I Never Set Out to Build an App
I was one of the early ones to the AI wave. Back when people looked at you weird for using it. In early 2024, new AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney seemed to pop up every week, so I started a small group at my church hoping others were intrigued as well.
The group was called Digital Disciples. Twelve people joined (same size as Jesus’ crew, just with more laptops). Some to learn AI's potential, others for their businesses and side hustles. The group kept us learning together while staying honest about AI's potential for harm. Along the way, we learned prompting. The more detail you put into your request, the better the image you get back. We practiced by turning Bible verses into images.
That's where I got hooked. We created all kinds of scenes, like kids reading their Bibles and people praying and worshiping in church, while learning different art styles, camera views, and lighting. I'm not an artist, but I couldn't stop creating. Everyone in the group was surprised at what these tools could do.
Soon I was sending images to friends and family with one question: what Bible verse matches this?
What surprised me was the answers. People sent back completely different verses, and yet somehow they all fit. One person saw the image one way, another saw something else entirely. That's when I realized that just like people see different things in a piece of art, the same Bible can speak to each of us differently. The verse that speaks to you depends on the season you're in or what you're carrying that day.
Even people who didn't usually open their Bible were suddenly searching Scripture just to join in. They were spending a few minutes looking up verses and I realized that's a form of Bible study in itself.
So I set up a group chat. Every Wednesday I'd post one new image, everyone would submit a verse anonymously and then we'd all vote for two. That idea came straight from my family's holiday baking contests. We love each other, but we're competitive, so we'd hide our desserts and make everyone vote for two so it stayed fair. Half the fun was guessing who made the winner.
The verse game worked the same way. Every verse was anonymous, so nobody felt pressure, and everyone still couldn't wait to see who won.
The group grew from 5 people to 15. Newer believers started winning. Since I was the one messaging everyone separately, I heard the competitive side. Who got the most votes? Did my verse win?
Then I added a short devotional and a reflection question after the winner was revealed. The more mature Christians began adding context, and that's when it really deepened. Sometimes it was too much and the chat went quiet, but with the right balance, almost everyone joined in.
Everyone looked forward to Wednesdays. It was a midweek break to spend time with God and with each other.
It wasn't about going deep. It was a few minutes once a week in the Word with other Christians, and it was fun.
After about six months, I couldn't keep up with the voting, devotions, and reflections in the group chat anymore. And honestly, it had already become so much more than a game. That's when I knew this needed to be an app, so anyone could join in, not just the 15 of us.
[So my family built Bible Match.]
That Wednesday chat group is now something anyone can be part of. Every image has a verse. Find yours.
Bible Match is free on the App Store and Google Play.
