Why You Shouldn’t Use AI to Write a Sermon

PREFACE

We have all likely heard a lot about Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots, like ChatGPT. I had no prior usage of any of these Chatbots so I set out to see if it would be proper to use them in sermon preparation. I constructed this sermon by entering the following prompt into six of the top ten AI Chatbots plus one other relatively new one, seven in all.

Prompt: “Please write a 4000 word sermon with outline quoting scripture and biblical principles on why you shouldn't use AI to write a sermon.”

In seconds each Chatbot crafted an outline and a full sermon in accordance with my request.

The irony of my request was not lost on one of the bots (Perplexity) –

It responded like this –

“That’s a really thoughtful and somewhat ironic request! Writing a 4000-word sermon on why you shouldn’t use AI to write a sermon (by having AI write one) carries an inherent paradox. But I understand your intent: you want a comprehensive, scripture-rooted message that cautions against outsourcing the sacred work of preaching to Artificial Intelligence.”

So, to be perfectly clear and totally transparent with you, the words of this sermon are NOT my words. They are a compilation of the responses of all seven AI bots. I merely cut and pasted them into a document. Bear in mind, Artificial Intelligence does not innovate; it draws from the material it finds on the internet and through algorithms structures a report verbatim of what it found.

I did not write this sermon in the traditional sense. I merely collated the seven AI responses to organize the flow, add headers, and delete redundancy, along with a few edits for length and clarity.

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INTRODUCTION

We live in a season of astonishing technological progress. Tools that once belonged to science fiction now sit on our desks and in our pockets. Technology can serve the church — and sometimes it does. Yet today I must speak plainly about a temptation in our day: the temptation to outsource the work of preaching the Word of God to Artificial Intelligence — to let a machine write our sermons.

It is the temptation of efficiency, the allure of the shortcut, the promise of a tool that can, with a few well-placed prompts, craft something that looks and sounds like a sermon.

I want to be clear from the start: this is not a sermon against using technology. Technology is a gift from God, and we see it used for good in countless ways, from livestreaming services to digital Bibles. This is a sermon about the nature of the Word itself and the sacred trust given to those called to preach it.

The sermon is not merely a speech or a collection of words; it is a medium through which God speaks to His people. It is a sacred act, rooted in prayer, study, and the leading of the [Holy] Spirit. Today, we will explore why entrusting this task to AI undermines the biblical principles of preaching, the authenticity of the preacher’s calling, and the transformative power of God’s Word.

The temptation to use AI assistance for sermon preparation might seem practical, even reasonable. After all, doesn’t AI have access to vast theological resources, commentaries, and biblical knowledge?

 

It can process the entirety of the Bible in a millisecond. It can cross-reference every theological commentary ever written. But it cannot believe.

 

A sermon written by AI, therefore, is a ghost. It has the shape of a sermon, it has the words of a sermon, but it lacks the soul. It is a beautifully crafted report about the Word, but it is not a living act of faith. And what our world desperately needs is not more information about God, but a living encounter with Him.

Preaching is not a mere transfer of facts—it is the living communication of God’s truth, spoken through a man with God’s Holy Spirit. When we look to shortcuts—whether through [outright] sermon plagiarism or, in our modern day, through the outsourcing of preaching to Artificial Intelligence—we tread on dangerous ground. Preaching is holy, weighty, blood-bought work. It cannot be delegated to [the ghost in the machine].

Today, we will explore the practice of using AI to write sermons. This is not about rejecting technology entirely, but about understanding the irreplaceable elements of authentic ministry that cannot and should not be outsourced to machines.

 

THE CALL OF THE PREACHER

 

2Ti 4:1-5 NKJV

(1)  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

(2)  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

 

What does Scripture demand of those called to preach? When Paul charges Timothy in our text with the solemn words, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,” he establishes preaching not as mere information transfer, but as a sacred trust that requires the whole person—heart, mind, soul, and spirit.

 

Can a machine carry the weight of God’s call? Can it wrestle with the text as a human heart does? The answer is no, for preaching is not just about words—it is about faithfully stewarding the message God entrusts to His servants. What seems helpful may erode the foundations of our faith.

