Potential

Since ChatGPT appeared the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on learning has been widely debated. Are they handy tools or gateways to academic dishonesty?

Most importantly, there has been concern that using AI will lead to a widespread “dumbing down,” or decline in the ability to think critically. If students use AI tools too early, the argument goes, they may not develop basic skills for critical thinking and problem-solving.

Is that really the case? According to a recent study by scientists from MIT, it appears so. Using ChatGPT to help write essays, the researchers say, can lead to “cognitive debt” and a “likely decrease in learning skills.”

The MIT team asked 54 adults to write a series of three essays using either AI (ChatGPT), a search engine, or their own brains (“brain-only” group). Analysis showed that the cognitive engagement of those who used AI was significantly lower than the other two groups. This group also had a harder time recalling quotes from their essays and felt a lower sense of ownership over them.

The authors claim this demonstrates how prolonged use of AI led to participants accumulating “cognitive debt.” When they finally had the opportunity to use their brains, they were unable to replicate the engagement or perform as well as the other two groups.

To understand the current situation with AI, we can look back to what happened when calculators first became available.

When calculators arrived in the 1970s, educators raised the difficulty of exams. This ensured that students continued to engage deeply with the material. In contrast, with the use of AI, educators often maintain the same standards as before AI became widely accessible. As a result, students risk offloading critical thinking to AI, leading to “metacognitive laziness.”

Possible Preaching Angle: Just as students should use AI as a tool to enhance—not replace—their thinking, so the Bible calls believers to seek wisdom actively without shortcuts.

In 1889, Vincent van Gogh committed himself to a psychiatric asylum in Southern France, where he spent a turbulent year creating roughly 150 paintings, including masterpieces such as “Irises,” “Almond Blossom” and “The Starry Night.”

Now, a former curator of ancient art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has teamed up with a group of conservators, scientists, and historians who believe they’ve discovered No. 151. It is a previously unknown Van Gogh portrait of a fisherman plucked from a Minnesota garage sale a few years ago by an unsuspecting antiques collector in Minnesota. The dealer called to say he’d spotted this fisherman in a bin of other paintings at a garage sale. He’d bought it because he liked the work’s impasto, or thickly painted brushstrokes.

A team of specialists is trying to prove that the canvas bought for less than $50 was painted by the iconic artist and is now worth $15 million.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Human Worth; Value - Just as we often find unexpected treasures in the most unlikely places, people, too, carry within themselves hidden value that may not be immediately apparent. Each individual holds unique talents, perspectives, and strengths waiting to be discovered and appreciated. By taking the time to look beyond the surface, we open ourselves to the possibility of uncovering remarkable qualities in others.

While on my way to dispose of a breakfast of which I only took three bites, I noticed something that has broken my heart: The sixteenth craft I made at preschool this week, stuffed into the garbage beneath a layer of yesterday’s trash as if I wouldn’t find it.

No, not the one with the blue crayon circles. Also, no, not the paint handprints that mysteriously had some other kid’s name spelled backward on it. I’m talking about the one with the eight star stickers, a singular macaroni noodle glued to the top, wrinkled from when I shoved it in my backpack. Yes, there’s a hole in the middle from where I pressed the marker down too hard, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to dispose of it without my permission.

I am aware the refrigerator already displays five similar drawings, and, yeah, you have four noodle necklaces hanging on the lamp by your desk. But when I came home excitedly holding this latest presentation of my blossoming creativity, I thought the look of pride you had on your face was sincere. Now, I’m not sure what to believe.

Do you not appreciate the six minutes of uninterrupted focus required for me to produce such masterpieces? Is there no true love for the wilting dandelions I harvest from our yard three times a week that I demand you find a new vase for every time? Does this prove you’re not planning on treasuring the rocks I collected for you in my pocket that I forgot to take out until it was too late, which were rattling around in the dryer during the third load of laundry you were doing today?

My future therapy bills are already increasing over the denial of genius presented through this unforgivable act of parental neglect.

But trauma creates great art, and with that, I’m prepared to unveil my greatest work yet: a rainbow mural of permanent markers all over the bathroom on every surface I could reach. The sink. The baseboards. The shower curtain. The mirror. The light switch. The door. The fancy tile you had installed during a remodel before I was born.

