19th August 2026
- NVBC
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
19th August 2026
More on A.I.
from Johnny
On Sunday, I preached about AI, and how we can apply the wisdom of God to this new technological revolution that is beginning to reshape our world. To receive God's wisdom, we should ask Him for it in prayer (James 1:5) – then listen to what is the Spirit is saying, mediate on what the bible says, and watch what happens when I begin putting it into practice.
Some people have been asking me about all the things that I didn't get time to explore on Sunday: about copyright and privacy and the ethics of AI use, about data-centres and the physical and environmental impacts of AI, about the inequality and corporate greed of the AI industry, and of course taking time to explore some of the potential futures that are on the horizon as AI continues to develop and change our world... I love having these conversations, and I'd love to keep talking about this if you're keen!
Here are some resources that I'd recommend for exploring a Christian view on AI:
A Book: John Lennox, 2084 and the AI Revolution: https://johnlennox.org/book/2084-and-the-ai-revolution/
A Podcast: Felicia Wu Song, interviewed on For the Life of the World : https://faith.yale.edu/media/lonely-tech
A Papal Letter: Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html (yes, the Pope has some great things to say about AI!)
Research Data: The Ethics of AI https://www.barna.com/research/ai-ethics/ (this is US data, but I think there's some Australian research like this being published by McCrindle soon)
As you hear the 'good news' of AI, compare it with the Good News of Jesus - it's an interesting contrast. What is the hope of the AI future? It offers to make us like kings: kings with robot slaves to do our every bidding, kings with intelligent advisors on hand to teach us everything we need to know, kings that can get any entertainment we want on request, kings with lives that are easy and comfortable and effortless, kings surrounded by yes-men who always tell us what we want to hear... yet only little kings, who are in fact mere consumers, and are in fact alone...
The good news of Jesus is not at all like that. In Jesus we have the hope of transformation, growth, salvation and redemption, lives of purpose not lives of ease. In His good news, God says you’re worth so much more than your ability to consume. You are invaluable in God’s sight – you’re made in His image – and he loves you, not because of what you can do or achieve (with or without the help of AI), but because he made you and you are His. Jesus is King.
Compassion Sunday
On Sunday morning we heard from Mark Bonnici from Compassion Australia. He encouraged us to continue being a church that cares beyond ourselves and our own context. You can watch (or rewatch) the video he shared with us below, and if you want to know more about child sponsorship, then click here and consider signing up.
Connect Weekend (Aug 28-30th)
Connect weekend is nearly here! This is a great opportunity to connect with one another at NVBC. Thanks to all the people who've volunteered to host! We have 15 great events to choose from - have a look at them all here:
You can sign up for these great events on Sunday on the big board in the forecourt, or send us an email here.
The Gathering - One month to go of early-bird prices!
The Gathering is fast approaching! If you've been wondering about coming, early-bird prices end on September 20th.
Jump onto nvbc.info/thegathering and read all about it - and if you have any questions that aren't answered there, please reach out to Johnny - johnnysharpe@nvbc.info
You don't need to pay in full by 20th September to secure the early-bird price - rego today, and then you can pay by instalments. If cost is a barrier to you, please let us know.
Hope to see you all there, for a precious, unhurried weekend away together as a church family.
Join us in Prayer this Week
We invite you to take a moment to pray with us right now:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
This Sunday
This Sunday Travis will be kicking off our new series in the book of Daniel, where we'll be exploring what it means to live 'between two kingdoms' - the Kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God.
August Events
Prayer Meeting (Tonight! 19 Aug, 7:00pm)
We've set aside time tonight to pray together. We'll start with praise & have the chance to pray together in small groups and receive prayer where needed. Come be encouraged!
Seniors Service (27 Aug, 10:00am)
This month we have Nita Finger (one of NVBC's missionaries) sharing her story, Ps. Johnny service leading, some great hymns and morning tea as always! All welcome.
Connect Weekend (28-30 Aug)
A weekend to get to know one another at NVBC. Send us an email if you'd like to host + keep the weekend free to attend these great events!
For all other upcoming events, visit:
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