The preacher is not merely a communicator; he is a [faithful] steward of [the] mysteries [of God]. (1 Corinthians 4:1–2)

 

Jas 3:1 NKJV  My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

Preachers will give account to God, not only for how they lived, but for what they preached. Every sermon carries eternal weight. Who then will answer for sermons generated by machines? To delegate one’s sacred duty to a program is to stand before God having abdicated responsibility.

Every preacher must wrestle with the text, weep over the lost, pray for the Spirit’s anointing, and stand accountable before heaven itself for what is proclaimed. This duty cannot be shifted onto the shoulders of silicon and software. It belongs to the preacher alone.

The strict judgment that James warns about attaches to a human conscience that responds to God. If a preacher lets a machine speak in his stead, who is truly accountable before God and before the church? Using AI shifts accountability— who answers for errors, the preacher or the program?

1Co 2:1-5 NKJV

(1)  And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

(2)  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

(3)  I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

(4)  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

(5)  that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

It is not about perfection but about faithfulness. God does not call us to produce flawless sermons; He calls us to be faithful stewards of His Word.

Paul tells the Corinthians he did not come with “enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

 

 

 

AI, no matter how advanced, cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit. It cannot pray, seek God’s face, or discern His will for a specific congregation. A sermon written by AI may sound polished, but it lacks the divine spark that comes from a preacher’s communion with God. The Spirit moves through human hearts that are surrendered to Him, not through algorithms that process data.

 

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV, Paul gives us a beautiful and profound image of ministry: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." The treasure is the gospel. The jar of clay is the preacher—fragile, breakable, and utterly human. The power, Paul insists, is not in the jar, but in the treasure, and the very imperfection of the jar serves to highlight the glory of the treasure it holds.

The temptation to use AI is the temptation to build a better jar—one that is flawless, efficient, and never fumbles for a word. But Paul’s ministry was a testament to the power of a fumbling, flawed jar.

The power of Paul’s preaching was not in its eloquence. It was in his weakness, his fear, and his trembling. His vulnerability allowed the power of the Holy Spirit to be made manifest.

When a congregation hears a sermon that bears the imprint of the preacher’s authentic life, they sense the credibility of the message. Without that personal touch, the sermon becomes a lecture rather than a shared pilgrimage.

Here lies the line AI can never cross. It can assemble enticing words of man’s wisdom. It can produce rhetorical elegance. But it cannot demonstrate the Spirit and the power of God. It can inform, but it cannot transform. For the things of God are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14), and a machine has no spirit.

 

 

PERSONAL WRESTLING WITH GOD’S WORD

 

There’s a connection between preacher and the sermon text. When the preacher hasn’t personally wrestled with the passage, he cannot speak with the authority of one who has been transformed by the text. The congregation senses this lack of personal engagement. They may receive information, but they don’t receive the bread of life that comes from a preacher who has first fed himself.

 

The foundation of authentic preaching begins with the preacher’s personal encounter with Scripture. Notice the progression in Ezra 7:10: study, do, then teach. It is not just information-gathering; it is prayerful encounter.

 

Ezr 7:10 NKJV  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

 

This wasn’t casual reading or surface-level research that could be accomplished by consulting an AI database.

 

2Ti 2:15 KJV  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy uses the Greek word “spoudazo,” meaning to make every effort, to be eager, to give diligence, studying, meditating, and praying over Scripture.

Scripture speaks personally before it speaks generally. When a preacher struggles with a text—questioning, praying, meditating—the message that emerges carries the authenticity of personal spiritual battle.

 

The Holy Spirit works through human vessels, not digital algorithms. Jesus promised, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

 

Personal wrestling produces spiritual authority. The difference between a sermon written by AI and one birthed through prayer and study is the difference between secondhand information and firsthand revelation. AI, by its nature, lacks a soul. It cannot experience the divine illumination. Nor can it be led by the Spirit of truth, as Jesus promises in John 16:13: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth."

