Several years ago I was sitting down with Dan Winkler. This was around 2017 or so when Dan was speaking here at Graymere. Dan has been preaching longer than I've been alive. I asked him this question, knowing for sure what I thought he would say:

"Dan, do you think it's easier to preach now than it was 30 years ago?"

His near-instant response: "No no, it was much easier 30 years ago."

I was stunned. I thought for sure that he would say that it was easier now. That we now have a repository called the internet. That there were so many more resources. There were relatively easy ways to access those resources. That you could get ideas and insights from so many more sources. But he didn't say any of that.

"Back then, we only had a few resources. That's the single biggest reason why I think it's so much more difficult to preach today than in 1975. It's so much more difficult to discern."

I think about this conversation a lot. Dan is well-respected, a good preacher, who has endured family tragedy that some of us could scarcely imagine. But almost nothing he has said has stuck with me as long as that has.

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I remember using Google for the first time. It was 26 years ago, I was a junior in High School, and I think my first search was probably to Google myself. Of course, there were no results. My second search was probably something to do with Star Trek or the new Alabama Football schedule.

But I remember even thinking at the time: "This is it?"

I didn't like the way that Google presented results. I liked the way Yahoo! and others at the time even less. So I stuck with Google, and it got increasingly frustrating.

Very early on, I learned to ignore those top "sponsored" links and go straight to the ones below for the info that I wanted. I always disliked that. I also disliked that I couldn't use natural language with it - it would just pull up a person asking the same question I did.

We all trudged along for nearly 20 years after that with just using Google. They made so much money from Search that they started making an operating system and phones to compete with Apple. They rode the coattails of Search for a long time - until the next thing happened.

ChatGPT was launched in 2022, and it (literally) overnight had over 100 million users. I was one who signed up for an account. I haven't used it exclusively since then, but the A.I. landscape is something that is changing the way that we work and communicate every day. And it is changing the teaching and preaching coming out of our pulpits.

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Let's get one thing straight first: I think it's very important to understand that what the media and everyone generally calls "A.I." is not artificial intelligence whatsoever. It is a learning algorithm that is more sophisticated than the search algorithms that we've been using for three decades. I sometimes refer to it as "super Google." I truly believe that it's the middle step between regular search engines and true artificial intelligence. While I believe that these tools have fundamentally changed how we work and how productive we are in just the last few years, I also believe that true artificial intelligence, once discovered, will change everything about our society as a whole. It will not merely be some form of super Google - it will be a vast, learning intelligence that we might even need to fear.

As I write this in mid-2025, there are already scientists and researchers sounding the alarm on that. It's quite unnerving.

All that being said, how are we as ministers and preachers and teachers of the Bible supposed to use these amazing tools?

I cannot speak for preachers, as I only preach once or twice a year. But what I can imagine is the temptation to use this technology the wrong way. Preachers who spend hours producing sometimes two to three sermons that are supposed to be truthful, factual and moving - every single week. Every time I preach twice on a Sunday, it makes more thankful for what my preacher does - but it also reminds me that I would never personally want that job.

As a Bible teacher that teaches three times a week or more, I can tell you that my temptation is certainly there for using these tools to manufacture a class for me, without me having to put in any work beyond prompting A.I. to do it.

Now don't read that the wrong way. I think ministers of all types should be using A.I. - in the right ways to assist in class and sermon prep.

For example, 25 years ago there was the same discussion about Google, and ministers just finding or copying their sermons from something they found on a search engine. Taking what someone else had written on a website as fact without doing the necessary checks and research yourself. The risk is the same with ChatGPT and similar tools - copying an A.I.'s "research" borders on plagiarism. Even if you're ok with that, now you have to address the slippery slope of this question - what the is true, deep theological thinking behind what you're saying in the classroom or the pulpit?

Hopefully every single one of us would scrutinize anything we find on the internet. Hopefully every one of us would test things to be true according to the Word of God, the one and only measuring stick, but that's just not happening in our culture.

I keep thinking about my conversation with Dan, and how I often ask the question now - are we better off with using these tools, or not using them at all for fear of teaching the wrong things?

The Bible says plenty about those who teach falsely. In fact, it was one of the singular focuses of John's epistles.

