If you give teenagers an extra hour to sleep on a school day, they will take it. This is why it is such an unusual sight to see 50-100 Timothy Christian High School students file into the Ward Athletic Center on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 am. Every Wednesday is a one-hour late start for the high school. And every Wednesday at 8:30 am, Superintendent Matt Davidson leads a Bible study for students. Those who attend represent a cross-section of the high school student body. Some are athletes, some are academic all-stars, some are into the fine arts, some are part of one of Timothy’s technology teams, or Mock Trial, or the business groups. They all come to listen to Mr. Davidson teach them about the Bible and its application. For some, it is their first year of attendance; a few have come all four years of their high school careers. 

Junior Audrey Kisluk transferred to Timothy from a public school. For her, the Bible study is one of the unique features at Timothy. “Studying God’s Word is a great way to start your day,” she says, “and Wednesday is the perfect day because it is midweek and you need a little lift to get you through.”

All Timothy students take Bible classes and attend weekly chapel, but this opportunity is unique. It is voluntary and not required. It focuses on the Bible and its application to the lives of teens. That was the initial goal of the Bible study.

Mr. Davidson explains, “In the fall of 2012, a group of parents, including my wife, Julie, and I, started talking about a Bible study for our high school kids that was highly relevant and not ‘forced.’ No grades, no homework, and something that would help build community.”

Early on, the Bible study was led by some faculty members, but they began to struggle, and attendance dwindled. Mr. Davidson began to lead it himself in 2015, because he firmly believed in the concept, and he has been doing it ever since.

“My goal is to get our students into God’s Word and to inspire them to believe in the authority of Scripture by growing their convictions that the Bible is the best and only playbook for life,” Mr. Davidson says. “One of my other goals is to deepen relationships with our young people and to facilitate the deepening of relationships among themselves. My desire and my life’s work is that our young people would know and believe that God loves them, that He has a purpose for their life, and that nothing will be impossible for them as they live out that purpose for His glory. That’s why our Bible study is titled ‘Unstoppable.’”

“My desire and my life’s work is that our young people would know and believe that God loves them, that He has a purpose for their life, and that nothing will be impossible for them as they live out that purpose for His glory. That’s why our Bible study is titled – ‘Unstoppable.’” —Mr. Matt Davidson

Mr. Davidson started his career in education as a teacher and a coach. As he progressed in his career in education, Mr. Davidson moved into administration. By his own admission he doesn’t miss the classroom, but he does miss teaching. Mr. Davidson has two priorities for this Bible study. He loves kids and looks for opportunities to deepen his relationship with them, and as “the only authority for life and faith,” the Bible is the best tool to prepare students for real world experiences.

Senior Cam Baker has attended Unstoppable for three years. “It’s clear that Mr. Davidson loves us,” he says. “He takes time out of his busy schedule to teach us practical life lessons from the Bible.” 

Junior Micah DeJong likes the Bible study because: “Mr. Davidson challenges us.”

Some might wonder if some students come due to the herd mentality, or because it is “the place to be” on Wednesday mornings. 

“What then [does it matter]? So long as in every way, whether in pretense [for self-promotion] or in all honesty [to spread the truth], Christ is being preached; and in this I rejoice.” Philippians 1:18-20 Amplified Bible (AMP) 

No matter what motivates a students to come early to school on a Wednesday morning, they are going to listen to the Word being taught. When that is happening, it is well worth Mr. Davidson’s time and for students to give up an extra hour of sleep.