Uh... Maybe a Doorbell?

Review Week!

Reminder to all that this will be a review week for chapters 1-3. If you found yourself weak on any of those past chapters, please take the time to study that one in-depth. Otherwise, please take the time to strengthen your knowledge of the chapters. Read thru all 3 chapters every day, at least, and consider learning some FTVs or keywords. (Check the sidebar, if you need to download the lists again.)

Since this is a review week, there are no new Family Study Guides. However, please feel free to review the study guides for Romans 1, Romans 2, or Romans 3.

Please remember we are leaving for the quiz meet on Saturday at 7 AM sharp. Please try to arrive at 6:45 AM so that we can load up the vehicles. Bring $5 for gas, and $4 for pizza. $9 total, per quizzer.

Narnia "Inspired By" CD is on the shelves!

A few months back you may remember I reported on a new CD due out with songs by Christian artists inspired by C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Well, the CD is now on the shelves at retailers like Amazon and Wal-Mart. I have purchased a copy for myself and it is encoding for my iPod now.

Jars of Clay - Waiting for the World to Fall
Steven Curtis Chapman - Remembering You
Jeremy Camp - Open Up Your Eyes
Bethany Dillon - Hero
Delirious? - Stronger
Rebecca St. James - Lion
TobyMac - New World
Nichole Nordeman - I Will Believe
David Crowder Band - Turkish Delight
Kutless - More Than It Seems
Chris Tomlin - You're The One

If you are all *VERY* nice, I may play it in the van on the way down to the next Quiz Meet.

10-year-old prohibited from reading his bible during recess

This one is one of the stranger cases of a school administrator invoking the separation of church and state.

Luke Whitson and his parents have filed a motion for preliminary injunction against Knox County School officials, who allegedly threatened to punish the boy for reading his Bible during recess at Karns Elementary School. The district claims the Bible reading jeopardizes student safety and that, because recess is not "free time," they can prohibit Bible reading during that time.
But Whitson's attorney, Nate Kellum with the Alliance Defense Fund, says school officials are wrong to claim reading the Bible on a school playground violates the so-called "separation of church and state."..."We need relief," Kellum states. "Luke is in the fifth grade at the elementary school, which represents the last year that Luke will have at this school, and he yearns to be able to read the Bible during recess. There are other kids that are reading their 'American Girl Doll' magazines, yet others that are reading their 'Harry Potter' books. Luke wants to get in the corner of the playground and read his Bible."

While I doubt this can be the whole story, it certainly makes you wonder.

Verses of The Day Resources

Looking for a page where you can find something new and inspirational every day? Well, it turns out there are a number of websites offering "Verse of the Day" services, including...

• BibleGateway.Com's Verse of the Day
• VerseOfTheDay.Com's Daily Wisdom
• ChristNotes's Daily Verse
• GodIsGroovy.Com's VOTD

This may be a way to start each morning with a smile... or at least a profound look of thoughtfulness.

Bible Trivia Quiz

Bible Quizzing is about storing up God's word in your heart. But it is also about fun and competition. Ready to try your brain at a little of Bible trivia instead of the usual textual stuff that we do? Check out tddm.org's "Famous Doc Gospel Trivia Test". It has topics ranging all over the Old and New Testaments, and might be a way to check just how deep and wide your general Bible knowledge goes.

Of course, the more you memorize scripture for Quiz Team, the easier such quizzes like this one become.

Old Man versus the New Man

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 7:18-20

100 Minute Bible?

Quiz Team is all about taking the time to really learn God's word. We spend weeks learning chapters and memorizing verses. We spend a whole season dedicated to a very few books of the New Testament. But apparently not everyone is willing to do that. Hmmmm...

A Church of England vicar was on Wednesday unveiling his self-styled "100-Minute Bible", an ultra-condensed edition of the Christian holy book which claims to neatly summarise every teaching from the Creation to the Revelation.
The Reverend Michael Hinton was launching his work at Canterbury Cathedral in southern England, the headquarters of the Anglican Church...
"This is a book for adults and has been written in a style to encourage readers to keep turning the pages, but without resorting to any literary gimmicks," said Len Budd from the publishing firm.

