It is time to “meet” another member of your 2023 Alumni Service Team – Titus Alexander! Here are some quick facts to help you get to know him a little better.
- Age: 18 (19 in September)
- Home state: Ohio
- Fun fact: Titus is the fifth of fourteen kids, ten biological and four adopted.
- Bonus fun fact: “Although I’ve memorized seven books of the New Testament before, I’ve never memorized an Old Testament book.”
- Hobbies: reading good books, playing piano and chess, debating (er, discussing) theology, and having good conversations with friends.
- Work and college: Titus is currently working full-time at Chick-fil-A over the summer. This August, Titus will head back to Patrick Henry College for his sophomore year. He says, “PHC is an amazing Christian college, and I’m so thankful for the Lord’s blessing in allowing me to attend there. The academic side is rigorous, but the learning is extremely rewarding, and I’ve met a lot of great people.”
- Three words Titus’s friends use to describe him: logical, diligent, and disciplined
Hello Titus, and welcome to the NBB blog! Thank you for providing us with some facts about yourself. I look forward to hearing how your different interests and talents shaped your time in the National Bible Bee (or maybe how your time in the National Bible Bee shaped them). How did you hear about the NBB? What got you to begin participating and how many years did you compete in the National Bible Bee Competition?
- I believe my family first heard about the National Bible Bee from an article in WORLD magazine. A few of my siblings began participating before I was old enough, and when I did start, I didn’t really want to be doing it. However, when I became a Christian, I began to love God’s Word, and the National Bible Bee strengthened and intensified that love. After that, both my desire to pursue God and my affinity for healthy competition drove me to give my very best in competing in the National Bible Bee. I competed for ten years, starting in 2011 when I was just 7 years old, and first qualified for Nationals in 2013. Besides missing 2015-16, I participated in all the years I could until I aged out last year in 2022.
Wow, you participated in the NBBC for quite a few years! It is wonderful that the Lord used this ministry in your life to strengthen your love for God’s Word. If you could summarize all of this time in one word what would it be and, why?
- Transformative; God used Bible Bee to transform me into the person I am today. I’m so glad to have had the solid foundation of God’s Word placed under me from a young age.
What a wonderful and beautiful thing it is to witness that a solid foundation in God’s Word can transform one’s entire life. Such a blessing! During this transformational season with the NBB, you advanced in the competition several times. Tell us about when you ranked the highest, what that experience was like, and what you learned.
- In 2019, I was a fifteen-year-old Senior. I had progressed through the Semifinal round and was competing in the Finals. Going into the last round of the Finals, I was in 1st place, meaning that if my last recitation were perfect, I would win the competition and no longer be eligible to compete again. I was very excited and humbled to have made it so far, but I felt conflicted since I wanted to compete in Bible Bee for as long as I could. However, I resolved to trust God and do my very best no matter the results. I ended up making two mistakes on my final passage and placing 2nd, allowing me to compete for three more years after 2019. I was thrilled that the Lord was letting me stay in Bible Bee for another few years! I had already been learning through my studies that year how important it is to trust God with my future, understanding that whatever He brings to pass is what is best for me. I’m so thankful He helped me to trust Him in that final round and that I was able to do my best for His glory.
Learning to trust Christ is vital and a wonderful lesson to learn at a young age. Well, through your years of in-depth study of Scripture, who is a Bible character you have come to admire and why?
- I greatly admire King David for two main reasons. First, the book of Psalms reveals his deep-seated desire to pursue God and his determination to praise Him no matter his circumstances. Secondly, we have many instances in Scripture of David’s failures and sins and how God restored David back to Himself. This has encouraged me in my own walk with God as I recognize that Christ can forgive and welcome the vilest of sinners, including David and including me.
How amazing that we can see the strength of Christ’s forgiveness through the example of David’s life and that we can comprehend the sufficiency of God’s grace to cover a multitude of sins through his life’s story. As you have navigated the Bible, what is one of your favorite books?
- I’ve always loved the book of Romans; it’s a clear and thorough exposition of the gospel of Christ, explaining the sinful condition of man, the grace of God, the importance of faith, and many other rich theological concepts. I’m sort of sad that I never got to study the book in-depth for Bible Bee. Maybe some year in the future?
Romans is such a rich book of Scripture. It is neat how, in this divinely inspired book, we are shown the power of the gospel for salvation, our need for this salvation, and the grace of God that gives us this wonderful gift. As you examined this book and others, what aspect of studying the Bible have you enjoyed most?
- I’ve always enjoyed studying cross-references to passages in Scripture that I’m studying. They’re super helpful in shedding extra light on a passage in order to understand it better, and when you learn a lot of them, you start to be able to link together verses that speak about the same subject at a moment’s notice. All of Scripture is one long story of redemption, and there are many strands woven together to create the story. Being able to piece portions of Scripture together with cross-references has helped me immensely in understanding the Bible.
I love how the Scripture as a whole leads us to the wonderful truth of redemption through the work of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for participating in this interview, Titus, and for pointing us to Christ through your testimony, experience in the National Bible Bee, and heart for God’s Word. In closing, what would you say to a first-year NBB participant?
- First of all, I’m so happy you’ve decided to try out this amazing study! Participating in Bible Bee is rewarding in so many ways. Digging into God’s Word is an investment in eternity, and you’ll never regret the time you spent memorizing and studying it. You’re laying such an important foundation for your future. Think of this time as a training ground for the life battles that lie ahead of you. You’ll face difficulties, persecution, and heartache, but you’ll be able to overcome because of the promises of God that you’ve stored in your heart. Secondly, don’t get discouraged when the going gets rough. There will be times in your studying and memorizing processes when you’ll feel tired and weak. When that happens (because it definitely will), turn to the Lord for strength. Don’t trust in your own abilities or willpower to push through. Pray and ask God to be your strength and help you persevere. Finally, try to have some fun! Meet some new people, either online or in-person. Have some good conversations, play some review games, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on learning and having fun while you’re studying, and you’ll have a very rewarding experience.
