Bible Drill Games: Rules, Verses, and How to Run One

A Bible drill, also called a sword drill, is a competitive game where players race to find a specific verse after a leader calls out the reference. Everyone starts with their Bible closed, the leader calls the reference and gives the signal to begin, and the first person to find the verse and read it aloud correctly wins the round.

It's a Sunday school and youth group staple for good reason. It builds real familiarity with how the Bible is organized, rewards genuine practice rather than luck, and works for almost any group size.

How to Run a Bible Drill Step by Step

1. Everyone starts with a closed Bible, held at their side or straight up above their head so nobody has a head start.
2. The leader calls out a reference, for example "Philippians 4:6," clearly enough for everyone to hear.
3. The leader gives the signal, traditionally "charge" or "draw swords."
4. Players race to find the verse. No calling out where you are or asking for help, this is on your own.
5. The first player to find it stands up. Once called on, they read the verse aloud.
6. Confirm the answer. If correct, they get the point. If incorrect, play continues and the next player who stands gets a chance.
7. Repeat with a new reference, rotating through different books and testaments to keep it varied.

Bible Drill Variations

Books of the Bible drill. Instead of a specific verse, the leader names a book, and players race to find its location in the table of contents or by flipping through. Works well for kids who are still learning the order of the books.

Team drill. Split into teams instead of individual competition. Whichever team's fastest player finds the verse first scores for the whole team, this keeps slower readers engaged without singling anyone out.

Topic drill. Instead of calling a reference, the leader describes a topic ("a verse about God's love") and players search for any verse they know that fits, then explain their choice. Less about speed, more about recall and application.

Tips for Different Age Groups

Younger kids (under 8). Use a books of the Bible drill instead of chapter and verse, and stick to well known, short books. Speed matters less here than building basic familiarity with the Bible's structure.

Elementary age. Standard sword drill format with well known verses works well. Consider color coded Bible tabs to help newer readers navigate faster.

Tweens and teens. Increase the difficulty with less familiar references, minor prophets, mid-chapter verses, or specific epistles, and consider adding a short discussion question after each round about what the verse means.

Verses Good for Drill Practice

Start with the familiar ones and build from there: John 3:16, Psalm 23:1, Genesis 1:1, Philippians 4:13, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5-6, Joshua 1:9, and Jeremiah 29:11 all work well for beginners. For a harder round, pull references from Habakkuk, Obadiah, or the middle chapters of Isaiah, books most players are far less familiar with.

For more Bible knowledge games and a version that works well for both Sunday school and family devotion time, see Bible Word Search for Kids & Sunday School and the FaithSpark Bible games at mindgardenpress.com/faithspark-app/.