Personally, I really don't think you can beat reading the original. But this might be a very effective tool for Evangelism and raising interest among those who are curious and seeking God.

Romans 4 Study Guide

The next generation of Family Study Guides is up and ready for your quizzing pleasure. Click thru for the excitement in your favorite format: web page, PDF, or RTF.

Fall Out Follow-Up

Want to follow up on the message shared by Josh McDowell at Fall Out 2005? He has a website set to help. It encourages and helps you to live a life that he describes as "Cross Culture". In otherwords, not copying the world, but living out a different kind of life than the world does.

Noah Can Be So Punny

Romans 3 Crossword Puzzle

Need something else to help you prepare for tonight's quiz practice? What about a crossword puzzle from QuizCoach.Com? This is a little Java thing that you can "play" through almost any modern web browser. Every answer is directly from the chapter, and will test your knowledge of the text. Enjoy!

Fall Out 2005 Awsome!!!

What an awsome day we had at Fall Out 2005 in Allentown, PA. Great music by TobyMac, Skillet, Day of Fire and The Elms. Great games like: Rock Climbing, American Gladiator style jousting, Obstical Courses and others.

To see many pictures from the event click Here.

From these pictures, it is obvious that TobyMac liked the group from Trumbull, the best. :)

Toby Mac in local Allentown PA paper

The Morning Call - a local Allentown paper - has up a nice article on Toby Mac, the main draw of the Fallout 2005 concert.

''I think people get turned off immediately by the word 'rap,' by the words 'hip-hop,' '' says tobyMac, 40.
''But I think that's just a part of the journey that different people are on. I mean, I think people begin to realize that you can glorify God, you can talk about anything you want, in any style of music. I don't think you can limit what kind of music God can breathe through, and what kind of music we can worship him with.
''I think it's a matter of the heart of the artist as you're creating. I think if you love that music, you could pull that music out of associating yourself with a gang. I think if you love rock music, you can pull that music out without associating yourself with 'sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.'

Toby seems to be a good spokesman for the Christian message and for getting outsiders to accept Christian rock. And, from what I hear from the weekend, he is a genuinely nice guy. (Even when a certain unnamed quiz teamer interrupts the middle of a basketball game to get a picture.)

Fallout 2005 is history

Well the first official QT social has come and gone and the results are in, AWESOME. Check out a few pictures to verify that the highlight for most was to meet live and in person Toby Mac! By the way who is this kid in the orange T-shirt and what is he doing in the middle of our Bball game?

Political Correctness on the Spiritual Plane

For Those Who Missed the Concert...

If you are reading this right now, chances are you (like me) had to miss the Fallout 2005 event that the rest of the quiz team is currently enjoying (or on the way to enjoying, depending on when you are reading this and how much traffic they hit). Well, they're not the only ones who can enjoy a little tobyMac goodness. Check out this link for a free (and legal) site to stream the big guy's music to your home computer! Woo-hoo!!! We can make our own concert right here in CT!

And if you are a Josh McDowell fan instead (or also) check out this site for some resources to make a do-it-yourself Josh McDowell apologetics seminar!

And if you were really looking forward to the sports competitions, what about the TheologyWeb Ice Hockey Game?

REMINDER: Fallout 2005 is *TOMORROW*

Don't forget that Fallout 2005 is tomorrow. Please plan to bring at least $10 for food (unless you brown-bag both lunch and dinner - have breakfast before you come), $5 for gas money, and keep in mind that there will be places to buy CDs, T-shirts, etc. all of which cost additional money, if you want them. A beach chair or blanket to sit on would also be a good idea.

Please arrive at the church by 8:45 AM. The vans leave at 9 AM sharp. We have a long way to go, so every minute we are late means missing some of the event.