I’m hopeful the tears I see forming in your eyes represent how moved you are by my magnum opus. It feels great to finally have my work be respected the way it should.

Six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots parted ways in January 2024. This sparked a lot of commentary on the coach’s legacy. Offensive lineman Damien Woody played for the Patriots from 1999 to 2003 and was integral in helping the team win two Super Bowls. Speaking on ESPN's morning talk show First Take, Woody explains how Belichick went the extra mile to help him reach his full potential, on the field and in life:

I tell people this all the time. Every moment I stepped in that building in New England it was like game day every day. You had to be mentally and physically prepared to be in a grinder. That's the type of environment that Bill had in New England. He always made sure that everyone was uncomfortable. Because we know that when you're uncomfortable that's when the greatest growth comes about within you as a person. So, it should surprise no one the level of success that Bill and the New England Patriots had because of the environment that was there.

But I remember Bill back in my early days. "I think it was like 2001, Bill Belichick put an anchor in our locker room. That anchor signified how much overweight we were as a football team and how much dead weight we were carrying around that was keeping us as a team from getting to where we want to go. During my playing career I always had problems with my weight. So instead of reaming me, Bill went out of his way to set me up at a program at Duke University. Paid for it himself. I was down there for two months. This man came down to North Carolina multiple times to check on me to see how I was doing.

That to me speaks volumes about the man. And so, like I sit here today just processing and I'm thankful for every lesson that I learned there because I've been able to carry that not only through my playing career but just through my life in general.

How often do we as parents imagine our children playing a professional sport? Whether it is swimming, gymnastics, college football, or basketball, there is often the hope that our child will make the cut.

‌Youth sports is a big industry in the United States. The Aspen Institute says it is a “30-40 billion dollar,” industry. The average family spends around $883 a year to cover the costs of just one primary sport. We might ask "Is the cost worth the investment?"

‌The reality is that only 3% of High School basketball players will play at college level. And this number drops significantly further along the professional level.

‌According to the NCAA, “Only 0.02 to 0.03 percent of high school players end up playing in the NBA or WNBA.” Think about that number! That means out of 10,000 high school players only 1 or 2 will ever get the chance to play a professional sport.

‌Possible Preaching Angle:

It is so easy to get focused on the wrong goals. Matthew 25:14-30 makes clear that it is not the amount of the talent, but our attitude towards our gifts that is crucial. We each have been given at least one gift and different abilities. Jesus says do not look at what others do, instead make a difference with the talent you have been given.

To excel in the National Basketball Association, as in any sports league, a player must be in excellent physical condition. But according to a profile by ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes, what sets NBA champion Nikola Jokic apart from his peers is not his towering physique or his Serbian heritage, but rather, his dizzying intellect.

Ognjen Stojaković, player development coach for Jokic’s Denver Nuggets, says, “You're as fast as you can anticipate. He anticipates situations two and three steps ahead. People don't understand, before the situation happens, he can predict it."

According to tracking firm Second Spectrum, Jokic assisted on 468 layups and dunks--the most of any active NBA player. All-time NBA great LeBron James describes Jokic as mentally exceptional. James said, “He sees plays before they happen. Maybe it's not talked about, because a lot of people don't understand it, but I do. He's special.”

Branislav Vicentic coached Jokic as a teenager in Belgrade, Serbia. He said, “The first time I saw him. I just fell in love.” Despite his substandard conditioning, at first Jokic was unable to complete 10 sit-ups or pushups, Vicentic said that Jokic simply didn’t make any mistakes on the court. Having only coached him for that one year, Vicentic said he’d never seen anyone like Jokic, either before or since.

Vicentic said, “Listen, I don't want to take credit. Some [people] ask me, ‘Hey, you create Nikola Jokic?’ I don't know how to make Nikola Jokic. I was blessed to have him on my team. He's Beethoven. You give him a piano. He makes music.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Don't devalue the gifting and identity with which God has gifted you. Be yourself to the best of your ability, and don't worry about whether it matches the expectations of others.

Newton Howard is a brain scientist who teaches at Georgetown University. He says, “We are transformers. We change things as humans.” This idea of humans using their ingenuity to create new possibilities is one that Newton says holds extraordinary value, especially for children.

