Hidden Within

What Others Are Saying

"Hidden Within impacted me in very tangible ways during a stressful time in my life. I can remember lying in bed, struggling to sleep as anxious thoughts filled my head, and then opening Hidden Within and walking through the verses I had memorized and allowing the Spirit to remind me of His truth. Scripture memorization is vital to actively remembering and living God’s truth, and Hidden Within is a great tool for doing it!"

—David Chookaszian, senior business development executive

"Pastor Jason’s ministry taught me to love, appreciate, and utilize the Scriptures in a new way, and Hidden Within was an invaluable tool that equipped me to share my faith with my teammates. Having the Word of God on my heart and as the foundation of my thoughts has brought me closer to God and enabled me to better fulfill the Great Commission. I’m so thankful for Hidden Within because I know that it will help anyone drink deeply from God’s Word!"

—Tommy Doles, Northwestern University football player, 2014–2018

There was a time in my life when I was battling some sinful patterns and deep sadness as a result. Pastor Jason’s modeling and tools for Scripture memory had a significant impact on my life during that time. God’s Word was breath in my lungs and my orientation toward right thinking. Hiding God’s Word in my heart has helped me to think rightly about Him, myself, and others.

—Laila Bechtle, special education teacher

"The Hidden Within devotionals and memory verses have been so ON POINT for us—so providential."

—Danielle and Conner Ray, musicians

"Pastor Jason Lancaster’s passion for God’s Word was evident in exemplifying Scripture memorization and consistently teaching and encouraging the Church to make Scripture memory a significant spiritual discipline. Hidden Within was a creative way for Jason to bring us on board with a daily devotional and a systematic process for memorizing verses. I confess to being a poor memorizer, yet I was able to gather multiple Scripture verses through this process, which has enriched my spiritual journey."

—Tom Hartman, business development executive

"As our pastor, Jason modeled Scripture memory from the pulpit, which inspired us to try his method. Hidden Within was an easy way to memorize Scripture and enabled us to recall God’s Word as we faced life’s challenges. Being able to dwell on the truths of Scripture at any moment continues to be a blessing in our lives."

—Matt and Laura Wright, IT specialist and high school English teacher

"The people in Jason Lancaster’s church and sphere of life have benefited eternally from his passion for hiding God’s Word in his heart because he uses that hidden Word to intercede for us. So, I wholeheartedly recommend Hidden Within."

—Sheri Scalero, Bible study leader

"I have had occasion to memorize substantial amounts of God’s Word, and I have to say that, of anything that I have done, it has had the greatest impact on my spiritual growth. Hidden Within provides a simple, straightforward method that makes memorization possible, and by which anyone who wants to, can do it. Verses are organized topically, and brief devotionals are included that aid understanding and practical application. I wholeheartedly endorse Hidden Within."

—Norman P. Blair, MD, FARVO, professor of ophthalmology, University of Illinois College of Medicine

"When it comes to Scripture memory, Jason practices what he preaches. He not only exhorted the congregation to memorize Scripture, but he set an example by doing it himself. In Hidden Within, Jason provides a list of verses organized by topic with daily lessons. After completing the forty days, I found myself missing the lessons and wishing there were more."

—Karin Richards, homeschool mom

"Hidden Within was designed with a shepherd’s heart. It both practically helps believers build a consistent rhythm of Scripture memory into their lives and builds them up in the faith, encouraging them to see the end goal of Scripture memory: a deeper relationship with the Lord."

—Kyle Butson, financial consultant

"Scripture memory is such an important way to internalize the Word of God. As a pastor, Jason encouraged us not just to empty our hearts of idolatry and worry, but to FILL our heart with the Word. He emphasized Scripture memorization and gave personal examples of its impact. Hidden Within is a great tool that anyone can use to start memorizing Scripture—it works because it is simple! I used it as part of my daily devotional and was amazed at how much Scripture I was able to memorize in a short time."

