AI for Sermon Prep: Your Study Partner (Not Your Ghostwriter)
AI for Sermon Prep: Your Study Partner (Not Your Ghostwriter)
Let’s get this out of the way first:
AI is not your study stand-in.
It’s your research assistant with zero attitude, unlimited energy, and no theological bones to pick (thank God).
If the thought of using AI in sermon prep makes you feel like you’re cheating, you’re not alone.
I get it.
As preachers, we have spent years learning how to rightly divide the Word... not delegate it to an algorithm.
But here’s the thing:
AI doesn’t replace the work. It removes the wasted time.
Let me show you how.
The Sermon Process—Upgraded
Most pastors have a method:
- Pray
- Open Bible
- Open Logos
- Open 14 tabs you’ll regret
- Get lost in a rabbit hole about ancient Mesopotamian architecture
- Panic
- Make coffee
- Panic again
Now let’s drop AI into the middle of that.
1. Start with Scripture, Not ChatGPT
Your job is still to choose the passage and do the work.
Once you’ve got your text, ask AI:
“Write out [John 15:1-11] in the Greek, transliterate it, and comment the key words that have the greatest bearing on the interpretation of the passage.”
In 10 seconds, you’ve got a cheat sheet you can use to double-check your own study, or launch deeper into the one you just started.
You still need to wrestle with the text—but now you're tag-teaming a cage match with a research bot that doesn’t sleep.
Next, use this prompt:
"Is there any historical, grammatical or theological context of the book of [John] that has any bearing on the meaning or interpretation of the text?"
Boom. That’s 20 minutes of your life saved from reading about the tensile strength of goat hair tents in your Bible Handbook.
2. Brainstorm Illustrations Like a Creative Team of 10
Illustrations are necessary.
(They are, in my book—and clearly, they were in Jesus’ too.)
But... good illustrations are hard to come by.
With AI, less so.
Let’s say your message is on abiding in Christ.
You’re fresh out of metaphors that don’t sound like an overcooked devotional from 1997.
Ask AI:
“What are 5 modern, visual metaphors that communicate the concept of abiding in Christ?”
Whammo. You’ve got fresh angles.
You don’t have to use them, but they might spark your own ideas.
The goal isn’t to outsource creativity.
It’s to accelerate it.
3. Brainstorm Application So It Actually Hits Real Life
Preaching isn’t just informing minds...
It's aiming for transformed lives.
So if there’s no application, it’s not a sermon. It’s a Bible lecture.
So around any given principle your prep is unearthing, you have to ask:
How practical is this Kingdom principle I am communicating, really?
Ask AI:
“Based on this sermon idea [principle or truth point], what would someone’s life look like if they lived this out? What would it look like if they ignored it?”
Now you’ve got language for consequences and transformation.
And yes, you could think of that yourself. But why not run a few mental laps with a machine that doesn’t get sermon fatigue?
Wait—Isn’t This Lazy?
Only if you let it be.
Can you see how you are still doing the hard work of sermon prep?
But now with tools that are faster than juggling the 8 commentaries, lexicons and handbooks laid out across your desk.
(Or, even whatever you were doing on Google for that matter.)
If you copy-paste AI content straight into your notes without filtering it through prayer, study, and sweat—you’re missing the whole point.
AI is like a microwave.
Convenient? Absolutely.
A replacement for grandma’s roast beef recipe? Absolutely not.
You still have to cook.
But AI can pre-chop your onions and wash the dishes.
The Final Word (That You Still Have to Write)
Here’s your new rule:
AI can serve your sermon.
It can’t be your sermon.
It’s not a shortcut.
It’s a supplement.
Sermon prep is still (and will always be) a Spirit-led, wrestle-with-the-text, prayer-saturated exercise.
If you want to preach sharper, clearer, and faster...
AI can help.
Just remember:
Your people don’t need a machine to feed them.
They need you—anointed, prepared, and fully alive.
Are you using AI in your sermon prep?
I'd love to know some of your best "prep prompts."
Hit "reply" and let me know!
More Resources To Help You Optimize
🥤Momentum Shake: The Complete Longevity Shake for Optimal Health
🎥 Sermon Shots: Repurpose Sermons Into Clips & Other Engaging Content in Minutes
💊 My (Scott's) full supplement regimen
