The National Bible Bee - Faith, Fun, and Fellowship

Studying the Bible is an important part of a Christian lifestyle.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching ,for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." -2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my mediation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.” -Psalm 119 97-100

Sometimes it's hard to decide how to study the Scriptures. I personally like the ESV One Year Bible, an arrangement of the chapters of the Bible so that it can be read in one year. I recently read and enjoyed Ann Voskamp's insightful One Thousand Gifts. I like just reading and looking for verses that stand out.

          But one of my favorite ways to study the Bible has been through the National Bible Bee. 

           Bible Bee is a competition that runs over the summer, involving going over a book of the Bible with a study, and memorizing selected passages. It culminates in a competition consisting of a written test and a recitation round. 

I didn’t know what to expect when I first started the Bible Bee in the summer of 2013. I’d heard glowing reports from friends, and I was excited, but I wasn’t prepared for how amazing it truly was. That first year, I studied 1 John with the Sword Study, and loved it. Competing with a Local Bible Bee was so much fun. At the end of the summer, I took the written test and oral tests, experiencing the thrill and terror of waiting for my turn to compete in the oral round, of racing for time to mark down my test answers, of reciting the verses I'd memorized over the summer. I didn't qualify for Nationals that year, but I came close, and I hadn't really been aiming for Nationals anyway. In 2014, I did Bible Bee again, and had another amazing summer studying Jonah. I met more people through Locals and thoroughly enjoyed it. I took the test -- and qualified for Nationals. The journey with Nationals was truly incredible. I doubt I'd have chosen to study the book of Nahum on my own, but I learned so much, and it strengthened my faith and my relationship with God. I met so many people (and of course going to LegoLand was fun, too). I experienced the excitement of studying frantically with a friend, exchanging study materials in a hotel room the night before the test. While I didn't qualify for the semi-finals or achieve any remarkable level, I had an incredible time. And I did Bible Bee again in 2015, another amazing year.

I've so enjoyed competing in the Bible Bee. It's a fun way to get into the Scriptures in a faith-filled environment. If you'd like to learn more about it, you can click here for the Bible Bee website.

I'd like to point out a few things, though. One difficult thing about the Bible is how much time it can take up. If you commit to the Bible Bee, that's pretty much your whole summer. You don't have to commit to qualifying for the National competition, of course -- but I've found that the competitive aspect really pulls me in. For me personally, I tried to do as much as I possibly could and go as far I possibly could. This meant that I devoted a lot of time to studying, after that first introduction year. I've qualified two out of three times, but it did mean spending a lot of time simply on Bible Bee. Spending your time in God's Word is a more than worthwhile way to spend your time, but let's face it -- are you doing it to get to know your Savior or do well in the competition?

That's something else to think about. One reason (aside from the time commitment issue) why my family didn't do Bible Bee this year was because of the high level of competition. Studying the Scriptures to learn more about God and studying them to do well in the competition can go together -- but does it always? I know that my relationship with God has been deepened and enriched through my experience with the Bible Bee, but what was it that did that? Was it really from memorizing a list of the kings of Assyria? (I tried to do that for the 2014 Nationals...) Or from memorizing the fact that the pool of Bethesda has five colonnades? The Bible Bee tries to focus on putting God's Word above earthly prizes, since it is eternal. And of course, that's where our focus should be. But it's so hard to actually live that out in the competition when you so badly want for your name to be the one called to receive a prize.

These are just some things that might influence the decision to compete in the Bible Bee. But don't get me wrong -- I have benefited so much from the Bible Bee. I'm so thankful that I did it. I've so enjoyed competing alongside friends, studying and reviewing and praying together.

If you're looking for a fun, family-friendly, faith-filled way to study the Bible, I highly recommend the National Bible Bee.

   One reason I'm posting this today is because tomorrow, the 2016 Bible Bee competitors will learn their scores on the written test. Congratulations to all you Bible Bee participants, whether you competed or not, whether you qualified for Nationals or not. I hope you've gathered valuable knowledge through and enjoyed your summer of study!

“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” -Hosea 6:3

Me, at the 2014 National competition. So very happy to be there! :)