Why it's better to store God's Word in your mind, not just on your iPhone
Bruce Cannon and his wife, Linda, served as church planters in Poland for 17 years before moving back to the States to lead SEND’s Personnel & Member Care Department. In this article in our Flourish series, he shares about feeding on the Word.
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One man challenged another to an all-day wood-chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day.
At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.
“I don’t get it,” he complained. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest. Yet you chopped more wood than I did!”
“What you didn’t notice,” said the winning woodsman, “was that every time I sat down to rest, I sharpened my ax.”
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When we take the time to dwell on the Word, God shapes our hearts, minds, thoughts, values, motives and attitudes. The Word is not just text on a page. It is the living and active message of God. It’s his revelation to us. It’s power, it’s his presence, and it’s our encounter with that, that will help us experience the transformation that we so desire.
The Word itself testifies to its own power to transform.
God’s Word is not just a ministry tool
It’s so easy to treat the Word as a toolbox, as something we use in ministry. We study the Word, and we think, “Oh, this will really preach.” Or, “How will I outline this passage,” or, “There’s someone I’m discipling who could really use this verse.”
And these are good uses of Scripture! The Word ought to be an essential part of everything we do in our ministry. And yet we sometimes miss that the Word is also something God uses in us. It’s not something we master. Even though we’re to rightly handle the Word of God, we also want the Word of God to rightly handle us.
The press of ministry can so often push us toward the toolbox mentality. That’s why we must prioritize spiritual formation, because it takes us out of our ministry role and back into, “I’m an imperfect child of God and he’s working to shape me. I’m a lump of clay and God is still forming me into a beautiful vessel for his service.”
If he isn’t capturing our hearts, renewing us, then we’re doing good stuff, but we’re doing it in our own power and strength.
Hide it in your heart
One of the practices that was key for us when we were on the mission field was Scripture memorization. But, why bother, right? Especially in this day and age, when we all have a digital device that can pull the Word up at a moment’s notice. Why take time to memorize it when it’s right there, easily searchable?
What to memorize
Take a broad view of your spiritual life: Are there themes that God seems to be drawing you to over and over? Look for passages, verses, chapters of Scripture that speak to those themes, and start your memorization efforts there.
Our first term in Poland was particularly difficult. We were adjusting to a new marriage, a new team, a new culture, a new language, and a new child. The Lord brought us continually to Joshua 1. Memorizing it, dwelling on it, meditating on it, living it out — that’s what carried us through those difficult years. On our first home service, Joshua 1 formed the core of the sermon I would preach in various churches. God allowed us to use that passage to encourage our supporters, because the lessons God taught us through Joshua’s story weren’t just missionary lessons – they were life lessons.
We also appreciated the Topical Memory System
developed by the Navigators, but we memorized these verses in Polish. Doing so helped us learn the language — we began to think and even to pray in Polish — and it also gave us the ability to share the truth with our Polish friends even before we’d mastered everyday language.
Spending time in God’s Word is never wasted time. When we sit at the Lord’s feet, memorize his Word, and let him shape us, that sharpens his work in our life. We end up refueled for the ministry he has for us because his Word gives us energy, vision, direction and encouragement.
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” — Deuteronomy 6: 6-8
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Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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