Nearly each business has skilled instruments—each plumber wants a wrench, and each painter wants a brush. So, too, each pastor wants a Bible and the suitable instruments and assets wanted to check it effectively. Logos is my Bible study tool of choice.
I’ve served in pastoral ministry for over 15 years, and Logos has been one in every of my most trusted instruments for Bible examine, sermons, and writing projects. I’m excited concerning the launch of the most recent model of Logos for a lot of causes—particularly because of the integration of synthetic intelligence (AI) into a few of its options.
Permit me to point out you the brand new (or improved) options I’m most enthusiastic about and the way I lately examined them whereas writing a sermon for my church on Acts 10.
Wait. AI in Bible examine?
As I discussed, a few of these options use AI. Let’s speak about that.
I do know AI is controversial. In the event you ask anyone their ideas on AI, you’ll get opinions starting from those that consider machines will take over the world (like Skynet within the Terminator films) to those that assume it’ll remedy all the world’s issues. It’s neither of those. AI is just one other useful device that must be dealt with with care.
Within the arms of a discerning pastor, AI is usually a marvelous device. Like every device, it may be abused or used for good—simply as a hammer can be utilized to construct a home or smash a window. It requires the knowledge and integrity pastors have at all times needed to train whereas utilizing a robust device like Logos.
I really like the place Logos goes with AI as a result of they appear to know this. They aren’t making a robotic to check the Bible or write a sermon for you, however they’re utilizing AI to help you in your Bible examine and sermon writing so that you might be extra environment friendly and targeted.
Computer systems mustn’t ever exchange a pastor’s activity of writing and preaching sermons since sermons entail a human and religious aspect {that a} robotic can by no means have. The Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell AI and doesn’t name and present it for the work of ministry the best way God calls us (Rom 12:6–8). However AI can help us within the effectivity of our work.
With that stated, let’s get into my high 5 new (or improved) options!
1. Factbook
After prayer, I at all times start my sermons with examine. So I opened the brand new Factbook and typed in my Scripture reference.
It instantly displayed the textual content from my most well-liked translation, an inventory of related commentaries from my library, together with instruments resembling an inventory of individuals, locations, and issues talked about in addition to Bible occasions and a top level view of the passage.
This up to date Factbook is an ideal place to start out my examine. With a number of clicks, I’m studying the textual content and pulling up all my related books about Acts 10 for additional analysis.
You may even view subjects by way of completely different lenses to focus your examine: Biblical, Library, Theological, or All.
I don’t know if this appears like an enormous deal, however it saves hours of time by maintaining all your most related assets at your fingertips as a substitute of scouring a bookshelf, pulling the appropriate e-book, after which discovering the appropriate web page. Tally how a lot time pastors must do that each week over ten years with out computer systems, and it’s straightforward to see how rather more environment friendly it could possibly make you.
Factbook hastens my examine by discovering essentially the most pertinent data with stunning accuracy throughout 1000’s of assets in seconds. Consider it as a high-powered analysis assistant. It doesn’t let you know what it thinks; it pulls what the trusted students in your library say.
Nevertheless, whereas the Factbook is a good place to begin, it’s solely the start of what Logos can do.
2. Sensible Search and Synopsis
Sensible Search is a game-changing function and probably essentially the most underrated.
In my preliminary studying of Acts 10, I like to notice questions that come up, and Sensible Search is a good device for locating solutions. For instance, the story begins in Caesarea. So, I opened the brand new Sensible Search function and typed my first query: “What ought to I find out about Caesarea?”
Logos instantly generated a outstanding AI synopsis of the search! I realized how Caesarea was named after Caesar Augustus, the way it was the middle of Roman administration within the area, and extra. It was exactly what I wanted so as to add coloration and context to my sermon.
We have now to know that, in contrast to different AI packages, these details aren’t pulled from who is aware of the place on the darkish corners of the web. Every level features a quotation from completely different Logos assets for additional examine. Moreover, beneath this synopsis are much more references from different related assets to reply my query.
It is a huge time saver and mighty analysis device. I don’t know that I’d have dug this deep in my library with out it. A examine of this breadth might have taken a complete day of digging by way of books, and Sensible Search does it in seconds.
I felt like I used to be solely scratching the floor, so I requested, “What’s the main theme of Acts 10?” I gained’t bore you with the main points, however the synopsis, full with citations, nailed the reply.
Not like different AI packages or a Google search, you’ve peace of thoughts figuring out that Logos’s AI makes use of the trusted, scholarly supplies in your library. And the AI understands the complexity of your query to drag the proper data you want in surprising element. I hope the unprecedented energy of this phenomenal search device will not be misplaced on us.
The Summarize device does what the identify implies. It makes use of AI to summarize a piece of no matter useful resource you’ve open.
So, I requested it to summarize Acts 10 for me, and it shot out a succinct chapter abstract. Not dangerous.
Nevertheless, this function can be most useful within the analysis course of. As I seemed by way of books in my library that is likely to be useful, I opened the Summarize device to get the gist of a specific article or chapter and decide whether or not I wished to dedicate additional time to studying it or shifting on.