We will be returning from the event around midnight - a call will be placed from the road to give parents a better idea of the exact time. Please note that this event will be going from 9 AM (cool) going thru the afternoon (hot) until the late evening (cool), so please bring a jacket or sweatshirt for the cooler hours and something light for the warmer hours. The event is outside, rain or shine, so you may want to bring a hat, umbrella, or raincoat if it looks questionable.

Family Study Guide for Romans 3 is *ONLINE*

That's right, everyone's favorite reading for the week is up and online. Click here for the newest study guide, available in 3 different flavors: web page, PDF, or RTF.

Next week's study guide is written by a special celebrity ex-quizzer. Stay tuned!

A Look Back on Calvary 2

Okay, this is the last softball posting for 2005. But I thought the quizzers might enough checking out this link with a look back at the 2005 softball season for Matt and the other intrepid players who represented Calvary Church both on and off the field. Definitely proof that competition is not anti-Christian, but rather a good way to foster a sense of family among Christians and encourage excellence. Not-So-Coincidentally, these are the same reasons we do Quiz Team.

Warning! Large download (so don't click thru if you are on dial-up) and it requires QuickTime to run.

How do I study, anyway?

One question that inevitably comes up in the life of each quizzer is, "What is the best way to study?" Over the years, we have had a number of answers to that question and inevitably the answer is "Whatever works best for you." This year, we are asking every quizzer to read thru the chapter twice daily, as that is a study method which works as an effective minimum for most quizzers. But check out this article for some more ways to improve your study habits.

Study in small doses. Three 10 minute sessions during the day work a lot better for me than trying to sit down and do 2 or 3 hours straight.
Try different ways of study. You can study the material. You can study questions. You can study by yourself. You can study in a group. You can study with your dog. Try several combinations and see what works best for you.
Suppose you only want to study 2 hours a week. If this is all you can do, my suggestion is to read the chapter 2 or 3 times and then answer the study questions.
Suppose you want to study 2 hours a day. If you want to be a hard core quizzer and be one of the top scorers in the denomination you will have to memorize the material. There will probably be a number of quizzers this year who will be able to quote all of the material.

There is a lot of talent on our team this year. What will it take for you to be a quizzing star?

Church Buildings Are Complicated

With the sale of the Pulpit Rock House on the agenda for tonight's Congregational Meeting, this cartoon seemed all too on-topic.

Calvary 2's Post-Season Ends

Well, as the Quizzing Season begins for a new year, the Softball Season ends. Calvary's #2 Softball team came up on their second game of the post-season with high hopes. Matt manned third base and got in a double-play, but in the end their heroic efforts were not enough to overcome ASAP Trucking.

For pictures of the game, click the image above. For the pictures from the whole season, click here.

Geneva Bible Donated to PA Church

It is amazing what can happen with anonymous donors. One recently gave a church in Pennsylvania a Bible from 1584.

The first Geneva Bible was printed in 1560 in Geneva, Switzerland. More than 140 editions were printed in the next 84 years.
"It went through multiple editions," said Richard Kuhta, librarian at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.
Geneva Bibles came into being during the five-year reign of Mary Tudor, who was England's Queen from 1553 to 1558. She was succeeded by Elizabeth I.
A Catholic known as "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants, Mary Tudor was determined to roll back the Reformation and bring Roman Catholicism back to England.
A number of Protestant scholars fled to Geneva.
There, the scholars translated the Bible from Latin to English. Scholars who tried that in England were persecuted severely by Queen Mary. Burning at the stake was a common punishment of the day for such heretics.
"The 1550s were a very troubled time in England," Kuhta said. As a result, Geneva became the center for Biblical scholarship.
Queen Elizabeth restored Protestantism to England and the first Geneva Bible was printed in England in 1575. Geneva Bibles remained popular with the English people long after the introduction of the King James version.

The church has been displaying the Bible for a while, but had decided to auction off the gift or donate it to a local theological seminary. It is a piece of history, but better off being used to help out those in need.

