Bible Quiz through the eyes of…David Tyrrell

Late in the tournament, question 19, the score is 130, 130, 130. As a quizzer these are the types of situations that I both hate and love. It’s great to be in those situations and survive. Even if you win, the nerve-racking nature of the situation is terrifying, and to be so close and yet still lose is utterly depressing.

While it is quite enjoyable to win, I think my best memories of Bible Quiz come from the fun and fellowship surrounding practices and tournaments. Long car rides, mental exhaustion combined with lame jokes, card games, inordinately large piles of flash cards, interaction with other quizzers, and intense theological discussions all contribute to my favorite memories of Bible Quiz. In fact, these memories and experiences are closely linked to the motivation of Bible Quiz. Without the element of competition I would have memorized very little, and if it were not for dedicated teammates, parents, and coaches who provided accountability I would have memorized even less.

The most important and most extensive benefits of my Bible Quiz experience have risen from consistent contact and familiarity with the Scriptures. At the very first Bible Quiz meeting at Calvary I remember Mrs. Warren, who at the time was introducing some at Calvary to Bible Quiz, stressing the phrase “quiz to memorize.” Due to my godly parents I knew God’s Word was important, and as a competitive individual Bible Quiz motivated me to memorize. Consequently, through the accountability and competitive incentive of Bible Quiz I interacted with God’s Word on a level and to a degree which I doubt I could have duplicated through participation in any other program.

Though memorizing God’s Word guarantees very little, it provides extreme opportunities for growth. The ability to perfectly quote a passage of Scripture at a given moment guarantees practically nothing—not even the certainty of correctly answering “quote this verse” questions in a quiz. Scripture however does guarantee that God’s Word will not return void, and entrusting Scripture to memory provides interaction with God’s Word that stimulates spiritual growth.

The Lord used Bible Quiz in my life in many ways, especially to strengthen and purify my thoughts and to increase my understanding and knowledge of God and His Word. This occurred not only on an intellectual level but also a personal and relational level. The sheer demand of Bible Quiz aided me in controlling my thought life. When an individual strives to memorize verses, chapters, and books of Scripture any concept of mental free-time rapidly disappears. Even under these circumstances I constantly battled wrong thoughts, but I cannot imagine how much worse the battle would have been if I had not participated in Bible Quiz. Beyond occupying mental capacity, Scripture memorization armed me to combat wrong thoughts and unbiblical worldviews. Knowledge of specific locations in Scripture where God has revealed His truth decreased my efforts to justify sin and increased my motivation to obey God.

David Tyrrell
Calvary FL
Class of 2010
The Bible Quiz through the Eyes Series

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