Rest with Jesus, Pastor Dave

2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Reported on his blog.

Dave's battle with lymphoma came to an end early this morning as he went to be with Jesus. He is completely healed!

World War 1 Bible Come Home

The Bible is a book. But it is so much more. And when a man brings it to war, it often becomes the center of his life. One such Bible, lost in World War I, is about to come home. It's a piece of history in more ways than one.

On April 12 1918, Herbert Hodgson fell into a shell hole during an attack near Messines in Belgium. There he found a Bible encrusted with mud.

In his memoirs he wrote: "There was no name inside it but the army service number 34816 had been written across the top outer edges of the pages". He was told by an officer the original owner would be impossible to trace and he should keep it for luck.

His family without success tried to trace the number until last June his publisher Geoffrey Hodgson (no relation) identified the original owner of the Bible as Richard Cook, of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

Fast Food Bible-Style?

While we need to be careful about people trying to take advantage of the Bible for monetary gain, it is sometimes fun to see a company that tries to support Biblical values. We don't have many Chik-Fil-As in the Northeast, but their founder claims they are a company built on the sayings of Jesus.

Chick-fil-A does not shy away from its Christian bearings. That's why its stores are closed on Sunday — typically one of the busier days in food service. And it's why some irreverent folks have dubbed it "Jesus chicken."

Cathy prefers to describe it as a "biblically based" business.

"Our whole service recipe in terms of taking care of our customers is based on what Jesus said in how we should treat other people," he said. "We want to treat our customers as someone who is very special."

Finish the Verse Questions for John 21

Remember, the full list of FTV's can always be found at this link.

Question: Jesus did many other things...
Answer: ...as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25)

Reference Questions for John 21

Remember, the full list of Reference Questions can always be found in the sidebar or at this link.

Question: According to John 21:2, who were together?
Answer: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

Question: According to John 21:15, feed whom?
Answer: (Jesus said (to Simon Peter),) "Feed my lambs."

Question: According to John 21:17, feed whom?
Answer: (Jesus said (to Simon, son of John - Peter),) "Feed my sheep."

Question: According to John 21:18, I tell you what truth?
Answer: (I tell you the truth,) when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.

Question: According to John 21:19, he said to whom, "Follow me!"?
Answer: (Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.) Then he - Jesus said to him - Peter, "Follow me!"

Question: According to John 21:24, what is true?
Answer: (This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down.) We know that his testimony is true. (his - the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down.)

Observe the Rules

WEEK 29: Study John 21

This week (March 11 thru March 23), please study John, Chapter 21

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

Download the MP3: Click here to download an MP3 of the chapter. (As always, the password is "quizpad" without the quotes.)

If you'd like to read a commentary on the chapter, click here. (Free website, Bible.Org)

Study Tip: This is our last week of new material, so that means it is your last chance to only have to worry about a single chapter's worth of material. After this, we'll be reviewing and you'll have a whole lot of information to absorb. So, take this chance to really bear down and learn the chapter. Districts is not far away!

Upcoming Events:
- April 1-3: EDA Districts Quiz Meet - Lancaster, PA!

Coming up next... DISTRICTS!

We done with our last Cresskill Quiz Meet of the season. So what's next? DISTRICTS!

This year, Districts comes early - APRIL 2 - this year. We'll be competing in Lancaster against all of the churches in the Eastern District. We'll be leaving on April 1, quizzing on April 2, and returning home on April 3 after a church service in Lancaster.

More info to come.

Photos from the Quiz Meet

Photos from Saturday's Quiz Meet are up for your viewing pleasure. Click on the images below for each set.

Coach Mark's Photos


Coach Matt's Photos

Finish the Verse Questions for John 20

Remember, the full list of FTV's can always be found at this link.