For this reason, Howard commissioned the creation of two life-sized statues of Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, stationed outside the door of his home in historic Georgetown. They are characters from the long-running animated series Transformers, which has merchandised children’s toys, and in recent years has spawned cinematic adaptations from action filmmakers.

In a conversation with a local columnist, Howard quoted Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” He says statues have been popular with neighbors and passersby, with people often coming to take photos in front of them. However, the statues do have their detractors, which include people in the Old Georgetown Board, a panel who review projects in the historic neighborhood. That board recently voted to reject Howard’s request for the statues to remain permanently.

Newton learned of the decision from local media coverage, and from messages of support from friends and neighbors. Newton said, “I have received so many beautiful messages. The people that want this to be removed are people that are showing no grace, no openness, no inclusion, no invitation to others. It’s an awful message. It’s contrary to what I believe.”

After addressing potential safety concerns by securing the statues to his property, Newton applied for another exemption, which is to be voted on later in the year. He’s prepared to pursue legal action to defend the statues.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Just as people have found inspiration from these transforming statues, people around us can find inspiration when they see us transformed by the gospel.

Condoleezza Rice, the former diplomat and Secretary of State, was a sophomore in college majoring in piano performance, working toward a professional musical career. That summer, she went to study and perform at the Aspen Musical Festival, a prestigious and competitively sought honor.

While there, she came into contact with, as she put it, “11-year-olds who could play from sight what had taken me all year to learn.” She knew that she could not compete with people of such innate talent. She knew she would never be the best, and that meant this wasn't the path she wanted to pursue.

At the start of her junior year, she changed her major from music to international relations. And the rest is history.

Rice earned graduate degrees in political science from Notre Dame and would go on to become an expert on the Soviet Union and eventually foreign policy. She served as the National Security advisor and then US Secretary of State, as the first woman of color to do so.

Her life, and the future lives of countless others, was changed that fateful day when 19-year-old “Condi” decided she would not be a pianist. She didn't waste time staring at a door that was closing, but instead, while the opportunity was still ripe, pushed a new one open.

In what has been called “the greatest pro-life speech of all time,” the now-deceased Christian leader Richard John Neuhaus shared the turning point on abortion. He was a pastor of what he described as a “very poor, very black, inner-city parish in Brooklyn, New York.” Neuhaus had just read an article by a distinguished professor at Princeton named Ashley Montagu. Montagu listed the following qualifications for “a life worth living”—good health, a stable family, economic security, educational opportunity, the prospect of a satisfying career to realize the fullness of one’s potential.

Neuhaus wrote:

And I remember vividly looking out the next Sunday morning at [my congregation] and seeing all those older faces creased by hardship endured and injustice afflicted, and yet radiating hope undimmed and love unconquered. And I saw the younger faces of children deprived of most, if not all, of those qualifications on Prof. Montagu’s list. And it struck me then, like a bolt of lightning … that Prof. Montagu believed that the people of [our church]—people of faith and kindness and endurance and, by the grace of God, hope unvanquished—that, by (his) criteria, none of these my people had a life worth living. In that moment, I knew that a great evil was afoot. The culture of death is an idea before it is a deed. In that moment, I knew that I had been recruited to the cause of the culture of life.

The hottest new book in the Lake Hazel branch of the Ada Community Library had a waiting list more than 50 people strong. But it wasn’t just word-of-mouth advertising that propelled the book into must-read territory. It was also its exclusivity. Unlike most mass-produced works on library shelves, The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis is one-of-a-kind. And its author Dillon Helbig is eight-years-old.

Dillon made his authorial intent clear when, after writing and illustrating his 81-page creation by hand at home, he snuck it onto a library shelf during a recent visit with his grandmother. After returning home, he admitted the scheme to his mother, who immediately called the library to ask if anyone had seen it.

“It was a sneaky act,” said branch manager Alex Hartman. Dillon himself admitted this, calling his clandestine act “naughty-ish.” Nevertheless, Hartman was impressed, calling the book “far too obviously a special item for us to consider getting rid of it.” Hartman eventually read it to her six-year-old son, who loved it. She said:

Dillon is a confident guy and a generous guy. He wanted to share the story. I don’t think it’s a self-promotion thing. He just genuinely wanted other people to be able to enjoy his story. ... He’s been a lifelong library user, so he knows how books are shared.