 

If we use AI, we risk sermons devoid of vitality. They become echoes of human data, not whispers from heaven. Imagine a preacher inputting keywords like "faith" and "salvation," and out pops a polished message. But where is the wrestling in prayer, the tears over sin, the joy of discovery?

 

Consider the process: A preacher sits with an open Bible, perhaps struggling with a difficult passage. He reads commentaries, yes, but ultimately must grapple with the text himself. He prays, “Lord, what are you saying to me first, before I speak to others?” In that holy tension between human limitation and divine revelation, the sermon is conceived. This process shapes not only the message but the messenger.

 

The process of sermon preparation, when done authentically, serves as a means of grace in the preacher’s life. Consider the spiritual disciplines inherent in proper sermon preparation:

 

Prayer and Dependence on God: Before opening commentaries or consulting resources, the faithful preacher must come before God in prayer, acknowledging his need for divine illumination. “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). This prayer of dependence cannot be replicated by AI because it flows from genuine humility and recognition of human limitation.

 

Meditation on Scripture: The Psalm 1 man meditates on God’s law day and night. The Hebrew word for meditate (hagah) suggests a continuous, ruminating process—like a cow chewing its cud. This deep, repetitive consideration allows the Word to penetrate not just the mind but the heart. When a preacher sits with a text, reading it repeatedly, thinking about it while driving, praying over it before sleep, the text begins to work on the preacher before the preacher works on the sermon.

 

Wrestling with Personal Application: Before a preacher can faithfully apply a text to others, he must allow it to search his own heart. This personal examination cannot be outsourced because it requires genuine self-reflection and repentance.

Intercession for the Congregation: As the preacher prepares, he should be praying for his people—their specific needs, struggles, and spiritual condition. This intercession shapes not only the content of the sermon but its tone, emphasis, and application. This pastoral heart cannot be replicated artificially.

 

When we use AI to write sermons, we short-circuit this formative process. The result is not just an inferior sermon, but a preacher who remains spiritually unchanged by his own message and through him, the congregation—is bypassed in the name of efficiency.

 

When we shortcut this process through AI assistance, we rob ourselves of the transformative work that sermon preparation is meant to accomplish in the preacher’s own soul. We become distributors of processed spiritual food rather than shepherds who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. (Psa 34:8)

 

RELIANCE ON GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT

Central to the task of preaching is the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must rely on the Holy Spirit, not human inventions like AI.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 NIV: "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God... We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit."

Here we face the critical problem: Artificial Intelligence can generate words, but it cannot generate Spirit-taught words. AI is like a mirror of human knowledge—but preaching requires more than knowledge. It requires revelation, illumination, conviction—all of which can only come through the Holy Spirit.

The process of interpreting and applying Scripture requires spiritual discernment—a faculty that belongs solely to believers who have been indwelt by the [Holy] Spirit. An AI, however sophisticated, operates purely on pattern recognition and statistical inference, algorithms fed on vast datasets, often biased by secular worldviews; it lacks the Spirit’s illumination. Consequently, any sermon generated by AI can never claim true inspiration; it remains a human‑crafted artifact masquerading as divine counsel.

Artificial Intelligence, at best, is a simulacrum [semblance] of human language patterns. It can analyze texts, quote Scripture, assemble arguments, and mimic rhetorical forms. But it has no Spirit. AI's "creativity" is derivative, remixing human input without true innovation. Sermons should be fresh words from God, not algorithmic echoes.

Even if an AI were fed countless sermons, it would lack the living presence that makes a message transform lives. The Spirit’s timing, emphasis, and nuance are beyond any algorithmic prediction.

The power of preaching is not in polish but in presence—the Spirit’s presence coming through a sanctified messenger. “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy [Spirit], and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The sufficiency for ministry flows from God: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament” (2 Corinthians 3:5–6).

When we shift our functional trust to the speed, novelty, or polish of a generated sermon, we quietly confess another sufficiency. Tools may serve; they must never supplant.

 

EFFICIENCY OVER FAITHFULNESS

The process of sermon preparation is a sacred discipline. It is a journey of prayer, of meditation, and of diligent study. As we read and reread the text, as we consult commentaries and theological resources, we are not just gathering information; we are allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to challenge us, to transform us. This is a process of sanctification.

