The conversation about AI in the pulpit is happening whether we like it or not. Some pastors embrace it eagerly; others worry it cheapens the sacred task of proclamation. The truth, as usual, is nuanced.
What AI Can (and Can't) Do for Sermons
AI excels at research tasks: finding cross-references, summarizing commentary perspectives, generating illustration ideas, and structuring outlines. It cannot replace pastoral sensitivity, personal testimony, the leading of the Holy Spirit, or the pastor's knowledge of their congregation.
- AI CAN: Research exegesis, find cross-references, suggest outlines
- AI CAN: Generate illustration ideas and application angles
- AI CAN: Help structure your thoughts and identify gaps
- AI CANNOT: Replace your pastoral voice and personal stories
- AI CANNOT: Know your congregation's struggles and context
- AI CANNOT: Provide the Holy Spirit's guidance in prayer
The Ethics of AI-Assisted Preaching
Using AI for sermon research is not different in kind from using commentaries, sermon illustration books, or even Google. The ethical line is transparency and effort. AI should accelerate your study, not replace it. You should understand and agree with everything in your sermon.
"I use AI the way I use a concordance — as a starting point for deeper study, not a destination." — Pastor David Chen, First Community Church
A Practical AI Workflow
Monday: AI-Powered Research Sprint
Feed your passage into an AI tool and get initial exegesis, historical context, and cross-references. This replaces 2-3 hours of manual commentary reading with a 15-minute research sprint. Then verify and deepen the parts that resonate with your pastoral instinct.
Tuesday-Wednesday: Outline and Develop
Use AI-generated outlines as a starting framework. Reorganize, add your personal illustrations, and infuse each point with application specific to your congregation. The AI gives you structure; you give it soul.
Thursday: Illustrations and Polish
Let AI suggest illustration angles, then choose and customize the ones that fit your congregation. Polish transitions, sharpen your Big Idea, and read the draft aloud to check for natural flow.
Friday: Practice and Pray
This day is entirely human. Practice delivery, pray over the message, and make final adjustments. The sermon is now fully yours — AI just helped you get here faster.
Choosing the Right AI Tool
Generic AI tools like ChatGPT can help, but they lack theological guardrails. Purpose-built tools like SermonForge include denomination-specific profiles, biblical cross-referencing, and structured sermon workflows that keep the output pastorally appropriate.
SermonForge is built specifically for pastors — with denomination-aware theology, a 5-step sermon pipeline, and the understanding that AI assists; it doesn't replace.