Use text files to track your Scripture Memory verses

At the beginning of my own Scripture Memory practice, I used paper cards for my verses. But for a decade I’ve used digital text files instead.

I’ve been using text files for many years. I really like it.

Text files can be a useful adjunct to other media. Or replace them entirely. For example:

• Paper cards
• PDFs
• ebooks
• Audio files

Here are some things I really like about using text files for Scripture Memory:

Text files can be read by every computer and smartphone and tablet in the world. They are the ultimate cross-platform media.

Compared with any other format, their file size is miniscule. There is no other type of file that is smaller. That means they take up very little computer memory. And it means they use the least-possible bandwidth when you are on a mobile connection.

Text files are super easy to edit. I find them far easier to edit than word processing documents.

Text files are super fast to load. They load almost instantaneously. No other type of file loads so quickly.

You can make new text files, or add comments to an existing file, from any device, with a minimum of fuss.

If you store them in a Cloud, then you can access them from all your devices. I have experimented with four popular Cloud services:

• iCloud
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Microsoft OneDrive

It is very very easy to make a “flashcard” style effect.

They are far simpler to make (or update) than an ebook.

If you are into minimalism, text files are the most minimalistic file that exists.

With all the popular note-taking apps, such as Evernote and OneNote and many others, your notes are locked into their proprietary Cloud. To keep accessing your own notes, you must keep paying. And you cannot easily export your notes in some other format to use elsewhere. But text files can be stored anywhere.

Text files will not go out of date. They have been around since computer terminals with video screens first became available. And text files will almost certainly outlive us all.

You might wonder what the text looks like inside a Text File. So I’ll show you a sample chapter:

RESOURCES

• Our Scripture Memory Schedule
• Introducing our Scripture Memory Project
• Our Scripture Memory chapters
• Bible Chapters We’d Like to Memorize
• All our articles about Scripture Memory

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.