If you’re a registered participant in the National Bible Bee Summer Study, you will see the long-awaited bubble envelope from the National Bible Bee in the mail sometime over the next few days. Inside will be your Discovery Journal, its glossy cover and crisp pages waiting to help you dive into God’s Word and discover incredible truths this summer. If you’re participating in the National Bible Bee for the first time, you might be excited, nervous, confused about what to expect, or some combination of the three, so let’s take a look at what you can expect from the Discovery Journal to help you get confident and comfortable using it as you study.
What is the Discovery Journal and how does it work? The Discovery Journal is a guided study that will take you through our Summer Study passage one section at a time and help you dig in and unlock the truths in it by teaching you inductive study techniques. It will show you how to find background information on the study passage, ranging from historical, cultural, and geographical context, to cross references, to word definitions, to studying words in their original language (in this case Greek). It comes in 4 different age levels, with the specific content and difficulty level tailored to the age range the Discover Journal is intended for, whether Beginner (age 5-6, ineligible to compete), Primary (ages 7-10), Junior (ages 11-14), or Senior (ages 15-18). Each age division covers the same content, but at a level or depth appropriate to the age range, so the Discovery Journals are uniform in format across age divisions. After the first section, the introduction, Units 1-7 are the study portion and all follow a similar format, but Unit 8 is dedicated to review and is slightly different.
Introduction:
The introduction portion of the Discovery Journal contains the Shelby Kennedy Foundation’s statement of faith, a brief presentation of the Gospel, a general overview of how to use the Discovery Journal, and helpful instructions on how to navigate the external resources that participants need to access for things like Greek words and word definitions. This section is especially helpful to new participants and families, so make sure to read it before diving into the study.
Units 1-7:
Each unit begins with an overview (the “Launch” page) that contains relevant quick-reference information for that unit, such as which portion of the study passage is the focus for that unit, which memory passages are assigned, and what background information that unit will focus on. It also includes a short passage of Scripture as a blessing/prayer for that unit.
The study is designed to complete one unit per 5-day week, leaving the other two days to review the memory passages from that unit or take a break (although there’s no rule against working ahead). Each daily lesson comes in two sections, the “Navigate” page and the “Explore” page. The Navigate page is the foundation of the study and contains the most important information. The Explore portion is optional but highly recommended, and it digs deeper than the Navigate section and leads participants to an even greater knowledge of the study passage.
Within each unit, the first two days are dedicated to reading and observing the study passage, and answering questions about what the text says and what it means, by looking at words in their original language, defining important words, finding keywords, understanding the literary structure of the passage, and studying background information to understand the audience and the author of the passage better. The third lesson of each unit is focused on cross-references and seeing how the Bible clarifies, explains, and expounds on itself by reading other verses or passages and comparing what they say to what the study passage says. The fourth lesson, along with providing more information to help understand the passage better, focuses on applying the passage and knowing what it means in your life. Finally, the fifth and final lesson of each unit reviews the information from that week’s study and reminds participants to recite the memory passages they memorized alongside the study for that week.
Unit 8:
Unit 8 follows the 5 lesson format of the other units, but instead of covering new information, each lesson reviews one or two previous units with multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, or written questions. Instead of assigning new memory passages to memorize, there are reminders to recite the memory passages you memorized previously. Once you’ve finished the 5th lesson of Unit 8, you have officially completed the NBB Summer Study! The next step is to have a Proclaim! day celebration with your local host (or with your family), and then, if you’re interested, take the NBB Qualifying Test in August to review what you learned and see if you qualify to compete at the National Bible Bee Competition.
Now that you know more about what to expect, welcome! We’re glad you’re joining us this summer! If you haven’t connected with your host yet, we recommend that you do so. They can answer some of your questions, support you throughout the Summer Study, and help you if you have problems (or direct you to someone who can). Additionally, the National Bible Bee Social Community is a great way to connect with other participants and families, share what you are learning, challenge and encourage each other as you study and memorize, participate in fun extra challenges, share study resources and tips, and have questions answered.
May you have a fruitful summer digging into the Word of God and studying what it means to believe!
Extra copies of the Discovery Journal will be made available to non-participants in June. Visit the NBB store here: https://shop.biblebee.org/collections/journals
Written by NBB Alumna: Janese Hurst