If the abstract sounded related, I might dive in. If not, I might skip to the following e-book. I’d like to get misplaced in a library having fun with infinite hours of studying, however dwelling within the fast-paced actuality {that a} busy church calls for, that dream is for an additional day.
For instance, Acts 10 talks about angels. So, I strayed down the rabbit path of what the Bible teaches about angels. I pulled up a trusted systematic theology and used the summarization device on the angels chapter. The abstract included some useful data, resembling an excellent definition of angels. Nevertheless, after studying the abstract, I spotted it was much more data than I wanted. I used to be heading too far down the rabbit path.
I might preach a whole different sermon about angels, however that wasn’t the principle level of this textual content. I didn’t want to debate the ranks of angels, the hazard of angel worship, or their creation. That’s an fascinating examine, however it wasn’t the purpose of this sermon.
There have been many occasions once I’ve misplaced hours nerding out on a theological subject solely to appreciate I wouldn’t use most of what I used to be studying. Maybe you may relate. So, the Summarize device supplied an excellent reminder of a theological topic that happy my mental curiosity and saved me from going too deep down the examine gap.
4. Insights panel
The Insights panel is one other useful addition that offers fast entry to related assets concerning the Bible passage you’re studying.
Whereas studying Acts 10, I clicked on the Insights panel, which instantly pulled up the proper part from a examine Bible, a commentary, and cross references for every verse that up to date as I scrolled. You may also choose which assets you want to reference.
Whereas there are a number of methods to entry these assets, it is a helpful option to get there shortly.
I used to be additionally grateful to notice that once I opened the commentary for extra examine, it mechanically linked it to my Bible so they’d scroll in sync.
Though this function is probably not as sturdy or highly effective because the others it’s nonetheless a welcome addition everytime you want a fast perception.
5. Sermon Assistant
After finishing your Bible examine, it’s time to jot down the message. That is the place the Sermon Assistant is available in. It lives contained in the Sermon Builder device and harnesses the facility of AI to assist generate sermon outlines, illustrations, dialogue questions, and software concepts.
Fortunately, the AI won’t write a sermon for you, however it’s designed to assist when you’ve author’s block. Right here’s the way it labored for me.
Outlines
Within the Outlines generator, I enter Acts 10 into the sermon passage field. For the theme, I typed “prejudice” (which I made up my mind to be the main focus of my sermon from my research), chosen “Adults” for my viewers, after which clicked Generate.
Inside 30 seconds, I had a abstract of the passage, its software, the way it might level to Christ (which I really like), a normal huge thought, and a few suggestions for additional examine. Under this was a three-point sermon define full with a pleasant contact of alliteration with all three factors beginning with the letter “P.”
Now, as useful as that is, I wouldn’t take their define verbatim. As an alternative, I’d use it if I used to be caught and wanted to grease the wheels in my mind. That’s additionally the identical method we must always take with the opposite AI options within the Sermon Assistant.
Illustrations
When it got here time so as to add some illustrations to the sermon, I opened the Illustrations generator, and typed the principle level of my sermons: “The gospel shatters prejudice as a result of Jesus saves all who consider.” I chosen emotive and historic for the classes, and it generated some good concepts. For instance, one which stood out was the story of John Newton, the hymn author of “Superb Grace,” who was a slave dealer till Christ radically modified him.
Perceive that the illustrations are incomplete on function. Please don’t use them as a copy-and-paste answer in your sermon. Relatively, consider them as a springboard to additional analysis and retelling the story in your personal phrases. You need to at all times confirm the details and particulars of any illustration.
Functions
The Functions generator is analogous. I requested, “Based mostly on Acts 10, how ought to we deal with others who’re completely different than us?” And it spit out some methods to use the sermon that had been surprisingly useful. For instance, one was a problem to have interaction somebody who you may often be uncomfortable round, like a homeless individual. Serve or encourage them, and acknowledge their humanity. That could possibly be an excellent software level.
Questions
Lastly, after writing your entire sermon in Logos, I used the Dialogue Questions generator. Apart from Sensible Search, this can be my subsequent favourite function. If, like me, you embrace dialogue questions each week with sermon notes in your bulletin or for sermon-based small teams, you’ll love this.
With the press of a button, the AI analyzed every little thing I had written and pumped out over a dozen questions. Most had been good. After some enhancing and utilizing this as a springboard to jot down a number of extra, I used to be achieved with this activity. Usually, after hours of sermon writing, that is one in every of my most draining duties. However this device made it a breeze.
Logos is revolutionizing Bible examine
By this instance, I hope you may see how thrilling and highly effective these instruments make Bible examine and sermon writing in Logos.
What makes me much more thrilled is that that is solely the start. The facility of AI will solely proceed to enhance and make our work extra environment friendly. So, if you’re a pastor like me dwelling within the fast-paced world {that a} church calls for, the brand new model of Logos could turn into the AI analysis assistant you didn’t even know you wanted. AI is coming to Logos, and I’m all for it!
Whereas there are at all times issues about expertise’s abuse, Logos—together with its new AI-power options—might be device within the arms of a talented craftsman who rightly handles the Phrase of reality (2 Tim 2:15).
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