Old Things Have Passed Away
Month 7: Who Am I? · Memory Verse
Today's Scripture
Read together: 2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
Memory Verse
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!”— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Ezra 1-4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (God moves a pagan king's heart to send His people home to rebuild the temple — He keeps every promise.)The Heart of It
Today we slow down and chew on one verse until it's living in our hearts. Notice the three pieces. First, "if anyone is in Christ." This gift isn't for the talented or the well-behaved. It's for anyone who trusts Jesus and is joined to Him. Second, "the old has passed away." The verb is finished, done, in the past. Think of the guilt, the shame, the old way of living for ourselves. When Jesus saves us, that record is closed. Third, "behold, the new has come!" The word behold is like God saying, "Look! Open your eyes! Don't miss this!" He wants us to actually see and believe what He has done.
Here's why memorizing this verse matters. Feelings forget. Some mornings you'll wake up not feeling new. You'll feel grumpy, or you'll remember something you did wrong. That's exactly when you need a verse you've hidden in your heart, so you can preach it back to yourself. "It doesn't matter how I feel right now. God says I am a new creation, and His Word is truer than my mood." We don't memorize Scripture to show off. We memorize it so that when life gets hard, God's truth is already inside us, ready to remind us who we are.
Around the Table
Let's learn our verse with our hands! For "the old has passed away," wave bye-bye. For "the new has come," open your hands like a present!
Let's do it: Say the verse three times, faster each time, doing the hand motions. Whoever giggles first wins a hug.
Try saying the verse, and then explain each part in your own words. What does "in Christ" mean? What "passed away"? What's "new"?
Let's talk: On a day you feel like your "old self," how could remembering this verse help you?
Memorizing isn't just storage. It's spiritual ammunition. When the enemy whispers your old labels, you answer back with God's verdict, not your feelings.
Let's go deeper: Write the verse out. Then write one old label you're tempted to believe, and how overrules it.
💬 Conversation Starter
What's a word or song you've memorized so well you'll never forget it? Let's get God's promise about you stuck in our hearts just like that.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes a friend says, "The Bible is just old words. How could it matter to me?" We can show that these old words still change real lives today. They tell us our deepest identity, and they never run out of power. Knowing Scripture by heart lets us answer kindly and quickly when questions come. That fulfills 's call to "always be ready to give a defense."
For Dad · Go Deeper
A memorized verse becomes a possession that no circumstance can take from your child. When you lead family memory work, you are not running a quiz. You are arming your kids for the day doubt or guilt comes knocking and you're not in the room. Notice the order in . The statement of fact, "you ARE a new creation," comes before any command. Hide the gospel in their hearts, not just rules, so their obedience flows from a settled identity rather than fear. And model it. Let your kids catch you quoting Scripture to yourself when you're discouraged. They learn far more from watching you preach truth to your own heart than from any chart of memory verses on the fridge.
Draws on: Andrew Murray, How to Raise Your Children for Christ.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for Your Word. It never changes, even when our feelings do. Help us hide this verse deep in our hearts. Help us always remember we are new in Christ. In Jesus' name, amen."
God's Word about me is truer than my mood. In Christ, the old has passed away.