It is a spiritual discipline that shapes us as much as it shapes the content we deliver. When we outsource this process, we are not just saving time; we are sidestepping a crucial part of our spiritual formation.

David reminds us in 2 Samuel 24:24 ESV [when he purchased the threshing floor to erect an altar]: “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

Sermon preparation is costly. A faithful preacher spends hours in the Word, days in prayer, nights wrestling with God’s truth. There are tears of frustration when the text feels closed and tears of joy when revelation breaks forth. This effort costs something—time, energy, life itself.

AI offers a shortcut. It says: “Save the time. Skip the wrestling. Here is something polished and ready.” But if David would not offer God something that cost him nothing, how dare we? To present to God’s people words concocted without sacrifice is to dishonor both God and His flock.

The church does not need efficiency. It needs faithfulness.

Using AI fosters laziness. 1 Timothy 5:17 honors elders "who labor in preaching and teaching." AI is a lazy shortcut, dishonoring God.

The parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-30) condemns the lazy servant. Revelation 3:15-16 rebukes lukewarmness: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot... So, because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out."

When God calls a man to preach, He doesn’t merely assign him a job—He imparts a sacred trust.

 

DISCERNMENT NEEDED TO SIFT THE DATASET

Truth, especially divine truth, is relational. It meets us where we are, speaks into our hearts, and invites us into a covenant relationship with God. When we reduce Scripture to searchable keywords or statistical probabilities, we strip it of its relational depth. AI treats the Bible as a dataset, ignoring the living, breathing context of the believer’s journey. The result is a sermon that may be factually correct yet spiritually sterile—unable to illuminate the darkness of a soul or stir genuine repentance.

AI systems learn from a vast corpora, [body of work] but they also inherit the biases, errors, and ambiguities present in those sources. A subtle shift in phrasing can change theological meaning dramatically. Moreover, AI lacks the ability to discern cultural, historical, and literary contexts that are essential for sound exegesis. A misapplied verse can lead a congregation astray, cause doctrinal confusion, or even foster heretical ideas. The preacher, trained in hermeneutics and accountable to the church, must guard against such pitfalls.

AI is trained on the world’s data; it reflects human opinions, half-truths, and the confusions of the age. AI poses risks of error and dilution. Machines lack conscience; they replicate pattern rather than covenant. AI, trained on global data, might produce generic content that fails to resonate. This detachment could lead to shallow faith.

AI may [even] draw from thousands of sermons, but it cannot seek God’s face. It may mimic biblical language, but it cannot discern God’s will. A sermon written by AI risks being a hollow echo of human words, not a vessel of divine truth.

Col 2:8 KJV  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

AI algorithms are designed to please and cater to user preferences.

The sermon must be prophetic, challenging worldly wisdom, and not catering to "itching ears."

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (2Ti 4:3 ESV) 

 

The sermon is meant to be a moment of truth-telling, even if that truth is uncomfortable. It is meant to challenge the world's wisdom and to confront sin. It is meant to call people to a life of repentance and obedience. The temptation for a human preacher, and a temptation that an AI could very easily amplify, is to give people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.

An AI, by its very design, is built on algorithms that seek to please the user, to generate content that is most likely to be accepted and enjoyed.

The gospel is not about consensus, but about a singular, radical truth.

It is meant to be counter-cultural, to be a stumbling block to the world.

 

WISE DISTINCTIONS: TOOLS AS RESOURCES NOT AS AUTHORS

Commentaries, lexicons, historical helps, and even software can assist us.  If AI is used as a research assistant — to find historical background, to highlight linguistic questions, to suggest references — and then the preacher prays over, edits, and personalizes that material in a Spirit-led way, that is different from outsourcing the entire act of proclamation.

Use reference works to clarify difficult texts, to check outlines against the grain of Scripture, to consult backgrounds—then go back to prayer, meditation, and writing in your own voice.

