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In today’s blog we'll discuss how you can use AI as a helpful tool for writing your sermons, without compromising a God-inspired message.
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As a pastor, have you ever wondered what it must’ve been like writing a sermon before the internet? Needless to say, researching, outlining, and building a sermon took more time than it takes with the search engines and applications we have now.
While the internet, computers, and smart devices have become common uses for efficient sermon writing, the advancement of Artificial Intelligence makes the sermon process even easier — without compromising the integrity of sharing God’s Word.
In today’s blog, I will be going over how you can use AI as a helpful tool for writing your sermons, without compromising a God-inspired message.
I don’t know what you’ve heard about Artificial Intelligence… But it’s possible the idea of AI in church may either make you suspicious or excited.
Whatever your thoughts on AI might be, it’s important to know that AI serves as a tool for your ministry and devotion to communicating the gospel. AI is not here to take the place of writing your sermons and certainly isn’t some kind of dystopian, sentient machine that’s attempting to take over spiritual leadership.
If you’re curious about what exactly AI is, and how it works, then you might enjoy our article on defining Artificial Intelligence. If you’re curious in what ways AI can serve as a tool for efficient sermon writing, whether out of skepticism or intrigue, then I’ve got you covered.
Conducting thorough research is important for creating a strong, compelling sermon –– but it can also be time-consuming. Pastors often spend significant time digging through scriptures, theological texts, commentaries, and historical references to gather relevant insights for their message.
AI is able to streamline the research process by quickly analyzing large datasets of religious literature, and vetting information related to the topics or themes you're searching for. By taking advantage of AI-powered research tools, pastors can gather a wealth of knowledge in a fraction of the time it would typically take.
Similar to sermon research, Sneha Khedkar of Editage Insights explains how AI is used or academic or business research:
“Some AI tools can accelerate literature search by identifying topics of your interest and suggesting papers that may be relevant to you. Some help analyze research papers at a ‘superhuman’ speed. They achieve this by automating time-consuming tasks like summarizing research papers and extracting figures, tables, and other data.”
In addition to using AI to help with research, there are AI-based sermon writing tools that allow you to collect snippets of research online and stash them away for later sermons. This helps pastors build their own database of research that they’ve collected on their own.
Depending on what AI program you might use for sermon research, be mindful of the research’s credibility. While AI can make research quick and efficient, programs such as ChatGPT draw from the internet and typically don’t provide sources. Just like the internet, the research provided isn’t always credible.
As Joy E A Qualls of Influence Magazine puts it, “[...] the information AI produces is only as good as its programming and the digital content it gleans.” Along these lines, Josh Burnett of Carey Nieuwhof points out that “Sometimes AI will make up information, which AI researchers call ‘hallucinating.’” Burnett clarifies that “AI is more likely to hallucinate in more complex scenarios.” In Burnett’s case, he asked ChatGPT to summarize a book he had read. To his surprise, the AI program gave him a detailed account that was completely false.
When it comes to using AI, it’s important to still conduct your research with critical thinking and to be aware of the limitations of whatever AI program you might be using. It may help research accuracy by using AI programs that are specifically designed for sermon writing.
When writing sermons week-in and week-out, it can be difficult for pastors to come up with fresh perspectives on familiar biblical narratives and themes. While pastors should first spend time in prayer, study, and talk with fellow church leaders, AI can provide new insights by generating content ideas based on a given prompt. For example, pastors can input specific topics or keywords into AI platforms, prompting the AI to produce sermon outlines, relevant scripture, character studies, or illustrative examples relevant to the sermon theme.
AI is a great tool for enhancing grammar and language during the writing process. Using this function of AI not only saves time in editing grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, but can also assist in crafting eloquent and impactful language use for effective sermon delivery.
AI-powered writing assistants are typically equipped with grammar correction, vocabulary suggestions, and stylistic analysis that can help pastors refine their language and enhance the overall quality of their sermons. By providing real-time feedback and suggestions, these tools enable pastors to polish their drafts and communicate their message with clarity and precision.
Notable AI-writing assistant company Grammarly, gives a helpful overview of how their AI language processing works:
“Grammarly’s AI system combines machine learning with a variety of natural language processing approaches. Human language has many levels at which it can be analyzed and processed: from characters and individual words through grammatical structures and sentences, even paragraphs or full texts. Natural language processing is a branch of AI that involves teaching machines to understand and process human language (English, for instance) and perform useful tasks, such as machine translation, sentiment analysis, essay scoring, and, in our case, writing enhancement.”
AI’s language processing capabilities are more than correcting words or suggesting auto-generated sentences, but provide pastors with the assistance of crafting an impactful message through the writing process.
AI offers a variety of benefits for sermon preparation, giving it a place in the church. While this might be the case, it’s essential for pastors to approach AI’s integration with careful consideration of ethical implications. Pastors must ensure that AI is used as a tool for enhancement rather than a replacement for human insight and discernment.
In a blog by sermon preparation resource Homiletics Online, the Homiletics team compiled some pastors’ thoughts on the use, capabilities, and limitations of AI with sermons. The popular opinion seems to show that AI is helpful in compiling useful information, but of course can not make up for the personal (the “human warmth,” one pastor says) or the spiritual elements of preaching.
Homiletics quotes editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, Rev. Russel Moore, who states that:
“Preaching needs someone who knows the text and can convey that to the people, [...] But it’s not just about transmitting information. When we listen to the Word preached, we are hearing not just a word about God but a word from God.”
Accompanied by this point — Homiletics quotes a seasoned pastor from Tennessee, Mike Glenn, who emphasizes that “When listening to a sermon, what a congregation is looking for is evidence that the pastor has been with Jesus.” Glenn explains that part of what makes a sermon “authentic” is the “pastor’s own testimony.”
At the end of the day, AI isn’t meant to make up for a pastor’s theology, their relationship with God, or their gift for preaching. The role of a pastor and AI should look similar to that of an accountant and Excel. While Excel might help an accountant collect data, simplify equations, and put together ledgers and balance sheets, it’s up to the accountant to know how to competently use those capabilities and be able to interpret what they mean.
Artificial Intelligence is a breakthrough achievement that can be used for easier, more efficient, and impactful sermon preparation. Just remember: with great power comes, great responsibility. It’s the job of pastors to study scripture, seek God, and use AI as a tool –– not a replacement for theology or leadership.
