The Bible, the Bee, and the Family

Time Posted on April 05, 2012 User Alex Watt

If Christ holds the universe together by the Word of his power, why would we think it takes anything less to hold a family together? And even if Christian families know that only God's grace can make them effective as an embassy for Christ, are Christian families in the Word together and in prayer together to make their embassy vision a practical reality?

Learning to live as ambassadors of Christ is a life-long pursuit. As long as we're on earth, our mission is to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Discipleship doesn't end with the family, but it does start there. Parents, particularly fathers, are instructed to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

No matter where you are in life, I hope that you see the significance of the Christian family and the importance of helping families — not only our own, but also others — grow in the grace of God through the Word of God.

As I think about parents discipling their children, I think about the 2012 National Bible Bee. My favorite feature of this year's program is that there will "only" be two verse cards per week and approximately twenty minutes of planned Bible study per day. There are less verses over the summer than in years past. But I think the principle of "less is more" may prove true here: With less verses to memorize, there is more time to meditate. More families — really all families — can have a structured time for family discipleship through the Bible Bee, memorizing Scripture, praying together, and studying the Bible.

I encourage you to watch the video below and then pray about how you can encourage family discipleship in your family and your local church. I see several big opportunities:

  1. Parents using the Bible Bee as a tool to disciple their children. You can learn more about that on the Bible Bee's homepage — they have a nice overview of the program this year.
  2. Local churches and other ministries hosting a Bible Bee. More hosts are needed to enable more families to participate. To learn about what hosting entails, you can click here.
  3. Volunteers helping to host a local Bee.
  4. Prayer supporters: "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1, ESV)
  5. Donors who believe that investing financially in the Bible Bee is a wise use of God's resources.

 

 

Again, the Bible Bee has a great website which you can visit to register now or learn more: www.BibleBee.org.


Cat Churches and Groups
Tag family discipleship, Bible Bee

37 responses to The Bible, the Bee, and the Family

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His Servant

When I first heard about the new set-up for the Bee at Nationals, I was very skeptical...and didn't like it very much. Thinking about it though, I have changed my opinions. As you said, we can meditate more on what we are memorzing. Last year, with how many verses we had to learn, I felt overwhelmed and didn't always spend as much time thinking about what the passage was actually saying. This year, though, we will be able to do that better. Also, it will give me more time to study for the written test, which is what I lacked last year.

Excellent post, Alex!

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2 Corinthians 5:17

I Agree with Bethany ... This will be my first year as a Senior and doing national level...and I'm excited! Did you know that seniors will have only about 700 memory verses?! That's a lot less than 1100! Anyway, good post Alex !

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Thomas Youngman

Thanks for the encouragement Alex! I was tremendously blessed by participating last year, and am looking forward to this year as well!

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Severus Snape

Great post Alex! I know I believe that the decrease in memory verses was a good change. Two years ago when I did the Bible Bee I was the youngest Junior because the National competition happened two days after my birthday. Having to memorize a Junior leveled amount of verses, not to mention trying to keep up with the sword study, for a primary aged girl is pretty stressful!

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Jess

Do seniors really only have to memorize 700 verses now?

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AmyV

Well written, Alex. Thank you. May I share this with others not on Memverse?

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Alex Watt

Mrs. Vredevoogd - Yes, that would be great! Thank you.

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BibleBeeJunior14 (~*Lady Ariana*~)

@Jess - I know! I'm a Junior but I can't imagine not having 500 verses! It was such a challenge and believe me - I LOVE challenges.

2 of my BFF's were in the video!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll have to send it to them unless they've already seen them. You've probably met them: Karen and Susan Weckler? Those sisters are 2 of my best friends!

Alex, you're probably right - I do feel closer to God when I'm doing the Bible Bee and meditating more on the verses will probably "bee" for everyone.

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Bethany Meckle (inactive)

Great post Alex! This is my first year ever to compete in the Bible Bee. Our family ordered the material the year Bible Bee started, but I guess the amount of verses kind of scared me. :D Actually, I thought that if I competed, I only had to memorize the Level 1 verses. I was really surprised when I found out that there were 4 levels! :) I can't wait to start memorizing this year's verses!
@BBJ12 - I'm a junior too! Maybe I'll meet all of you someday - maybe at Nationals!

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Tomwiddoes

I agree with BethanyM, Alex: "Great post"
Your observation that,
"More families — really all families — can have a structured time for family discipleship through the Bible Bee, memorizing Scripture, praying together, and studying the Bible." is the reason for the new structure.
Now, though, it's up to all of us to spread the word. If each 2011 contestant family can recruit just one of their friends who thought the Bee was too difficult last year, we could have over 8,000 families this year! Don't we each know at least two families like that?
Thanks for your support!

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BibleBeeJunior14 (~*Lady Ariana*~)

@ChosenByHim - I hope so! Last year, I couldn't compete and I heard updates on MemVerse and from my friends and I was sooooooooooooooooooooooo sad I couldn't go. Last year, some of the meverse-users got to meet each other! I was so jealous! Maybe this year we'll all make it! I hope so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Tomwiddoes - I am trying to persuade one of my friends to do Bible Bee this year. She had never heard of it and so I'm trying to get her to do it in my version so we could study together!

