Engaging with AI: A Christian Perspective

If technology feels like both tool and threat, this episode is your guide.
The truth? AI isn't inherently neutral—it’s shaped by purpose. In this conversation with Michael Woodfield, we tackle how Christian agents can use AI as a means — not a master — in their business, staying anchored in wisdom and discernment.

You’ll learn:

• Biblical lenses for evaluating tech adoption

• What AI can enhance (not replace) in your relationships

• How to guard your heart and mind while innovating

• Practical use cases for AI in real estate

• Why faith-driven discernment matters more than the hype

If you’re curious how to engage AI without losing your soul — this episode gives the framework.

Next Steps

• Evaluate one AI tool you use (or wonder about) through a filter of wisdom and alignment

• Share the episode with tech-curious agents

• Leave a review — let’s lead ethically in innovation

Transcript & Highlights
Michael and I unbox the tensions and opportunities of AI, and I share how I’m currently integrating tools while preserving relational integrity.

Garrett:
What's up, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of the Faithful Agent podcast. I am honored to have Michael Woodfield with me here today. I was blessed to be a guest on his show, Kingdom Campfires, and he's here today to talk to us about artificial intelligence and how do Christian agents rightly engage and think about AI, which is an important conversation that we have that we need to have and we're going to continue to have. He's a pastor and a coach, and he helps Christian entrepreneurs with AI and automation, the founder of Kingdom Campfires. Michael, thank you so much for being here, brother. Let's just dive right in. And so you've been in that space, you're helping agents in that space, specifically Christian entrepreneurs. How do we rightly think about AI in the biblical context? How do we engage with it? What do we need to be thinking about? And maybe some of the dangers we're going to get into that. But man, just give me your first take. How do we think about AI as Christians?

Michael:
Yeah, yeah. Well, first of all, just thank you for having me on the show. I know there's so many opportunities that we get to speak and this is a good one for me. I appreciate it.

When you start looking at AI, one thing I like to say is one thing we forget is we've been using AI for years. Obviously, with chat GPT rolling out a couple of years back, it kind of came on the scene as something new. But if you think of your phone, you pick up your phone right now. You use Siri, you go to Google, you're using AI whether you realize it or not before they even implemented their new Google AI in the search engines.

We've been using AI for years, so it's not a thing of whether it's good or bad. It's like a brick. I know we've all heard the analogy. You can take a brick and build a house with it, or you can take a brick and chuck it at somebody and cause injury. So there's this good and bad both that can happen with anything. And I think sometimes we forget that when we're talking about technology.

If you're using it properly, it can become a tool that you can leverage to really accelerate things in your life, whether it's in your personal life and everyday life, whether it's something in your home or like right now, if I shout out to my device, I won't call its name because it'll click on and then turn off everything I'm using right here. And I love it. I can walk into my office and I can just call out the device's name and say Michael's office on and it will take care of everything for me and I'm ready for my day.

So I think it's just cool to be able to understand AI. And then once you understand it is like how can I best leverage it?

“Understand AI”? What Does That Even Mean?

Garrett:
Where do we start then? What does that even mean? What do you mean understand AI? Because I'm with you, the predictive texting and all of those things have already existed with chat GPT. Now it became, oh my gosh, it's everywhere. Like you said, it was. But I think the conversation is everywhere. So what does it even mean? What is understanding AI? Start there.

Michael:
Yeah, think a big thing is just understanding that there's so many things that are moving quickly. When chat GPT came on the scene, everybody's like, OK, I'm going to type up the best prompt ever, and it's going to give me this information. And then maybe it came out all right. And they're like, oh, that didn't turn out the way I wanted. And then they put another prompt in and it still is not coming out what they want. And they just give up and they walk away and they're like, this is garbage. It don't work.

If you understand how it's just like any computer, whatever you put into it is what you're going to get out of it. So putting in quality information and then continually refining that information gets us a better outcome. And I think a lot of times because we didn't have either proper training or good information, we step into using tools. And it can happen with any tool. We're just using AI in this conversation. But we step into using tools and they don't work out the way we wanted. And so we get frustrated.

