JOEL MILLER

1. What years did you quiz?
   1985-1989
2. Where and for what church did you quiz?
   Bedford, IN
3. What were the highlights of your quizzing years?
   The teammates with whom I quizzed became lifelong friends, and those are what I appreciate the most now. Another highlight was the opportunity to travel around the country to the quizzes. My coach, Mark Colgan, also made each week's practice a highlight - we spent hours memorizing the Scripture, but also playing basketball, having fun, and deepening our relationship with each other.
4. Did you or your team win any championships? If so, what and when?
   We won several Wabash Conference championships in different divisions. I won the Wabash Conference ST Individuals in 1987. I placed second in STV Individuals at the 1989 Nationals in Seattle. (My good friends Hans Huffman and Rick Murphy were 1st and 3rd that year.)
5. What was your favorite scripture? Why?
   Matthew 6:19-21 continues to be a challenge to me. As a physician, we are programmed from very early on in our training that we deserve the financial rewards that might come our way and we should begin to "store up" that earthly treasure as soon as possible. Even as a missionary, I am tempted to focus on earthly treasures, but these words of Jesus help me re-arrange my priorities and be willing to sacrifice what the world offers for that "treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal." Jesus' call to self-sacrificing and cross-bearing is not easy to hear or follow in our day, but with the Spirit's help, we can live out that call and the world might just be transformed by it.
6. How did quizzing affect you as a teen?
   Quizzing was a positive outlet for my competitive tendencies. I learned the value of sportsmanship and of striving for excellence. My best friends from that period of my life were in Bible Quizzing and many of my role models for the Christian life were also part of my Quizzing world. Quizzing was also often the only Bible reading and study I did during the week, and I am thankful that I had that programmed into my weekly routine.
7. What difference has quizzing made in your life to this day?
   I learned not only how to memorize Scripture, but was able to use many of those same skills as I went on to medical school. Self-disciplines learned from those years of study and teamwork continue to serve me well. Many of the friends I made during my quizzing years continue to be encouragements to me and role models of the Christian walk.
8. Are you presently involved in Bible quizzing in any way? If so, how?
   In college, I helped coach and quizmaster at several tournaments and have done so randomly since then.
9. What ministries are you currently doing? How are you presently active in serving the Lord?
   My wife, four children, and I are finishing our first term with Free Methodist World Missions in Mexico City, Mexico. I am a Family Physician, and we are a part of a larger team effort to see our Mexico City neighborhood reached for Christ. Prior to coming to Mexico City, I worked in a medical clinic serving the homeless population of downtown Indianapolis.