Any Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) client is using the internet as a search tool, aggregating it's response into something coherent, and then it authoritatively presents information to you as fact. Most of it is accurate, right?

ChatGPT-4o, the latest model, achieves around 88.7% accuracy on the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark. Does that mean that nearly 12 out of every 100 responses are wrong?

That was just based upon one benchmark. Studies show that when you ask it complicated questions like those regarding computer programming, sometimes the accuracy rate drops below an average of 50%.

Theology can be decently complicated sometimes.

Sure, you can train these models to a certain extent. Whenever I'm doing some reading on a class, I always try to preface my prompts with, "You are a theologian. Answer this question."

But what about on more... shall we say... contentious issues?

ChatGPT at least - delivers. Especially when you preface it with the correct prompts. In nearly every "contentious" issue I asked it about, it gave concise and accurate answers while also citing sources (which you can add to any query, and you should).

So if I can train it properly and it's nearly 100% accurate (it's not) and it can write sermons for me, then why can't I let it do that?

Take this example: Notebook LM. Notebook LM is a Learning Model utility app developed by Google and runs off the backend of Gemini (their version of ChatGPT). It allows you to upload or link to sources in which you can essentially build your own GPT (or in this case, Notebook Learning Model) based upon only the sources you give it. So I can give my entire lesson series on Hebrews, (18 documents and over 54,000 words) and tell the GPT to write a sermon based upon my style on the just one aspect of the book of Hebrews, say about the Preeminence of Christ as our High Priest. Based upon only the data I have given it (not using any outside sources), it will then craft me a 2,800-word sermon.

Is that wrong? I know what I taught before is correct. I know the content of the classes that I fed into it has been well-researched personally, by me, and even taught before in a Bible class over the span of 18 weeks.

My one point of advice with using these tools would be the same advice that I would've given to someone 25 years ago using Google to write a sermon: take everything with a grain of salt, and absolutely don't plagiarize.

I've read articles that many professors in our colleges are going back to handwritten or oral exams because they cannot trust that students will not use ChatGPT in some form to take the test, write the report, or give their own thought out answer to a critical thinking question.

Make no mistake - we are not dealing with computer coding, medical diagnoses, or just putting together a term paper here. We are dealing with people's souls.

And these souls are dependent on how the Gospel is preached. How it is taught in our Bible classes, both to our young people and to our adults.

With something as old as the Bible, there is going to be a lot of nuance and careful explaining that need to be done on a lot of Biblical subjects. Which is why accurate preaching is so important. Why our Bible classes are so integral to spiritual development.

Can we use these tools? In the case of Google 25 years, it would probably be foolish for us not to use all the tools we have at our disposal to bring people to Christ. But if we bring people to Christ the wrong way, we teach the wrong doctrine, we take something that a machine wrote verbatim without checking it, then we are guilty of every repercussion that comes after that.

It is up to us, as it always has been and always will be, to "test all things, hold fast to what is good, and reject every kind of evil (1 Thess 5:21-22)."

ChatGPT wrote 0% of this article, by the way.

The all-new M2 Macbook Air.

Mac Buying Guide • Fall 2022

Around this time of year, I usually get a lot of calls and texts with that very question - “What Mac should I buy?”

It’s gotten a little more confusing as of late because of the range of Apple’s new M1 (and now M2) chips and the variety of machines you can buy now. That’s good, but it makes it more confusing for the non-nerd. So being a nerd, I’m here to help.

First off, do not buy the old-style 13-inch Macbook Pro, still with the TouchBar. Yes, it has an M2 and active cooling, but you can get so much more for less. No one should buy this computer in my opinion.

Again, these all all my opinions, but I talk to lots of people, young and old, every year and advise them on buying new computers or iPads.

If you are a student, in high school or especially college, most students (about 90% of you) should be able to get by with the brand-new M2 MacBook Air. This laptop has a new slim design, new colors, and is powerful enough for almost every task you can throw at it. If you’re not a design student using Photoshop and InDesign and Final Cut Pro and other intensive applications, you should be good with the baseline M2 MacBook Air. You always want to get as much RAM and storage as you can afford (you will see that theme in this article), but 99% of you should be able to get by with 16GB and 1TB of storage. The only problem with the M2 Air is that it’s brand new and you might not get one until September.