—Ben Mangrich, elder at Evanston Bible Fellowship

"Hidden Within not only taught me the value of Scripture memory, but it was also a practical tool that helped me store God’s Word in my heart in a lasting way. Now, I have authoritative, infallible verses in the depths of my soul to encourage, convict, and remind me of the deep love of Jesus."

—Danny Russell, pastoral resident

Contents

What Others Are Saying

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Heart

Day 1: The Heart

Day 2: The Heart

Day 3: The Heart

Day 4: The Heart

The Gospel

Day 5: The Gospel

Day 6: The Gospel

Day 7: The Gospel

Day 8: The Gospel

The Holy Spirit

Day 9: The Holy Spirit

Day 10: The Holy Spirit

Day 11: The Holy Spirit

Day 12: The Holy Spirit

The Word

Day 13: The Word

Day 14: The Word

Day 15: The Word

Day 16: The Word

Love

Day 17: Love

Day 18: Love

Day 19: Love

Day 20: Love

Witness

Day 21: Witness

Day 22: Witness

Day 23: Witness

Day 24: Witness

Compassion

Day 25: Compassion

Day 26: Compassion

Day 27: Compassion

Day 28: Compassion

The Church

Day 29: The Church

Day 30: The Church

Day 31: The Church

Day 32: The Church

The Future

Day 33: The Future

Day 34: The Future

Day 35: The Future

Day 36: The Future

Glory

Day 37: Glory

Day 38: Glory

Day 39: Glory

Day 40: Glory

Afterword

About the Author

Acknowledgments

I wish to express many thanks to those who have influenced and encouraged the publication of Hidden Within.

To my brothers and sisters from Providence Church, Evanston Bible Fellowship, and Village Bible Church, where we joyfully spurred one another to get in the Word and get the Word in us.  

To Danny Russell and Kyle Butson, for their early encouragement and vision to get the thrust of Hidden Within just right.

To Fran Taylor, for her outstanding editing skills, clever insights, and wise suggestions.

To Andy Uyeda, for working hard to create the Hidden Within app so that the memory method can be electronically assessible.

To Kelly Rochleau, for creating the fresh artwork for the book and the app.

To Elwood Hale, for counseling me during a difficult season and spurring me on with an attainable method of Scripture memorization to last a lifetime.

To my wife and kids, who encourage me to press on in the Word and will of God.

Introduction

My Desperation

I was approaching thirty, and life wasn’t working out the way I hoped. I was serving at a dying church, and I would eventually be its last pastor. It was my first church out of seminary, and at the age of twenty-five, I was just grateful for an opportunity to preach. I was naïve. Many of the individuals were earnest Christians, but we were dysfunctional together. As the pastor, I took many hits and constantly faced a mountain of criticism. My mantra during this time was, I just don’t know what to do. I tried everything: bold evangelism, forty days of fasting, countless hours of prayer, expository preaching, leadership training, and intentional discipleship. The harder I pushed, the more difficult the situation seemed to become, and the deeper my despair grew.

My personal life was a mess, as well. My wife struggled with postpartum depression, and I was playing the part of the dutiful, yet checked-out husband. We had two young children—just thirteen months apart—who had a variety of needs. Our support structure was minimal, as we were several states away from family and close friends. We were hanging on by a thread. For years, I kept a daily journal, which included a variety of prayers and petitions for my family, the church, and myself. However, I completely stopped journaling as the prayers turned sad and depressing.

Life’s demands seemed nonstop and crushing. On top of pastoral duties, I had to work a part-time job to meet our financial needs. After work, I helped with our children, which might include waking up a few times in the middle of the night. The cleaning and grocery shopping duties also fell to me during this season. During one grocery trip, I remember just staring at the items on the shelf in a daze. The shelves blurred before me as I daydreamed about having another life. Demands and disappointments overwhelmed me, and I wanted out.

Different temptations sought me out for temporary relief. I thought about turning to idols, like sexual immorality or greed, but the Lord had redeemed me from that empty way of life. So, I stayed away from the sins of my past but started dabbling with new sins, such as bitterness and resentfulness. This dual threat was