As a pastor, you’ve likely felt the weight of sermon preparation week after week. While we all strive to improve our research and preparation, wouldn’t it be great to reclaim some of that time for other critical pastoral and leadership duties?
The Time Suck of Sermon Prep
I love sermons—researching, constructing, and preparing them. But let’s be honest, doing it well takes significant time. Research by Barna, Lifeway, and PreachingToday.com shows:
- Pastors in smaller churches, who often juggle multiple roles, may spend 10–15 hours weekly on sermon prep.
- Pastors in larger churches with more staff support often devote 15–20+ hours per week.
- Bi-vocational pastors, our friends with perhaps the most challenging pastoral job, must find time to dedicate 5–10 hours weekly to crafting messages.
Innovations in technology have helped streamline this process over time. Commentaries, online Bibles, and tools like Logos have been invaluable. But now, there’s a game-changer: AI tools. And while I say this with some hesitation, AI may help more than all the commentaries and software combined—when used correctly.
Why Pastors Have Been Hesitant to Use AI
Early AI tools like ChatGPT brought chaos—a free-for-all of unpredictable prompts and results. It’s no wonder many pastors hesitated to embrace AI for sermon prep. I was a bit reluctant at first, too. Here’s why:
- Theological Concerns: AI scrapes the entire Internet, delivering results from various theological perspectives—some wildly divergent from biblical truth.
- Lack of Spiritual Discernment: AI lacks the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Without spiritual depth, there’s concern that efficiency might come at the cost of authenticity.
- Ethical Concerns: AI generates content based on existing data, raising questions about proper credit and originality.
- The Fear of Losing Personal Connection: Preaching is personal. Pastors worried AI might strip messages of their authenticity and heart.
- Early Results Were Subpar: Initial AI tools often produced shallow, generic content—far from the depth required for meaningful sermons.
- Misunderstanding of AI: Many viewed AI as intimidating, with fears ranging from technological takeovers to the spread of heretical content.
Today, however, AI has evolved, and so have its applications for ministry. Pastors can save time and elevate their messages by understanding prompt engineering and using custom GPT tools.
Step 1: Prompt Engineering—Your AI Foundation
When ChatGPT first launched, I quickly learned that the quality of your prompts determines the quality of your results. Think of AI as a seminary intern: the more specific your guidance, the better the output.
Here are some of my go-to prompts during sermon prep:
➡️ Download 28 Prompts to Instantly Improve Your Sermon Preparation
These prompts can spark creativity, offer fresh insights, and help you effectively structure your sermons. But prompts are just the beginning.
Step 2: Custom GPTs—Taking Sermon Prep to the Next Level
General AI tools like ChatGPT are helpful but often return theology or concepts that don’t align with your church’s doctrine. That’s where custom GPTs come in.
Using my 20+ years of preaching experience, I’ve built custom AI tools specifically for pastors like you. These tools remove the chaos from sermon prep while ensuring theological alignment and depth.
Here’s what’s in our Custom AI library:
- Sermon Idea Creator: Generate fresh ideas tailored to your themes or series.
- Sermon Series Generator: Build a sermon series based on topics, Bible books, or narratives.
- Sermon Outline Generator: Create sermon structures that connect with your congregation.
- Sermon Evaluator: Get feedback to refine your message’s clarity and impact.
We’ve also expanded into tools for broader ministry needs:
These tools are like adding a new staff member to your team, ensuring every resource reflects your church’s unique theology and style.
Free Resources for Pastors
To help you jumpstart your sermon prep, here are some valuable resources:
➡️ Free Resource: Discover the Sermon Strategies Driving Growth in America’s Fastest-Growing Churches. This spreadsheet lists the last 12 sermon series from the top 100 churches.
➡️ Free Resource: Download 28 Prompts to Instantly Improve Your Sermon Preparation.
➡️ Free Live AI Training: Join me on Tuesday, February 25, at 2:00 p.m. EST for “Discipleship and AI in Today’s Church.”
Supercharge Your Sermon Prep Today
AI isn’t just the future—it’s the present. From mastering prompt engineering to leveraging custom GPTs, the tools available today can help you save time, deepen your messages, and connect with your congregation like never before.
You can research and build these tools yourself—or join the hundreds of churches in the Church Accelerator Community and gain instant access to everything you need to transform your sermon prep.
Quotes for Inspiration
- “The best sermons are born in prayer, but AI can help refine them.”
- “Preaching is personal; AI is a tool—it’s the partnership that makes the difference.”
One More Thing…
At Church Accelerator, we offer consulting, coaching, content, and community for churches of every size in any denomination.
Work with us and receive unlimited access to our resource section, including courses, frameworks, supporting documents, and our custom AI tools (Devotion Writer, Sermon Outline Creator, Sermon Evaluator, Small Group Question Writer, and more).
Check out our customized Church Consulting. Our Church Accelerator Process helps churches identify obstacles and break through barriers.
You can add the Church Accelerator to your team through our partnership option. Partnerships start at $49/month and include $5,000+ in resources. Don’t wait—become a partner today.
Leading With You,
Dr. Gavin Adams