Question: Early...
Answer: ...on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. (John 20:1)

Question: Then Simon...
Answer: ...Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. (John 20:6-7)

Question: On the evening...
Answer: ...of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20)

Question: Then Jesus told...
Answer: ...him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. (John 20:29)

Question: Jesus did many other miraculous...
Answer: ...signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

Reference Questions for John 20

Remember, the full list of Reference Questions can always be found in the sidebar or at this link.

Question: According to John 20:1, Mary Magdalene went where?
Answer: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb (and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

Question: According to John 20:4, the other disciple what?
Answer: Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

Question: According to John 20:6-7, then Simon Peter what?
Answer: Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

Question: According to John 20:8, who believed?
Answer: (Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.) He - the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside saw and believed.

Question: According to John 20:9, they did not understand what?
Answer: They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Question: According to John 20:11, who wept?
Answer: (Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb) she - Mary Magdalene

Question: According to John 20:13, who said, "Woman, why are you crying?"
Answer: They - two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been

Question: According to John 20:15, who said, "Woman, why are you crying?"
Answer: He - Jesus

Question: According to John 20:19, Jesus came and stood among them when?
Answer: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them (and said, "Peace be with you!")

Question: According to John 20:22, with that, he what?
Answer: With that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (he/Jesus - them/the disciples)

Question: According to John 20:24, who was one of the Twelve?
Answer: Thomas (called Didymus)

Question: According to John 20:26, Jesus came and stood among them when?
Answer: A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them (and said, "Peace be with you!")

Question: According to John 20:30, Jesus did many other what?
Answer: Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

QUIZ MEET: We're back!

QUIZ MEET: I guess the quizzing was more strenuous then I had thought.

QUIZ MEET: GPS estimates arrival 2:25 pm.

QUIZ MEET: At the Tappan Zee.

QUIZ MEET: Scenic panorama.

QUIZ MEET: At the scenic overlook.

QUIZ MEET: Heading out

QUIZ MEET: Lunch time!

QUIZ MEET: 3 teams too

QUIZ MEET: 3 Way Quiz

QUIZ MEET: Vs Cresskill

QUIZ MEET: Hello, Sparta

QUIZ MEET: Quizzing begins.

QUIZ MEET: Opening ceremonies

QUIZ MEET: The Schedule

QUIZ MEET: Arrival in Cresskill!

QUIZ MEET: On our way!

Quiz Meet in Cresskill is TODAY!

We'll see everyone around 7:15 AM, so we can leave at 7:30 AM. Remember to bring a bag of snacks (pretzels, peanuts, chips, etc.). We may be stopping at a scenic spot on the way home, so we may be a bit later than usual. We'll call when we hit the Tappan Zee, as always.

Parents, I'll be posting photos to here all day, so keep coming back to check in on our progress.

Pray Ferverently

WEEK 28: Study John 20

This week (March 10 thru March 16), please study John, Chapter 20

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

Download the MP3: Click here to download an MP3 of the chapter. (As always, the password is "quizpad" without the quotes.)

If you'd like to read a commentary on the chapter, click here. (Free website, Bible.Org)

Study Tip: We're now in the season of Lent, when Christians celebrate the weeks before Jesus's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. It is traditional at this time among some Christians to give up something, in order share in some small way with Christ's suffering. If you're still unable to find time to study, perhaps you might choose something to give up for Lent (maybe a favorite TV program) to provide more time to spend in the scriptures.

Upcoming Events:
- Saturday, March 12, 2011: Quiz Meet - Cresskill, NJ
- April 1-3: EDA Districts Quiz Meet - Lancaster, PA!

What is Lent?

Our tradition doesn't make very much of it, but for many Christians today begins the season of "Lent" which starts 44 days before Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter, when we observe the Last Supper). It is a time to remember the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert, and think about all He gave up for us on the cross.

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, Christian growth, penitence, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him.

Of course, Lent is not in the Bible. It is just a tradition. But some traditions can be educational.

Good grooming can be a miracle

Finish the Verse Questions for John 19

Remember, the full list of FTV's can always be found at this link.