If you are a design/film student, meaning you will be using applications like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro on the regular, you should be able to get by with the M2 MacBook Air. But if you are editing 4K or 8K video, working with huge layout or photo files, you’ll need to at least bump up to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip. The M1 Pro chip puts you on a whole other level with these applications and workflows. Your render and export times will be cut in half, your computer will stay much cooler because the MacBook Pro has active cooling (meaning: a fan) where the M2 Air does not. I do a lot of video editing and compression and design work, and I have the base-model M1 Pro MacBook Pro. It’s been wonderful so far, and fast enough for all my workflows.

If you’re a business professional, and you work in an industry such as networking, IT, ministry or youth ministry, accounting, teaching, marketing, or any categories like that, you can probably make it just fine with a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. If the MB Pro is out of your price range, get a mid-range M2 MacBook Air. It will still do what you need for less price, albeit a little slower.

If you are a design professional, the least you would need in my opinion is the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip. But you might want to upgrade to the M1 Max chip. The power you get from the Max chip is unreal. It can carve through 8K video and huge Photoshop files like butter. And if you don’t need something portable because you’re always working at your desk, seriously consider a Mac Studio with M1 Max, or if you have the budget and need the power an M1 Ultra. My nerd side wants all the power all the time, and I’ve been tempted by the Mac Studio, but I need something portable. If you’re a design pro and want a great big 4K or 5K screen and a lot of power, give a serious look to the Mac Studio with M1 Max or Ultra. Most can get by with the M1 Max unless you are rendering 2-hour 8K videos or something.

If you don’t fall into any of the categories I’ve named off so far, you need not consider yourself a power user. That’s okay! That means you get to spend less money and frankly, you have more choice. If you want a nice 4K screen with a slim profile, you like colors, and you don’t need a laptop for portability, get the M1 iMac. It’s an all-in-one desktop that’s perfect for Youtube-watching, photo editing, and web surfing. You can edit HD and 4K videos and big photos on it too if you want. Plus it’s available in many colors.

When buying a computer, here’s a few things you shouldn’t do:

• Don’’t buy the cheapest model you can. Always look to get a mid-range model. Don’t know what I mean by that? I mean don’t get the smallest storage and smallest bit of RAM (also called Memory). At least get something mid-range, because it’s likely you can’t upgrade these machines. At the very least, upgrade the storage (also called SSD or Hard Drive). The lowest storage option is usually the slowest storage - and yes, slow drive speeds can slow down your computer after a while.
• Don’t buy direct from Apple unless you want something that’s just come out. Amazon and Best Buy are always running sales on year-old devices and computers. Again, if it’s been out for more than six months, you’ll probably be able to find a deal on it, and Apple’s same warranty applies no matter who you buy it from.

I hope this guide has been helpful! If you have additional questions, you can find me on Twitter or email me directly.

Bible, Bellboy Sleeve with Field Notes notebook, and iPad mini 6 with  Pencil.

I have been a note-taker since college. Before then, I have no idea how I got by without taking notes. Up until recently, all of my note taking has been analog, in notebooks or on paper. I still keep a Field Notes notebook on random things that I fill up about once every quarter (I’m an Education Minister, so I live in quarters). But for my Sunday and organized note taking, I’m wondering which direction I need to go.

I have three primary purposes for my note taking: 1) To pay attention better and retain more ideas and information, 2) to be able to look back on those notes and use or interpret them correctly, and 3) to pass these notes to my boys when I’m gone. I’m not sure which direction to go.

Let’s start with digital note-taking. I have been using my 2018 iPad Pro with a second-gen Apple Pencil (the matte white shorter one, not the shiny white longer one). I used GoodNotes at the beginning, but I have since switched to Notability. I don’t like Notability’s icon, but I do like the tools and writing a bit more. I have a Paperlike screen protector on it that really does make writing with the Apple Pencil a lot better. I initially used the iPad Pro 2018 up until the new iPad Mini 6 came out. I found that I flip flop back a forth a bit, but for the most part, the iPad Mini with a Paperlike is a very good Field Notes-style experience with the smaller screen.