The other librarians agreed that it met the criteria for inclusion onto its stacks. So, Hartman got Dillon’s permission to add a barcode to the back of The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis, and officially added it to the collection. They also gave Dillon a Best Young Novelist award, which they created specifically for him.

Dillon’s mom said, “His imagination is just constantly going, and he is a very creative little boy. He just comes up with these amazing stories and adventures, and we just kind of follow along.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Just like these librarians encouraged Dillon, we should also encourage the young people we encounter. We can promote their gifts and talents and prepare them to keep on serving others.

Dayvon Johnson probably didn’t wake up feeling like a hero. But few would argue that two sets of actions he took that day were anything less than heroic. The sixth grader at Muskogee’s Academy was hailed as a life-saver when a classmate began choking on the cap from a water bottle and stumbled into his classroom. The quick-thinking Johnson moved with alacrity. He performed a quick Heimlich maneuver and the bottle cap popped out of the student’s no-longer-blocked airway. When interviewed by the local newspaper, the eleven-year-old Dayvon said he learned the maneuver on YouTube.

But the life-saving didn’t stop there. Later that same day, Dayvon was walking in his neighborhood and noticed a house that was on fire. He saw an elderly woman trying to escape through her front door. Though the fire was only in the rear of the house, he didn’t want to wait. “I thought ‘oh, she’s not moving fast enough.’ So, I ran across the street and helped her to her truck.”

For his efforts, Dayvon was honored during a local meeting of the Muskogee School Board. School principal Latricia Dawkins said, “He is a dual hero. He is just a kind soul and well-liked by his peers and staff alike.” Also, the local police department proclaimed him as an honorary member of the force.

Dayvon’s mother LaToya Johnson said she was not surprised that her son stepped up the way that he did. She noted that her role-model brother--Dayvon’s uncle--is an EMT (emergency medical technician). However, she’s content to thrive in her own sacred role. “I’m just a proud mom.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

All of us are given opportunities to help others within our vicinity. Our job is to be ready to serve when called upon.

It's easy to envy the success of others while ignoring the sacrifices that made it possible. The more effortless something looks, the more effort went into it. Great musicians make hard look easy! Same with athletes. Pick a sport, any sport.

When Phil Mickelson was a young golfer, he struggled with his short game. A coach challenged him to make one hundred three-foot putts in a row. After many attempts, Phil sunk ninety-nine in a row before missing his one hundredth attempt. Most of us would have rounded up! Not Phil Mickelson. He went right back at it until he accomplished the 100 Putt Challenge. That's how you win forty-four PGA events and five majors!

After Abraham Walker’s older brother was shot and killed in a home invasion, he decided to move his family from New Orleans to Northern Virginia. He was drawn by the chance to give his boys a life in which they wouldn’t see the loss of friends and relatives as “normal.”

He describes himself as an “aggressive optimist” who looks for the good during the awful, and when he doesn’t see it, he tries to create it. It’s why when he clicked on a Facebook page for residents in a neighboring county, he read through the posts and then started typing: “What are some positive things that have happened to you because of COVID-19?”

In the days since, hundreds of people have responded, offering comments that tell of everything from simple appreciations to life-altering revelations:

I have been having the BEST time with my 4-year-old. I never thought of myself as a good mother, but this isolation has brought us so close together.

I successfully grew a tomato.

We have a swing set in our yard now.

Before COVID I just got up late, ran around in a panic, usually in a bad mood or at least sad, endured a road rage-filled commute, and arrived at the office late. ... Now I wake up and think, “Oh, I woke up again” and then I go out to my balcony amidst the pine trees and the chirping birds and rising sun.

Walker has also been thinking about some posts long after he read them:

I think a lot of people are going to be so traumatized by their old lives that they won’t go back. I hope some people don’t go back. That’s the beautiful thing about destruction. You used to have a life. The coronavirus destroyed that life. You now get to decide how you rebuild that life.

