Gods Word in our hearts, it will

help keep us from sin

encourage us to be faithful

sustain us in times of great need

comfort us in times of sorrow and pain

direct us in times of uncertainty, and

strengthen us in times of weakness

We have often wished there was a resource that offers a comprehensive selection of Scripture verses that focus on the critical aspects of our faith and doctrineone that we can use as an aid to memorizing key Bible verses. Although we should study all the Scriptures, there are certain verses that are especially worthy of our attention because they speak directly to the most important issues of life, giving encouragement and strength in time of need. The verses in this book were selected by answering two simple questions:

What topics would be most appropriate for critical aspects of Christian living?

What are the summary verses that encapsulate the heart of these scriptural teachings?

The structure of this book is easy to follow. The verses are listed at the beginning of each chapter and are followed by a commentary explaining the meaning and significance of these passages. At the end of each chapter youll find questions that are useful for either individual discipleship or group study. Our hope is that you will both memorize these life-changing passages and come to understand their important place in our lives.

There are nearly 40 chapters that introduce us to a bit over 100 life-changing Bible verses. If you choose to study one chapter a week and use this book over a period of 40 weeks (or you go at whatever pace works best for you), youll develop a strong grasp on the truths that reside at the heart of the Christian faith. And if you take the time to memorize these passages, you will see realand lastingchange in your life. That is what the Bible itself repeatedly promises.

Together let us prove this promise of Scripture: The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Joshua was promised that he would be successful if he meditated on the law of God day and night (Joshua 1:8). This is another promise we can claim for ourselves.

An American couple bought a jewelry box in France that they were told would glow in the dark. When they brought it home, they discovered, to their chagrin, it did not glow during the night. Essentially it was no different than the other boxes on their dresser. When they gave it to a friend who knew French, he read the instructions, which said, Put me in the sunshine during the day and I will glow in the dark. Sure enough, when the box was exposed to sunshine during the day, it emitted radiance during the night.

Memorizing Scripture and retaining it within us is like that jewelry box retaining sunshine during the day in preparation for the coming night. When we go through trials, we often wonder how we can make it through another day or another week. Or when a temptation wreaks havoc with our lives, we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed or discouraged. Only Gods Wordstored up in our hearts and mindscan rebuke us, cleanse us, keep us from sin, and enable us to cope with lifes challenges.

We are dedicating this book to our grandchildren, even though at the time of this writing they are yet too young to understand the commentary for themselves. Even so, some of them are already memorizing Scripture, and we are praying that as they grow older, they will maintain a lifetime of Scripture memorization and grow to love the truths at the heart of the Christian faith.

Join us on a journey of getting to know these Bible verses that have the power to change your life!

KEY BIBLE
VERSES YOU
SHOULD KNOW

Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

1 Peter 1:6-7In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faithof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by firemay result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed