Meet Angel Iain Martinez, one of the members of the 2025 NBB Alumni Service Team! Here are some quick facts to help you get to know Angel:
Where he’s from: Henderson, Nevada
Age: 19
NBB Participation: 5 years, from 2020-2024 (National Contestant 2021-2024)
Fun facts:
- I enjoy playing the guitar!
- I am currently memorizing the book of Ephesians.
- I enjoy walking in the outdoors, and seeing God’s creation here in the desert!
What he’s doing now:
I am currently working at a tire shop as a service technician, and I hope to start a trade apprenticeship soon!
Hi, Angel! Welcome to the National Bible Bee Blog. Tell us about your NBB journey!
Hi! Thank you for having me!
How did your family first become involved in the National Bible Bee?
My Mom saw a post on Facebook about [the National] Bible Bee in 2019, but we missed the deadline to sign up by a few days. The next year, we signed up and joined a local host group!
Do you have a favorite National Bible Bee theme or study passage from the years you participated? Why is it one of your favorites?
That’s a tough question. I’d say that studying Daniel 1-6 last year had a big impact on me and was definitely an amazing study passage. It is definitely more than what meets the eye. It’s not the story of “Daniel in the Lion’s Den.”
Daniel’s faithfulness to serve God in a culture far different from his own is just astounding. Daniel could’ve easily made excuses and walked away from the teachings of his culture and faith, but he chose to live for God in a pagan Babylon. Daniel’s devotion to God is shown by him refusing to defile himself in such a “small” thing as eating the king’s delicacies and he was willing to die rather than deny God and pray to an earthly king (Daniel 6).
In addition, the Study Passage wasn’t only about Daniel, but also about God working on King Nebuchadnezzar’s life. He had seen God’s power when Daniel interpreted his dream in Daniel 2 and concluded that the Lord was the God of many gods. After God delivered Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the furnace, he concluded that the Lord was the Most High God.
But although Neb knew all this, there was only one “god” that prevailed in his heart, and that was himself. After being warned about his pride in a dream, he put off repentance and was humiliated for it. He lost his kingdom and lived like a wild animal apart from society. Yet, afterward he came to know the Lord as the only true God! Nebuchadnezzar was a transformed man after turning to the Lord, and we can see that by his own words at the end of Daniel 4!
With the many verses you have memorized over the years, do you happen to have a favorite Bible verse?
Since memorizing it in 2022, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 has become my life verse. It stands out to me a lot. Jesus gave His life, as the perfect and spotless Lamb of God to pay the debt for the sins of the world. For the bliss of the gift that turns me from darkness to light, lost to found, broken to restored, dead to alive, shackled to free, and deserving of eternal punishment to inherit an incorruptible inheritance in a heavenly country that my Father has prepared for me. In light of this, should I not at the very least live a life that honors God, my Creator, Savior, and Sustainer as “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again”?
What have you found to be your favorite ways to study Scripture?
I enjoy memorizing along with reading commentaries to understand the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the Scriptures I’m reading.
Can you share a favorite moment you’ve experienced while studying for NBB or attending the National Bible Bee Competition?
A favorite memory of mine was in 2021, my first year of Nationals, I learned to play Dutch Blitz and played for a long time with a big group of BBers! (A bigger group of BBers playing Dutch Blitz = Lots of fun!!)
What would you say to a participant who is newer to NBB and/or competing at Nationals for the first time?
If you are new to [the National] Bible Bee, I encourage you to take your time in your studying, and have fun! If you want to try to Qualify for Nationals, feel free to ask lots of questions. There are many aged out and still competing participants on the Social Community who will be more than glad to help you out! Also, if you are competing at Nationals for the first time, do not be discouraged by the amount of material that is released to study! I recommend setting a goal to aim for while competing: Do you want to try for a Perfect Orals, or go for the Semi-Finals Round? This will help you prioritize memorizing and reviewing passages, and/or studying the Study Passage with its background and context. Before you study each day, pray and ask the Lord to give you His strength to achieve your goal of His will, and also that you may grow in Him, your Father, Savior, and Friend, and make Him known to others! No matter if you achieve your goal or not, always remember that ANY time spent in God’s Word NEVER returns to Him void (Isaiah 55), and He is certainly glorified by your passion and effort to study His Word.
Amen! Thank you, Angel, for sharing your NBB journey how studying and memorizing God’s Word has impacted your life!
Interview by NBB Alumna: Emma Fernandez