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Elisabeth Sinclair

@ Alex or Andy: I have an idea... so what if we try to guess when Memverse will reach 150,000 memorized verses like we did with reaching 100,000 verses. After all 150,000 will be halfway to 200,000!!! What do ya think?

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Josiah DeGraaf

Elisabeth: We are currently doing that on the 100,000 Scripture Memory Verses blog post here: http://www.memverse.com/blog/main/100_000_Scripture_Memory_Verses

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Elisabeth Sinclair

Oh, ok... oops! Thanks for letting me know, Josiah!!

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Matthew Sinclair

Who all is signed up in Bible Bee? I am a Junior. What was y'all's rank last year? Mine was 17 in Junior Timothy

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His Servant

@Matthew Sinclair -- Three of my six siblings, and I are all signed up for the Bible Bee, and are quite excited about it :) There are 2 seniors and 2 juniors in our family. Let's see...for locals I came in 65th place, and 76th for Nationals. Great job on coming in 17th place!

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2 Corinthians 5:17

@Matthew Sinclair - I'm signed up!!!! :) I'm a Senior for the first time this year. I'm excited about doing National Track this year. My rank last year was 12th in Junior Timothy. :)

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Matthew Minica

Four of our family is signed up for BB - Courtney, Brianna, Philip, and I. I am a Senior, Courtney is a Junior, and Brianna and Philip are Primaries. My rank last year was 26th for Locals, (EDIT: as a Junior) 32nd for Nationals.

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Emily H

I'm signed up too. For locals, as a junior, I ranked 58th then 59th, after the kids on the east coast tested. For nationals I ranked 80-something, I don't remember my exact rank. :) I'm excited about doing the Bible Bee again too!

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God's Maiden of Virtue

My rank last year for locals, as a Junior Timothy Track, was 22nd place.

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BibleBeeJunior14 (~*Lady Ariana*~)

Wow, GMOV, that's a great score! :) For Nationals in 2010 I ranked 68 I think...the 2009 ones I ranked, like, 98 or something REALLY close to 100...:)

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Emily H

BBJ12- you went to Nationals in 2010???

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Matthew Sinclair

Awesome guys thanks. @Rachel: that's cool that we both were KJV Timothy track juniors and ranked within 5 places of each other nationally!

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2 Corinthians 5:17

It is! :)

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Leah Jessie

Our family just signed up for the Bible Bee for the first time! I'm very excited about it. Does anyone who's done it before have any advice for someone who's never done it?

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Wretched Man

@AstroLeah: Plan to go to Nationals, even if you don't qualify. They make it a phenomenal experience for the whole family! I've told people that it should be your family vacation for the year -- it's that good!

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His Servant

@Mr. Alexander -- I agree with you completely!

@AstroLeah -- Even if you don't go to compete, you'll still be very encouraged. It's amazing being around other believers who love the Lord for 4 days straight!

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Thomas Youngman

For anyone not thinking of going for Nationals, GO FOR IT! I have been tremendously encouraged every time I have gone. The adrenaline is amazing, and the pleasure of meeting likeminded families who have a passion about memorizing God's word is like nothing else in the world.

@ Matthew Sinclair: I think I was 29th in Senior Locals last year, and 23 at Senior Nationals.

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SavedByGrace

Exact ditto to what you said about the Nationals for the BB, Thomas Youngman! The national competition last year was amazing and very encouraging! Anyone, even if you don't make the Nationals, you should go to it anyway! You won't be disappointed!

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Claire

this is my last year as a Junior. in 2011 I placed 152. In 2010 I placed 182.

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Emily H

Claire, Oh, so close! Are you going to do it again? In 2010 I placed 115 at locals. :)

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Alex Watt

Bible Bee registration has been extended through tonight at 11 p.m. PST. The Sword Study this year on 2 Timothy is awesome, and so are the verse cards (infallible words of God that they are -- 2 Tim 3:16-17). If you haven't registered, now is your last chance!!

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Phil Walker

My wife Jacky just put up all the 2012 Bible Bee verses on Verse Hero at www.impresskids.com under the Memverse Scripture Memory group. This is free to all. Enjoy and may it help you master some new Scripture this summer. Please spread the word to Bible Bee people you know as we can introduce others to Impress Kids and Memverse.

We are now working on Study Stack, prompterizing, and First 5 words.

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Rachelle

The Bible Bee is so great, and I love it.

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biblebee

@All juniors: I just wanted to make you aware of something. In the Junior Sword Study book they made a mistake. In the apply section week 2 day 3 they want you to figure out the message. They had part of the key to figure out what it meant but they didn't have the message if you go to this link: biblebee.org/junior_sword_study/ and then find the right day it will give you everything you need to figure out the message.

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Everett H

@Biblebee
Thanks!


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