Why I'm building Study Trail Bible

I’ve wanted a better way to study the Bible for a long time. Not a bigger library or more features. A way to follow Scripture where it leads.

When I study a passage, one verse points to another, and that one points to another. On paper, that means flipping pages and losing my place. On most screens, it means losing the original verse altogether. I wanted to tap a cross-reference, read it, and come back to exactly where I started.

That is the heart of Study Trail Bible. Each verse’s cross-references open in their own tabs, so you can follow the trail and return to the verse you began with. On top of that, I’m adding the simple tools I would use every week: highlights, notes tied to verses, bookmarks, a saved history, and search.

It’s early. I have a working prototype, and I’m building it one piece at a time.

What it’s for

The purpose is simple: help people know God through His word, and grow together in it.

That shapes the choices I’m making:

• Scripture comes first. The text and its connections come before any commentary. Commentary helps us see the text. It never replaces it.
• Depth over speed. Cross-references, background and notes are one tap away. The tool should help people study, not skim.
• Growth is not a scoreboard. No rankings and no public counts. Your progress is private, and a missed day is forgiven.
• Together. Small groups are the center. I want a leader to be able to post a passage and questions, and for everyone in the group to answer and encourage one another.
• Free and trustworthy. The core stays free. Your notes belong to you, and nothing is shared unless you choose to share it.

Where it is now

Right now it is a closed, invite-only site for my own small group. I’d rather get it right with a few people who will tell me the truth than launch to everyone too early. For now I’m using only public-domain Bible text and sources, and I credit what I use.

I’m also building this with help from AI tools. Anything drafted that way, I read, edit and stand behind before it reaches anyone.

What to expect here

This blog is where I’ll share what I’m building and what I’m learning along the way: how the tool is changing, the studies our group works through, and what Scripture is teaching me in the process.

If you’d like your group to try it, send a note through the invite button on the home page.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105 (KJV)