Congratulations! You have made it through the Qualifying Test and will be competing in the National Bible Bee Competition! You are probably experiencing a lot of emotions right now: excitement, nerves, disbelief. You may also be experiencing some confusion. Now that you have reached the fall study, how exactly do you prepare for the competition? With no Discovery Journal or cross reference list, and with a lot more passages than you had during the Summer Study, how do you find resources and balance the different aspects of the study?
It can be overwhelming to approach the fall study without the Discovery Journal. But once you begin to dig into the study passage and discover resources, you will find that it is not quite as daunting as you think. In this blog post we’ll look at three tips that can help you gather resources as well as plan to study and review.
Tip 1: Read Commentaries
Being familiar with the study passage is the most important part of learning about it. You will want to read through it as much as you are able so you can grasp each point. But parts of the passage may be more difficult to work through on your own. Questions can arise, and thankfully we live in a time when we can easily access a multitude of resources. There are hundreds of Scripture commentaries, and once you have been able to find two, three, or even four that are dedicated to the Word you will be well on your way to learning more about the study passage. If you are unsure where to start in your search for commentaries, I would recommend searching those at Blue Letter Bible to get started.
Once you have picked your commentaries you can begin digging deeper into the passage. The writers can give you more information on background, context, and the culture from which the passage was written. They can identify key words that you can find in the original language. They can also list cross references throughout their commentaries, which you can narrow down to the most applicable for your study purposes. While valuable information can be found in the commentaries, make sure you continue to prioritize your time in the study passage each day.
Tip 2: Use Participant Resources
One of the blessings of competing in the National Bible Bee is the help that contestants give to each other. And during the national competition many of the resources that others make can be a lifesaver. On the social community you can find documents that will lead you to websites, commentaries, and lists of information to study. Many contestants make study sets of original language, cross references, and background information. They share their study methods and favorite sources for the competition.
If you have a hard time finding good resources, this can be very helpful. It saves time that could be used compiling your own study material, as you are able to share with other participants. It also gives you sources to use outside of the National Bible Bee. By discovering and using resources and study materials recommended by other participants you are preparing for future study in personal devotions and study.
Tip 3: Memorize and Review Each Day
As you dig into the study passage with commentaries and participant-made resources you will also have the National Bible Bee Memory Passages to memorize. When you look at the amount of the passages compared to the Summer Study passages it can be overwhelming to begin, let alone think about tackling each one. But take it slow, and remember that it is not a race to memorize the passages. You do have limited time before the test, but if you plan your memorization and review schedule out you will feel less pressure as you work your way through each passage.
First of all, look through the passages. Read each one to get an idea of the content and flow. Once you have read through them, you can divide them up. Pick a way that works for you: genre of passages, verse length, number of cards. Whatever helps you organize them in your brain is the system that will work for you. Once you have divided them up, figure out how many passages are in each category. Then decide how many passages you want to memorize each week. You can start with the shorter ones and work up to the longer ones, or vice versa. Maybe you can try a mix of long and short ones to test yourself. It is your study method, so make sure that whatever you do works for you.
As you memorize new passages, don’t forget to take time and review what you have already memorized. As you add passages to your memorized list, divide them up the same way you divided your unmemorized ones. This time you may want to mix the longer and shorter passages so that your review sessions are around the same length. Maybe you want to review a passage every day, every other day, or every three days. My recommendation is to review every three days; this gives you two days each week to review every passage with a day to rest. If you want to use this method, make three stacks of passages. And every time you memorize a new passage add it to one of the stacks to be reviewed. Be sure to adapt this method to work best for you; no matter how much you are able to review throughout the week, every session will help.
A Word of Encouragement
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
Preparing for Nationals is difficult. There will be days when you cannot seem to grasp the information or that the passages are not cementing themselves in your mind. But remember that this study is a journey, one that cannot be completed all at once. Take each day as it comes, focus on one thing at a time, and the results will come as you faithfully study God’s Word.
May you be blessed during the National Bible Bee Competition as you seek to know God more!
Written by NBB Alumna: Rachael English