Walker says his brother’s death was a tragedy, but it pushed him to relocate to Northern Virginia, where his family has created a life, made friends, and connected with neighbors. He says, “Look at the afterward. History tells us there is always an afterward.”

When Paul McCartney was a boy he auditioned for a place in the Liverpool cathedral choir. He was turned down because the choirmaster reckoned he didn’t have much of a voice. John Lennon was raised by his aunt Mimi. He spent most of his spare time in his bedroom playing guitar. Mimi looked at him one day and said, “John, it’s all very well playing your guitar, but you’ll never make a living out of it.” When Lennon made his first million, he gave her a silver plaque with her words inscribed on it. Two boys that changed our culture but no one saw their potential.

When Samuel anointed David as king of Israel, Jesse paraded his seven strong sons before him, but God rejected them. Then Jesse said, “There is still the youngest, He is tending the sheep.” When Samuel saw him, God said “he is the one.”

How many young people in your family, church, or community are the leaders of tomorrow? Are they future pastors, artists, politicians, teachers, or social workers who, with God’s help might be used to shape your community for the kingdom of God? How can you help them? How will you invest in their lives?

In 2017 the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech. In 2018-2019, his second season, Mahomes led the team to the AFC Championship game. Then in 2020 he led the Chiefs to their first Superbowl win in 50 years. His performance in the biggest game of the season earned him the title of youngest Superbowl MVP. Some sports analysts suggest that Mahomes has the potential to become the “Greatest of All Time.”

Mahomes has not always been universally adored, however. After being drafted in 2017, a writer from the USA Today gave the Chiefs a C- grade for selecting Mahomes. The writer proclaimed:

Calling Mahomes a project is a major understatement. He’s nowhere near ready to play in the NFL. And, honestly, he may never be. Between his inconsistent accuracy due to poor mechanics, his tendency to bail from clean pockets and his lack of field vision, he’s going to leave as many big plays on the field as he creates. This was a risky pick.

History, however, will give the Chiefs an A+.

Possible Preaching Angle:

The Bible is full of examples of godly men who failed to see potential and gave C- grades to future A+ leaders. Samuel looked at David and didn’t see a leader, but anointed him only because God had already “drafted” David. Paul refused to take John Mark on his journey and even parted ways with Barnabas when Barnabas “the Son of Encouragement” rightly saw potential in Mark. These stories, both biblical and contemporary, remind us to be cautious in our evaluations of others, to seek counsel from other leaders, and to ask God to give us his eyes to see people as he sees them.

A vanilla shake is one of life’s simple pleasures, especially on a hot summer’s day. Did you know that vanilla traces its origin all the way back to a twelve-year-old slave boy living on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean? Vanilla is now the most popular spice in the world, but in 1841 the world produced fewer than two thousand vanilla beans, all in Mexico.

Up until the mid-19th century, vanilla orchids were pollinated exclusively by a particular genus of bee in Mexico. Over the years, as demand rose, attempts were made to industrialize the pollination process, to no avail. Vanilla was stubborn. All of this changed thanks to the ingenuity of that 12-year-old slave named Edmond Albius on a small island, 500 miles east of Madagascar. He was uneducated, yet he managed to solve one of the great botanical mysteries of the nineteenth century.

In 1822 a plantation owner on the island of Reunion was granted some vanilla plants from the French government. Only one of them survived, and nearly two decades later it still hadn't fruited. Without that bee pollinator, no one outside Mexico could get their plants to flower--that is, until Edmond worked his magic.

The owner was walking his plantation with Edmond in 1841 when he discovered, much to his surprise, that his vanilla vine had produced two beans! That’s when Edmond revealed, very matter-of-factly, that he had pollinated them by hand. The disbelieving plantation owner asked for a demonstration, so Edmond gently pinched the pollen-bearing anther and the pollen-receiving stigma between his thumb and index finger.

By 1858 Reunion was exporting two tons of vanilla. By 1867, it was up to twenty tons. And by 1898, it was two hundred tons. And it all traces back to a twelve-year-old boy named Edmond who hand pollinated a single vanilla vine. From that single vine, a billion-dollar industry was created.

