Nerds for Jesus

Nerds for Jesus

For the past couple of summers I have explained to people what I am doing for the summer.   I tell people that I volunteer my time with the nerdiest group of people.  They laugh but I have their interest.  I then explain that I volunteer with a Bible quiz ministry and friends who are both Christian and non-Christian are impressed.  This ministry is more than a quiz game.  It encompasses friendships that lasts a lifetime, and for some of us, it is a church outside of the four walls of the churches we attend.

Teenagers all over America study a certain text for the entire school year and memorize it word for word.  Some memorize it better than others, but they know more than most people on staff in churches.   If this ministry were just about memorizing and knowledge, it wouldn’t be great.  It is so much more than that, and maybe that is what has it thriving in the last few years.

Before I entered my freshmen year of high school, I made a commitment.  I would no longer be invisible at school and church.  I would find a way to the beer parties, (Of course I thought I would not drink…um, yeah, that wouldn’t have lasted long.) and become part of the popular crowd at school and church, seeing how many of my church friends participated in those beer parties.  That summer at church camp, a girl encouraged me to join a Bible quiz team.  I wasn’t sold until she said that this is a ministry in which we get to travel.  That sold me.  The travelling got me in, but the friendships that I made and still have to this day thirty years later and the knowledge and understanding of the Bible are what held me in this ministry, in the church, and in the faith of Christ. 

This last week I observed teenagers serving others not to get accolades, but because they wanted to have others see Jesus.  Even the team that won Nationals, went around and cleaned all the classrooms we used for the week to burn off nervous energy before playing in the championship game.  For that, I’m extremely grateful because it was one less thing that the volunteers had to do when everyone left.  These young people are passionate, gracious, kind, and goofy.  They are teenagers, so I know some of their coaches will question how they survive, but in the end, they can see the fruit of all their hard work. 

People in this ministry may enjoy studying, reading, and memorizing, but they really enjoy God’s presence most.  I heard it in their prayers. In their prayers, they just talked to God. I observed it in their friendships, conversations, and service. When you are in God’s Word, His word resonates in all aspects of your life.  They have embodied Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  With an understanding of God’s Word, they are able to conquer mountains that stand in their way.  It is my hope and prayer that they will know and see that any mountain can be conquered with God.

In the world of business, the nerds rule the world.  Maybe, in the church, it is the same.  If more leaders in the church could know and understand what these young people know and understand in the Bible, maybe our churches would not be struggling today to gain respect.  We can learn from young people.  They teach me all the time.  These young people have humility, grace, faith, and strive to learn more about the Bible.  These aspects would guide our churches to be strong and healthy. Nerds need to lead our churches. Congratulations to all of the teams of the 2017-2018 season of National Bible Bowl.  May we all be nerds and study the Word of God so that it is not misused.  Maybe it isn’t nerdy, but it is worthy.  Maybe we all need to serve and show God’s grace no matter what our occupation or our role in life.  Maybe just maybe, the church can look at who is invisible and see the visibility of Christ.