Jeremy Betz's chances of taking home the $100,000 top prize in the National Bible Bee will be greatly improved if the championship round comes down to questions from the book of James.

That's because the Rapid City teen managed to memorize all five chapters of that New Testament book as part of his home-school curriculum last year.

"I'll be a little rusty," Jeremy, 15, admits, if he had to quote it chapter and verse today. But after a summer of Scripture study to prepare for the first-ever National Bible Bee to be held in Washington, D.C., in November, he could be a contender.

With the goal of bringing back the lost discipline of Scripture memorization, the National Bible Bee is a Bible memory competition for students ages 7-18. It will offer $260,000 in prize money in three age categories, with $100,000 awarded to the first-place winner in the 15-18 division.

"Scholarship fund," replies Jeremy, when asked what he'd do with the money if he won.

But first, he'll have to qualify for the national bee by competing in South Dakota's lone local contest, which will be in Pierre on Sept. 12. The deadline to register for the state contest is April 30, giving registered contestants the summer to study for the two-part test using a study guide that's provided, said Barb Bishop, a member of Community Bible Church in Pierre, which will host the statewide competition.

Contestants will be scored on both a multiple-choice written exam and an oral round, where they'll be given a Scripture reference and asked to recite the passage verbatim. They can choose one of five versions of the Bible for the competition. The top 100 scores nationwide in each age category will advance to Washington, based on their combined written and oral scores.

Jeremy will get plenty of practice for the Bible bee from his brothers, Matthew, 13, and Andrew, 11, and his sister, Audrey, 10. The family hopes to be competitive in all three age categories: 7-10, 11-14 and 15-18.

As home-schooled students using a Christian-based curriculum, the Betz siblings are all well-schooled in the Bible, says their mother, Andrea, who doubles as their teacher. They belong to the South Dakota Christian Home Educators group.

Bible devotions are part of their daily school work and the family, which attends Liberty Baptist Tabernacle, studies Scripture with their dad, Ed, several times each week. They've grown up in church, surrounded by people who know the King James version of the Bible and quote it often.

"They know all the Bible stories. But it's more than just stories to us. We want our kids to really have God's word in their heart to live by," Andrea said.

Bible memorization makes that happen, she believes.

"The goal of the Bible bee is to build godly character in young people by calling them back to the lost discipline of Scripture memorization," according to a news release from the Shelby Kennedy Foundation, which sponsors the bee in memory of the 22-year-old cancer victim and her love of Scripture.

Andrea Betz says memorizing something gives it both prominence and familiarity in your life. She hopes memorized Scripture will serve her children well as they move into adulthood and face tough decisions.

"I believe it's important to memorize the Scriptures because what you know in that way becomes a part of you and part of the way you think, and part of the way you make decisions," she said.

Andrew says his favorite Bible verse is Galatians 5:22-23, and reciting it teaches him how to live his life: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: Against such there is no law."

"I just like knowing what the Bible is telling me to act like in my everyday life," he said.

Audrey chooses the better-known John 3:16 as her favorite verse, and says Esther is her favorite biblical woman.

Jeremy, who is interested in studying oceanography in college, chooses 1 John 1:9 as his favorite Bible verse. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Matthew, who hopes to become a missions aviation pilot someday, picks Matthew 4:4, appropriately enough: "Man cannot live on bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." He's also counting on his mastery of more obscure knowledge - such as the fact that the Old Testament prophet Balaam had a talking donkey - to help him get to Washington, D.C.

When the Bible bee study guides arrive in the mail soon after May 1, the Betzes say they'll spend part of their summer reviewing them. But unlike preparing for a spelling bee or a geography competition, they're confident of this material.

"This is something that's part of our daily lives already. To study it is something we're already doing," Andrea said.

The deadline to register for the National Bible Bee is April 30. To learn more, go to www.biblebee.org.

Contact Mary Garrigan at 394-8424 or mary.garrigan@rapidcityjournal.com

Test your own Bible knowledge with these sample questions from the National Bible Bee:

1. Which of the following books comes right before Ephesians?

a. Philemon

b. Galatians

c. Acts

d. Jude

2. What are Jesus' last words in the Gospel of John?

a. Go into all the world preaching the gospel.

b. You must follow me.

c. Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

d. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

3. In what language was the Old Testament written?

a. Greek

b. Persian

c. Hebrew

d. Latin

4. According to Joshua 1:9, what character quality was Joshua commanded to demonstrate?

a. Integrity

b. Humility

c. Courage

d.Kindness

Answers: 1-b, 2-b, 3-c, 4-c.