I like the experience of digital notes, both typed and handwritten, but as with all types of digital files, I worry about preservation. Backups aren’t usually a problem, but if I want to pass on these notes, where would someone go to get them? And where would notes inside of Notability live if not transferred or backed up to other storage? I worry that my note would no longer be accessible after I’m gone, and that’s the one thing that really pushes me to analog note taking.

For analog notes, I have almost always used Field Notes notebooks in my Bellroy sleeve. I usually always have it with me, but when I don’t, I seem to always need it. One of the biggest advantages with digital notes is that you can probably always have it with you, because whatever app you use, you can back up to the cloud. And since you’ll probably always have your phone with you, you wouldn’t have to worry about that.

A few people have remarked that the Field Notes notebooks are small. They really are. But I write very small, and I scan every notebook with a flatbed scanner, essentially making them digital and (mostly) searchable in Microsoft OneNote, which has powerful OCR (Optical Character Recognition). So in a sense, I have the best of both worlds. But I usually don’t scan a notebook until I’m done with it, so if I ever need the physical book and don’t have it, I’m up the creek.

But the biggest factor by far is that I can put these notebooks on a shelf when I’m done with them. Then my sons (and grandsons hopefully) will be able to pour over my thoughts in written form.

If you’re wondering what kind of pens I use - I use the Uniball Ultra Micro - extremely fine point pens that are really wonderful for tiny writing like mine.

The debate will rage on for me, more than likely. I am a big fan of putting pen to paper, and I will likely continue that for a long time. Digital note taking will be a convenience for me when I don’t have my physical notebook.

Last month, I made a YouTube video on my channel about my Dad’s Every Day Carry (EDC). I thought this was perfect since I was trying to deal with his passing in a positive way and that’s what I talk about on my channel anyways. I don’t spend a lot of time on the videos, I don't make any money off of them, and I don’t mind if they’re just something I do because I enjoy them.

But something happened that was unexpected. After posting the video, I checked the comments once or twice and responded to some but never went back to the video until about three weeks later.

I got a notification on my phone that someone had commented on the video, which wasn’t shocking, but when I saw the view count on the video, it almost knocked me over. Over 27,000 views. The video had taken off.

Again I was surprised at what happened next. Normally I’d say that YouTube comments are one of the darkest places on the web, and I generally try to stay away from them, especially with videos about politics or controversy. What I saw was over 120 comments on my video (more than any other thing I’d ever posted) that were filled with heartwarming sympathies and tributes to my dad and some of the tools he carried. People from all walks of life and all ages. People that had lost their dads as well, some to Covid even.

Going through my dad’s things and posting the video had been therapeutic enough - but the extra added bonus of so many sympathies and encouragement from an unlikely place (YouTube comments of all places) has helped me realize that there are people that care out there, and that there are people who can be kind.

My church family and physical family has been an incredible help and encouragement since my dad passed on January 4. What I didn’t expect, though, was a similar kind of encouragement from strangers on the internet. It’s good to see that we haven’t lost all of our humanity and that kindness is still alive and well.

My Vivaldi tab bar.

I have a love/hate relationship with Safari on the Mac. I absolutely refuse to use Chrome for a number of reasons (data privacy, battery consumption, etc.). But I love Chrome's simple design and extensions. Firefox is fast and light, but I don't like the design. Opera is cool, Opera GX is even cooler. Brave is also neat but again, I didn't like its design.

A few weeks ago I came across this video by the YouTube channel A Better Computer where he talked about the Vivaldi browswer. And ever since downloading and trying it, I've been really happy with it.

Vivaldi is (to the best of my knowledge) built on Chromium, the same as Google Chrome. You can even run web extenstions from the Chrome Store, which is sweet. 1Password is the extension I use the most, and it works great most of the time.

What I really like about Vivaldi is the way that you can make it look the way you want. You can style any color. You can give your tabs that rounded look like Chrome (something I was really looking for, honestly - don't know why it's so important to me).

Vivaldi has seemed fast and light, like a browser should be. Every site I've tried has worked so far, unlike Safari (really, Apple? After all this time?).

There are a lot of browsers to choose from, and you're probably set on the one you use, but if you're frustrated every other day with your current browser, download Vivaldi and give it a try.