9 — An AI Assisted Sermon

9 — An AI Assisted Sermon

A weekly blog of Creative Ideas for Leading Worship

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An AI Assisted Sermon

 
I used the ChatGPT AI to improve the sermon I delivered at Wesley Methodist Church, Taranaki Street, Wellington on 17 November 2024.

I was pleased with the final result and felt that the messages in the sermon were appropriate and well received.

Try this process for yourself when writing your next sermon.

Summary of the Process

  1. I wrote a solid first draft of a sermon of 1077 words based on the Revised Common Lectionary readings from 1 Samuel 1:4-20 and Mark 13:1-8. I chose Eugene Peterson’s The Message translation.

  2. I submitted the draft text to ChatGPT asking it to rewrite and extend the ideas into a sermon with 2000 words.  [https://chatgpt.com/]

  3. Made minor edits to the sermon text that ChatGPT provided, added back in a couple of sentences in my own words from my original draft, and delivered the resulting sermon – now 1640 words.

Comments

  • As I hoped, ChatGPT provided some new/extended ideas/text:
“For his followers, this prophecy was radical and disturbing, a call to let go of reliance on outward forms and institutions and turn instead toward a deeper faith rooted in God.”

“While these words can seem ominous, they’re also words of reassurance. Just as labor pains signal the arrival of new life, these tribulations hint at a coming transformation.”

“This isn’t hope that naively overlooks real pain and struggle. It’s a deeper hope that can look unflinchingly at hardship and see beyond it.”

“Nothing has changed externally; she still has no child. But her faith has transformed her. She leaves the temple with an unexplainable peace, renewed by the hope that God hears her and cares for her.”

“Her son Samuel grows up to be instrumental in the rise of King David, a leader whose lineage would lead to Jesus.”

“May we all, as individuals and as a community, take up this challenge to look forward with hope, trusting that God is making arrangements even now, arrangements that might surprise, challenge, and ultimately bless us.”
  • ChatGPT provided sub-headings throughout the sermon. I left them in the printout I preached from – as visual breaks and context reminders – but did not speak the sub-headings.

  • ChatGPT also improved the flow of my text, simplifying it and omitting some less relevant points.


See my original text, prompts to ChatGPT and the final sermon text

Click here for a PDF of my original text, prompts to ChatGPT and the final sermon text.

I have also included the prompts I used to have ChatGPT create the image for the front of the Order of Service and opening slide in my hymns PowerPoint.


Click these links for recordings and the PDF Order of Service

Readings and Sermon – Audio:
https://tinyurl.com/39bpappe

Whole Service – Audio:
https://tinyurl.com/armb6j6r

Facebook Livestream Whole Service – Video:
https://fb.watch/vUZBwZ4ZRp/

PDF Order of Service:
https://tinyurl.com/4basp99t

What do you think?

I’d love to hear what you think about this exercise?

Is this something you will try or have already tried?

Please leave your comments below.

Nga mihi
Philip

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