Professor Sung Jin Lim
Once the central theme of a biblical passage has been identified, the next task in sermon preparation is determining how to develop that theme. Today, AI offers significant assistance in this process. It can propose sermon outlines, generate thoughtful questions about the text, suggest appropriate illustrations and examples, and provide ideas for practical application. Tasks that once required years of experience and extensive resource gathering can now be accomplished much more quickly.
However, the heart of sermon development lies not in the quantity of ideas but in their direction. AI can generate countless suggestions, but it cannot determine what God intends to say to a particular congregation through a particular passage at a particular moment. The same biblical text may bring a message of comfort to one church while calling another to repentance and renewed commitment. Such pastoral discernment belongs to the preacher alone.
Most importantly, the sermon’s Big Idea must be determined by the preacher, not by AI. Although AI can present multiple possibilities, identifying the point where the central truth of Scripture intersects with the present condition of the congregation is a pastoral task carried out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, preachers must not be content merely to collect AI-generated ideas. Rather, they must discern which idea most faithfully reflects the author’s intent and most effectively addresses the spiritual needs of their people.
Likewise, illustrations and applications are not simply devices for capturing attention. A good illustration exists to illuminate the biblical text, and a good application exists to lead God’s people toward faithful obedience. Only the pastor truly knows the congregation’s joys and sorrows, wounds and hopes, struggles and needs.
Ultimately, developing sermon ideas is not primarily a matter of creativity but of pastoral discernment. AI can help preachers discover a wider range of possibilities, but it cannot decide what message should ultimately be proclaimed. The preacher stands between the biblical text and the congregation, listening for what God is saying to His people here and now, and faithfully proclaiming that living Word.