Possible Preaching Angles: Hope; Insignificance; Persistence; Patience; Small things; – The least likely person can be used by God to bring about great changes if they use their gifts and opportunities regardless of their circumstances.

Nicole Hornback was attending the local high school homecoming parade when she noticed her two-year-old son Clarke was choking on a piece of candy. Hornback said, “I was sitting right next to him. I just happened to look over. There was no noise, no coughing, no breathing.” After trying and failing at the Heimlich maneuver, she called out in distress.

Meanwhile, cheerleader Tyra Winters, a senior at Rockwall High School, was waving to the crowd from a float. When she heard the call for help, she immediately leapt into action. Winters explained, “He was turning purple, so I immediately jumped off the float. I ran down to the kiddo, and I was like, ‘I got him.’ I grabbed him from the mom and tilted him and I gave a good three back thrusts and he ended up spitting up.”

“She saved my baby,” said Hornback. “I commend her for being a teenager and being trained.”

Possible Preaching Angle: Anyone can become God's vessel of healing and deliverance; all it takes is being willing to see the need and act accordingly to the Spirit's leading.

A half-century ago, America's dreams were realized in space. The power of US innovation and spirit took the Apollo 11 crew to the moon and back. That mission was possible because of a diverse team of engineers, astronauts, and mathematicians. It was also possible thanks to the help of one 10-year-old boy who was in the right place at the right time.

In 1969, Greg Force lived in Guam with his father, Charles Force. Charles worked as the director of a NASA tracking station that helped connect the capsule with NASA Mission Control for voice communication. After Apollo 11 began its departure from the moon, a problem arose. A bearing had broken in the dish antenna needed to track the ship. Without it, NASA risked losing the ability to communicate with the capsule as it approached Earth.

Scrambling to find a solution, Charles called home, hoping that Greg's child-size dimensions could be of assistance. He asked Greg to come to the tracking station and squeeze his arm through the antenna's access hole and pack grease around the bearing. The 10-year-old rose to the challenge and scampered up the ladder. Greg said, “I would take a big handful of grease—you know, you squish it. It comes out between your fingers, and I stuck them down in there and packed them the best I could.”

Greg succeeded, and a NASA public affairs officer noted his contribution in an announcement: “The bearing was replaced with the assistance of a 10-year-old boy named Greg Force who had arms small enough that he could work through a 2.5 inch diameter hole to pack [the bearing].”

The Apollo 11 moon landing succeeded with the help of a 10-year-old boy and the rest is history.

Author Heather Havrilesky writes about finding meaning in the mundaneness of everyday life using Mozart as the example:

Mozart’s father, Leopold, viewed his son’s musical talent as a miracle given by God. He believed that it was his job to help Mozart share his miracle with the world. In Mozart’s time, composers weren’t seen as an exalted class of humans. … Musicians were exactly in the same position as other household servants—cooks, chambermaids, coachmen, and sentries. They existed for the comfort and well-being of their masters and mistresses. Leopold Mozart didn’t agree. He believed that his son should be displayed “to the glory of God,” as he put it.

Mozart … was often impulsive and he thought nothing of thwarting convention. He rarely had enough money and he died young. But when you listen to his music, it’s impossible not to believe that he was a joyful and deeply satisfied human being.

Nowhere in her bio does Havrilesky claim to be a believer. However, she encourages her readers not to prioritize accumulating wealth or social media likes and friends. Instead, “Imagine being told that you have been given your talent by God, and you must honor God’s will by manifesting that talent in your creations.”

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

Possible Preaching Angle: Mozart was dedicated to excellence in a ‘mundane’ chore and used his gift to God’s glory. This is a good analogy to the Christian doing God’s work, but possibly being discouraged if the work seems endlessly menial and tedious.

The picture William Damon paints with his groundbreaking book The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children Find Their Calling in Life provides a wake-up call. His research shows that almost 25 percent of US youth ages 12 to 22 are “rudderless.” They have little to no direction in life and are at serious risk of never fulfilling their potential. Another 25 percent have purposeful goals but have taken few if any steps toward those goals. Approximately 31 percent have actively tried several purposeful pursuits without knowing why they are doing so or whether they’ll continue with these interests in the future. Only 20 percent have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish in life and why and have realistic plans.