5 Reasons to Use AI in Your Sermon Preparation Process

Is it ok to use AI in your Sermon Preparation Process? 

Whenever this question is asked in articles online, the primary example that’s used for discussion is- is it ok if AI starts writing sermons? These articles tend to pit listening to the Holy Spirit against using AI to write a sermon. These articles make huge, untrue assumptions about the use of AI and consequently comes to an unfortunate conclusion that AI should not be trusted in the church and used as little as possible.

Using AI for Sermons Appropriately

AI should never write a sermon for you. AI is meant to assist you in your writing process, but it should never sit in the driver’s seat. You are responsible for what God is trying to say to your congregation. However, as any pastor knows, sermon-writing is hard. Pastors will use any and every resource available to write an effective sermon each week. AI is one of those tools a pastor could use as a part of their sermon preparation process.

AI is an Amazing Sermon Tool 

The truth is- AI is an amazing tool pastors should immediately start using to help in their sermon-writing process each week. It can help you brainstorm, offer information, insight, and even help you organize your thoughts to produce a more effective sermon in less time.

Here are 5 reasons pastors should use AI to help prepare sermons each week. In offering these reasons, I’ll also share real-life AI tool examples in the free AI-powered sermon tool platform, SermonSpark.

5 Reasons Pastors Should Use AI When Preparing Sermons

AI can help you brainstorm sermon ideas

Large language models like ChatGPT or Claude are great at brainstorming sermon ideas. They can offer you ideas for a sermon title, or give you a creative way to present material. For example, SermonSpark has a sermon title creator, and also a metaphor, and sermon illustration creator.

These tools can give you new ideas to point you in the right direction for your sermon. Instead of taking away from listening to God, they can give you a list of ideas that will require you to still go to Him to ask, “Which one is right for what you’re trying to say to this congregation at this time.”

AI can help you organize your sermon thoughts

Sometimes a pastor can brainstorm a ton of ideas and struggle to see the main point of what they’re trying to really say. This lack of clarity can even find its way to what is preached each weekend, even leaving the congregation confused.

AI is a perfect friend to help a pastor clarify their sermon points. A pastor can take their sermon writings, copy and paste them into an llm like Claude, and then simply prompt, “This is a church sermon. Help me organize, clarify, and expand my thoughts ?”. A simple 5-minute chat with an llm like Claude will help a pastor create crystal clear sermon clarity.

AI can help you research your sermon ideas

AI knows a lot. In fact, ChatGPT now allows users to search the internet for answers. When it comes to using AI for sermon research, it’s important to understand how to weigh your results. Use llms like ChatGPT in the same way you might use Wikipedia. A pastor would never only go to Wikipedia for their sermon research. They may start there, but they’ll probably confirm what they’ve found from other sources online. The same is true of any llm result.

Lean into AI for sermon research, as you would any other online tool, but trust it in the same way you’d trust Wikipedia. We would never have people writing articles today scaring people from using Wikipedia for their sermon research. Instead, we just need to suggest context for where/when and how a pastor should use a source like Wikipedia in their sermon.

SermonSpark has three helpful tools here. First, it offers a historical verse context tool that gives robust insight into any verse in the Bible. It also has two tools that will help a person explore Bible verses in their original language. These tools offer great insights into any verse in the Bible.

AI can offer sermon insights

AI is great at helping people think in different ways. For example, you could ask ChatGPT to teach you math as if you were a 5th grader. Or, ask it to respond to a line of questions as if it were an expert or novice on a topic. AI is a wonderful tool to use to gain insights during your sermon prep process.

SermonSpark has a Topic Explorer tool that will help you consider your sermon topic from various view points. You’ll discover what the original hearers of the text might have thought of the topic, along with perspectives from young adults, parents, and non-churchgoers. This tool is a great way to use AI to receive insights on your sermon topic.

AI can give you feedback

You can enter your ideas, brainstorms, or writings into large language model like ChatGPT and ask for feedback. When you do this, it is important to make sure the llm is acting as a Bible scholar or Christian pastor. But, you can get feedback on your writing.

Related to this, you can ask an llm to help edit your writing. Simply paste what you’ve written into your chatbot of choice and ask for help editing. All large language models are prone to summarize so it’s important to be very specific about what you’re looking for your chatbot to look for, fix, and what to not fix.

How NOT to Use AI for Sermons

As a pastor or preacher of the word, you are called to listen to what God wants you to say to your people each week. Each message is meant to be God’s work through you. A pastor should not use AI to completely write a sermon from beginning to end and then preach that sermon as if it was written by them.

It’s Ok to Use AI in Your Sermon-Writing Process 

When used appropriately, AI is an amazing tool in the sermon-writing pastor toolkit. It’s a great way to brainstorm, research, organize, and gain insights during your sermon-writing process. Using a free tool like SermonSpark will also help guide you along the way.

Try out SermonSpark for FREE today

Looking for AI Consulting?

If you’re looking for AI support for your church, schedule a discovery call today. AI for Churches is here to help your church launch into the world of AI. We can answer your questions and equip you with the tools you’ll need to succeed.