Question: Then Pilate...
Answer: ...took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. (John 19:1-3)

Question: Jesus answered, "You...
Answer: ...would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." (John 19:11)

Question: Carrying...
Answer: ...his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. (John 19:17-18)

Question: When he had...
Answer: ...received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

Question: These...
Answer: ...things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." (John 19:36-37)

Reference Questions for John 19

Remember, the full list of Reference Questions can always be found in the sidebar or at this link.

Question: According to John 19:2-3, the soldiers what?
Answer: The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

Question: According to John 19:3, who struck him in the face?
Answer: (The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!") And they - the soldiers struck him in the face.

Question: According to John 19:8-9, when Pilate heard this, he what?
Answer: (When Pilate heard this,) he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.

Question: According to John 19:13, when Pilate heard this, he what?
Answer: (When Pilate heard this,) he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).

Question: According to John 19:17, he went where?
Answer: Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). (He - Jesus)

Question: According to John 19:23, the soldiers what?
Answer: When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining.

Question: According to John 19:24, this happened why?
Answer: ("Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it.") This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

Question: According to John 19:24, the soldiers what?
Answer: "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." (This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.)

Question: According to John 19:26, Jesus saw whom?
Answer: Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby

Question: According to John 19:30, with that, he what?
Answer: When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Question: According to John 19:30, what would be fulfilled?
Answer: These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"

Question: According to John 19:32-33, the soldiers what?
Answer: The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

Question: According to John 19:39, Nicodemus was what?
Answer: The man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.

The Cresskill Quiz Meet is ONE WEEK AWAY

WHAT? Quiz Meet at Cresskill, NJ

WHEN? Next Saturday, March 12

WHAT TIME DO WE LEAVE? 7:30 AM sharp.

WHAT CHAPTERS ARE WE QUIZZING ON? John 1-19

WHAT DO WE NEED TO BRING? $5 for lunch, and a bag of snacks (chips, pretzels, etc.)

WHAT TIME DO WE RETURN? Between 3 and 4 PM, depending on the schedule and the traffic. As usual, we'll ask the teens to call from the Tappan Zee Bridge

CAN YOU STAND ON YOUR HEAD WHILE JUGGLING APRICOTS? No. No I can't. But thanks for asking.

Love them shades

WEEK 27: Study John 19

This week (March 3 thru March 9), please study John, Chapter 19

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

Download the MP3: Click here to download an MP3 of the chapter. (As always, the password is "quizpad" without the quotes.)

If you'd like to read a commentary on the chapter, click here. (Free website, Bible.Org)

Study Tip: As we move ahead each week, are you finding yourself forgetting what you learned in the past week? While we DO have some review weeks coming up, they will NOT be before the next Quiz Meet. Each week, dedicate some time to reviewing the earlier chapters. Take one day (I recommend Sunday) skimming thru the book of John, looking to reacquaint yourself with the major arguments and distinctive phrases. And as you learn the NEW chapters, try to remember how they fit into the overall discussion.

Upcoming Events:
- Saturday, March 12, 2011: Quiz Meet - Cresskill, NJ

Short-sighted

MP3 Bibles for the Troops

There are many different ways to bring the Bible to the world. One way is the written word, but as our own experience shows, MP3s can be an excellent way to spread the gospel. One church in Missouri is sending MP3 bibles to the troops as a way to encourage and minister to them.

A BibleStick is a digital audio player, the size of a stick of chewing gum, that is pre-loaded with a dramatized recording of the entire New Testament.

“It costs $25 to put one BibleStick into the hands of one of our soldiers,” said John Mehrens, minister of the Granby church. “People in our church started using BibleSticks years ago.”

The church learned about audio Bible technology through Faith Comes By Hearing, a ministry which sprang from a volunteer Bible-listening campaign in New Mexico and has its headquarters in Albuquerque.