Skip to content
ChurchWiseAI
ChurchWiseAIHelping Churches Bring People to Jesus

Getting Started with SermonWise AI

Create your account and generate your first sermon outline in minutes

This guide walks you through creating your account and generating your first sermon outline. The whole process takes about five minutes.

Step 1: Create Your Account

  1. Visit sermonwise.ai and click Get Started Free
  2. Sign up with your email address
  3. You are ready to go -- no credit card required for the free plan

Your free plan includes 2 sermon outlines per month with full access to all 17 theological traditions, RAG-powered illustrations, and export features.

Step 2: Generate Your First Sermon Outline

Once you are signed in, click New Sermon to open the sermon wizard. The wizard guides you through four steps:

Step 1 of 4: Scripture and Theme

  • Scripture Reference (required) -- Type the Bible passage you are preaching from. As you type, book names auto-complete to help you enter references quickly. Examples: "Romans 8:28-39", "John 3:16", "Psalm 23".
  • Theme or Title (optional) -- Add a theme like "God's Unfailing Love" or "Walking by Faith" to guide the outline. You can also click one of the quick topic chips (Grace, Hope, Faith, Love, and more) to set a theme instantly.
  • Lectionary Readings -- If you follow the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), expand the lectionary panel to see upcoming Sunday readings. Click "Use" next to any reading to populate the scripture field.

Click Next when you have entered your passage.

Step 2 of 4: Theological Tradition

Select the theological tradition that shapes your preaching. This is the most important choice -- it determines the vocabulary, theological emphasis, and pastoral approach of your outline.

You will see all 17 traditions displayed as cards, each with a brief description of its core focus. If you are not sure which to pick, use the denomination helper at the top:

  • Southern Baptist (SBC) --> Baptist
  • Presbyterian (PCA/PCUSA) --> Reformed
  • United Methodist (UMC) --> Wesleyan
  • Catholic --> Catholic
  • Assemblies of God --> Pentecostal
  • ELCA / LCMS --> Lutheran
  • Episcopal / Anglican --> Anglican
  • AME / COGIC --> Black Church
  • Non-denominational --> Christocentric

You can search traditions by name to find yours quickly.

Click Next after selecting your tradition.

Step 3 of 4: Method and Audience

SermonWise recommends the best sermon methods for your chosen tradition and scores each by fit (displayed as a star rating). The top-recommended method is auto-selected for you, but you can choose any method you prefer.

Each method card shows:

  • The method name and fit score
  • Ideal sermon length in minutes
  • Complexity level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced)
  • Which passage types it works best for

You can also expand "Show other methods" to see all available options beyond the recommended ones.

Below the method selection, choose your Target Audience:

  • Mixed congregation (default)
  • Young adults (18-30)
  • Families with children
  • Senior adults
  • Men's group
  • Women's group
  • Youth group (13-17)
  • New believers

Optionally, expand Customize Voice & Style to fine-tune tone, formality, imagery density, and other style dimensions.

Click Next to proceed to the review screen.

Step 4 of 4: Review and Generate

Review your selections:

  • Scripture passage
  • Theme (if any)
  • Theological tradition
  • Sermon method and duration
  • Target audience
  • Voice and style choices (if any)

If everything looks right, click Generate Sermon Outline. A progress bar shows the generation status as SermonWise:

  1. Validates your inputs
  2. Retrieves tradition-matched illustrations from the 290,000+ resource library
  3. Generates your outline using AI aligned to your tradition and method
  4. Saves the result to your library

Generation typically takes 30 to 60 seconds. When complete, your full sermon outline appears with sections, main points, illustrations, application questions, and a closing.

Step 3: Work with Your Outline

Once your outline is generated, you can:

  • Copy the entire outline to your clipboard
  • Export to Word to get an editable .docx file
  • Save it to your sermon library for later reference
  • Start a new sermon to begin the process again

What Counts Toward Your Limit?

Each successfully generated outline counts as one use toward your monthly limit. Failed generations (errors, timeouts) do not count. Your limit resets on the 1st of each month.

  • Free plan: 2 outlines per month
  • Pro plan: 15 outlines per month

Next Steps