Sun City’s blog is written, posted, and managed in a collaborative effort by the Creative Team at Sun City Church.
Ok, so let's say the weird thing first.
You just clicked on a blog post, from a church website, about AI.
Yes, we know it's odd for us too, but here it is. Artificial Intelligence has moved from a fun idea to talk about around a dinner table to a TED talk topic.
From how to get a stain out with cold water and a dream, to whether you should see a doctor about a rash, AI can do almost anything.
It can now serve up information faster than your elders starting a sentence with "Back in my day". In fact, it is going so fast that 80% of companies are now using AI, and 60% are using AI agents to do real work.
This brings up a fear that is no longer science fiction. It is real and pressing.
What if this thing becomes a better (x) than me?
What if it becomes better coder?
What if it writes better music or stories?
What if it offers better counsel?
If AI can do what I can do, what makes me, me?
What AI actually is and what this post is not:
Before we go any farther, we should clear a few things up.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defined as technology that can perform tasks that normally require human thinking.
That means AI has been around long before models like ChatGPT and Claude ever showed up on the scene.
- Google Maps and Apple Maps use AI to reroute you when you take a wrong turn.
- Spotify uses AI to recommend new songs for your playlist.
- I can promise you this post has passed through a fair amount of autocorrect. A few lines were even run through ChatGPT to smooth out wording and sentence structure.
So, this post is not a scare tactic.
No one is going to be forced to swear off their devices. So, please don't burn your phone or smash your computer—you'll want it for the rest of this post.
This is also not a hype piece.
We are certainly not promising that AI will solve all your problems. That role belongs to God alone.
Why should I listen to a church about this?
It is no secret that the Christian church has not been kind to new things, especially technology. We typically have two responses.
Bury our head in the sand and go full ostrich
I mean, there genuinely is nothing in the bible about AI so…you want to hear more about how Jesus did some cool stuff?
Organize a witch hunt
- Once apon a time, electricity was considered black magic.
- The printing press posed a threat to the integrity of scripture
- Any music with a drum was sure to call the power of satan.
We hope to have a different conversation than either of those two options ever allowed us to have.
Every generation of the Church has had to decide how to handle the innovation of their day. Now it is our turn. Will we reject this new tool out of fear, or use it to grow in what God has called us to?
But, this AI era is a challenge different from anything else we have ever seen.
AI is Different
- AI mimics how humans talk.
- It thinks, remembers and reasons. Sometimes better than us
- It is growing faster than anything before it.
- It is creating content that has us all questioning what is real.
- And it is fakeing relationships.
The number one fastest growing use of AI last year was "Emotional Support". A stat from Barna stated that 40% of Gen Z and Milennials trust AI more than their Pastor.
That is enough to give you pause.
Cogito, ergo sum vs. Imago Dei
Now, let's all take a breath.
Because, the real danger here is not that AI becomes too human but that humans become too much like machines.
Have you ever heard of this phrase? Cogito, ergo sum.
Of course not, it's in latin.
What it means is "I think, therefore I am". In other words, being human means that we are capable of deep thought. Our ability to think deeply about a problem is something we take a lot of pride in. We believe that finding new solutions makes us productive.
But God has a different answer.
Let me give you another latin phrase to wow your friends. Imago Dei
It means, "Image of God". That is what God says makes us human, that we are made in His image.
Let's go back to the beginning of the story.
Here, God is saying that not only is being created in his image the thing that makes us different from everything else. It is also the thing that elivates us from everything else. And that goes for AI.
What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
We just gave you a nice Christian sounding answer to a very complex problem.
But don't worry we are not done yet.
Now that we have this Imago Dei identity back in our minds let's talk about what that means for you.
Because you are made in the image of God you are:
A relational being
God shows us this about both himself and us in Genesis 2.
Loneliness was the very first thing in this world that was not good.
We believe that God is good. Not just, he does good things but that goodness makes up who he is.
So, when he says that something is not good, it means that it goes directly against who he is. He made us have a relationship with him and others.
AI may be able to talk and give advice but it can not feel what you feel like a human cane. So, it will never be a cure for lonliness.
A moral being
Because we are relational beings, we are also moral beings.
Look at this verse:
Like we talked about earlier, this verse says that at the base level, God is justice.
Likewise, we care about justice and what is fair.
We just know when something is not right.
Humans fight for the rights of other people and things. AI can't do that.
A being that creates for the joy and beauty of creating
God did not have to make this earth with all of its beauty.
- Wild flowers did not have to have all the variety of shapes and colors.
- Food did not have to have taste.
God asks us to engage and create art. Not only will it give us joy but it is also a way to connect with him and those around us. AI can only make things from patterns and data.
A being with a mission
He wants us to join him on that mission and he always has. AI is a tool not a partner.
So, where to go from here?
If AI and where it is going is starting to scare you, then it is time to put the phone down. Not forever, we did tell you we wouldn't make you swear off your devices. But just enough to reengage with other humans.
Here at Sun City we are about ready to launch our spring small group semester!
There are a wide variety of groups to join. From hobby and special interest groups to full on bible studies.
If you are looking for a place to start, sign up for a small group and find your people!
Sign Up for Small Groups