The final composition, theological framing, and pastoral application must remain the preacher’s own work. After any technological assistance, pray earnestly, seek the Spirit’s confirmation, and perhaps run the draft by trusted elders for accountability.

Always remember the baseline: the pulpit must be human, accountable, and Spirit-led. Our Lord gave the church pastors and teachers “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11)

AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY

Scripture calls for faithfulness, not convenience. “We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully” (2 Corinthians 4:2).

Test everything by Scripture and conscience. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Let the Spirit-trained conscience keep you from handing holy things to impersonal hands.

God calls His messengers to speak His Word faithfully, not to rely on artificial substitutes. An AI-generated sermon may sound impressive, but it lacks the fire of God’s truth spoken through a faithful heart.

Jer 23:30-36 NRSV

(30)  See, therefore, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who steal my words from one another.

(31)  See, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who use their own tongues and say, "Says the LORD."

(32)  See, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the LORD, and who tell them, and who lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or appoint them; so they do not profit this people at all, says the LORD.

(36)  But "the burden of the LORD" you shall mention no more, for the burden is everyone's own word, and so you pervert the words of the living God.

 

Is that not what AI does? It steals phrases, recombines sentences, producing words as though they carried authority. It “wags its tongue” with borrowed wisdom. But God did not send it. He did not appoint it. And how dangerous it would be to put counterfeit words in the mouths of God’s people as though they were Spirit-breathed.

The pulpit must never echo with artificial words. The pulpit rings hollow if its words are not weighted with the burden of a human heart and the power of God’s Spirit.

Preaching must draw from the fountain of living waters, not from systems that repackage what they have gathered secondhand.

 

CONCLUSION

This is not a call to reject all technology or helpful resources. Commentaries, concordances, theological works, and even digital tools can serve as valuable aids in sermon preparation. The crucial distinction is between tools that assist human study and systems that replace human spiritual labor.

 

The question each preacher must answer is not whether AI can produce acceptable sermons—it probably can. The question is whether using AI to write sermons fulfills the biblical mandate to “preach the word”.

 

When we stand before Christ to give account of our stewardship, will we be able to say with Paul, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” ? (Acts 20:27) Or will we have to acknowledge that we delegated this sacred responsibility to artificial systems?

So, I urge you: Preach the Word. Preach it when it is hard, preach it when it is costly, preach it when you feel weary. Preach it when the world says a machine could do it better. Preach it with trembling, with weakness, with tears, with joy. But preach it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Timothy 4:13-16 ESV - “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things; immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

 

Paul’s final charge to Timothy provides a fitting conclusion to our consideration of why preachers should not use AI to write sermons. Notice the intensely personal nature of Paul’s instructions:

 

“Devote yourself” - The Greek word (prosecho) means to turn one’s mind to, to occupy oneself with, to give attention to. This devotion cannot be outsourced or automated. It requires personal investment of time, energy, and spiritual focus.

 

 

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you” - Timothy’s spiritual gift was given specifically to him through prophetic ministry and the laying on of hands. This gift required cultivation and exercise. (Heb 5:14) Using AI to write sermons would represent a fundamental neglect of the spiritual gifts God has given to each preacher.

 

“Practice these things; immerse yourself in them” - The call to practice and immersion suggests ongoing, intensive engagement.

 

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching” - This vigilant attention requires personal responsibility that cannot be delegated to artificial systems. The preacher must guard both his character and his doctrine through personal spiritual discipline.

 

Paul’s final promise to Timothy is significant: “Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” The word “persist” (epimeno) suggests continuing steadfastly despite difficulty. The promise is twofold—both preacher and people benefit from this authentic perseverance.

 

 

The choice before every preacher is clear: Will we embrace the difficult but transformative work of authentic sermon preparation, or will we take the shortcut that promises efficiency but delivers spiritual poverty? Shortcuts—whether stealing another’s sermon or outsourcing to AI—undermines the sacred calling.

 

Let us open our Bibles, get on our knees, and allow God to speak to us first, so that we might then speak His living and powerful Word to a world in desperate need.

Preach the Word—prayerfully, faithfully, sacrificially.

 

 

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