Bible Welcomes Katrina Victims Home

This story is perhaps more symbolic than truly Bible news, but it is pretty cool to hear about. Two Hurricane Katrina victims came home to find everything in tatters, except their family Bibles which were resting neatly on their doorstep.

When Patricia Franco entered her home on Lake Holden for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck, her Bible sat in the doorway.
Next door, her neighbor and boyfriend of five years, Alva Davis, entered his home -- his Bible also sat in the doorway.
"I thought that was neat," Franco said.
It was probably the only thing she found "neat" Wednesday as she picked through the items she could salvage from her flooded home.
"The water was over the roof," she said.

For some reason, I am reminded of the parable of the man who build his house on the sand... and the one who built his house on the Rock.

Family Study Guide for Romans 2

The study guide for Romans 2 is up and ready for your studying pleasure. This week our guest devotional writer is Pastor John Roy (stay tuned for more celebrity writers, including former quizzers). And be sure to check out the FTVs and the sample questions for a chance to improve your game for the next practice.

Remember, family study guides can always be found here.

A Picture of the Next Generation

Thanks to former quizzer Will (nickname "Pure Nard") for the picture!

Quizzers: The Next Generation

Take one part Lee (nickname "Flee") from the early 90s of quizzing. Add one part of Anne (nickname "Mumbles") from the late 90s of quizzing. What do you get? Perhaps the next generation of quizzing. Aurora (no nickname yet) was born on the anniversary of her parent's wedding, making September 4 even more special.

No pictures of the baby are out there, yet. But I think this one will do.

This is Only a Test

See You At the Pole!

See You At The Pole actually started during my days in high school (no jokes about my riding wooly mamoths to school, please!) as a way to witness to the world about the Christian faith, and to pray for our schools. It has grown into a national (and even international) movement, and is now a major event for many youth groups. If you are in a private or public school, please consider praying at the pole on September 21. If you are a home schooler, I believe a group from our church always prays at the Trumbull Town Hall.

Is There Such a Thing as a Quizzer-In-Law?

Wait! What is this former quizzer doing? Won't this get his knees dirty? What am I missing?

But seriously, congratulations to Will and Amy. May their engagement be like a dream, and their marriage be waking up to a beautiful spring day together.

Quiz Team Kickoff 2005 Pictures Now Online

The pictures taken at the Quiz Team Kickoff 2005 can now be viewed online. Click by and check out the infamous "Polar Pete".

Reminder: Fallout 2005 is Coming!

Just a reminder that Fallout 2005 is coming. If you have not already paid Jim for your tickets, you'll want to do so soon.

Quiz Teamers on WFIF!

This Saturday, WFIF will be playing interviews with a number of the folks who went on missions trips this summer, including several Quiz Teamers. It will be September 3 at 2 PM. WFIF is 1500 on your AM dial, or you check can check out their website and click on the LISTEN LIVE link to hear it over the internet.

NEW FEATURE: Family Study Guide for Romans 1

We are introducing another new feature to Quiz Team this year. We want to give (1) parents a way to integrate quizzing into the family devotional time and (2) give quizzers some study helps for the week. These new study guides will be published every week for the chapter(s) being studied and will contain:

1. A brief devotional reading on the chapter
2. Some questions for discussion on the chapter
3. An outline of the chapter, indicating its major parts
4. The Finish-the-Verse questions for the chapter (for family memory verses)
5. Sample questions for the chapter

Our hope is that parents will use this resource to study Romans as a family, and that quizzers will use this resource as a way to focus their study. While Bible Quizzing is about competition, it is more importantly a way to learn scripture and save it up in our hearts. The more we invest the Word into our hearts and minds, the more useful it will be in our lives.

These study guides will be archived on a special Family Edition page of the Quizzer's Pad for easy access in the future.

(And I will note that the "sample questions" are taken directly from the actual quizzes made up for the week. If you learn the answers to those 20 questions, you will definitely have a chance to jump and get a question.)