If you have small kids, you understand, like you give them a new toy and if they don't understand how it works, they don't know how to really get the full function of it. But when you set and demonstrate it to them, they light up, they're pushing all the right buttons, and it's no different with AI. If you understand how to push the right buttons and put the right information in, you'll light up. The whole world changes and things get easier. So that's the thing I love about it is like figuring out how to leverage specific tools. And I have a few, a handful of them. I'd be happy to share that with anybody that asks.

A Pastor’s Caution: Are We Outsourcing Wisdom?

Garrett:
Yeah, definitely. From my perspective, I use AI a lot and I've learned to ask first, can AI do this? Even with my assistant — having her ask, can AI do this? Because a lot of times it is better and faster. I mean, it's always faster. Most of the time it's better than I would be at a specific thing.

I think that I find myself, Michael — and I'd be curious because, you know, you especially coming at it from a perspective of both a coach, but also a pastor — I find myself asking: if I become so reliant on it, am I giving up the ability to think properly? And then coupled with that a little bit — it is easy for me to go to, you know, it's the new Google. A lot of people are using ChatGPT as opposed to Googling something.

So if I'm like, “What is that scripture verse that I'm trying to figure out?” ChatGPT will pull it up like that. It's amazing. And it becomes a tool that is super helpful when it comes to understanding the Word and knowing what different verses are. But also I think it's easy for us to become so reliant — like “all this must be true,” and it can become a crutch pulling us away from the hard work of…

Super quick example: a buddy of mine in tech said he used ChatGPT to plan an anniversary trip. It was amazing. But afterward he wondered — was that the appropriate way to honor and love his spouse? Because he didn’t really think about her — he let the computer do it. The trip would be amazing, but is that…right?

So as Christians trying to think biblically, we don't know where to land. When should I use it? When should I not? Should I always use it? Should I never use it? What are your thoughts?

Michael:
Yeah, and I think that that's a really good question. A lot of times it varies based on the person and the situation. I don't know if there's a one-size-fits-all answer.

In the example you’re using with the anniversary — this is a special moment. From a personal touch perspective, I’d put more time into it and even put more prompts into it: these are the things my wife loves; these are the areas where I want to connect with her; here’s the vibe we want. Then use AI more for ideas than a choreographed schedule.

If I’m prepping a weekend message and I just ask for a 45-minute sermon? That’s impersonal — and I’m not relying on the Holy Spirit. For me, that’s the wrong use of AI. But if I put effort into it, and use AI to surface ideas I hadn’t thought of — that’s different. Maybe there’s a restaurant or experience I wouldn’t have considered. AI can give us that. But if we don’t put any thought into it, we wind up blindly following. And then we’re no longer in control of our own lives.

Treat It Like a Smart Assistant — Not Your Lord

Garrett:
Is it helpful to look at AI as a really, really smart assistant? One I need to converse with and guide — not the leader of my business or my family. The Lord contains wisdom; the machine spits out information. Sometimes true, sometimes not. If we could hold that perspective — “it helps me steward my work” — that feels healthier.

Michael:
Yeah. It starts with education. We’re so new in this revolution and it’s moving fast. Without a baseline understanding, you can wind up in a ditch. People use it wrong, get a slick-looking answer, don’t double-check it, and ship it to a client — only to realize it didn’t represent them well.

Think assistant. I work with virtual assistants around the world — I’d never blindly trust them with everything. I’m the steward. Ownership is on me. Same with AI. Get discipled in how to use it. Learn best practices from trusted sources. Then leverage it properly.

Content, Voice, and the Authorship Question

Garrett:
Let’s go right at the tension: content creation. Is it okay to let AI write listing remarks? A caption? A blog? Is that plagiarism? Is it lying?

I’ve built a GPT for my book that pulls only from the manuscript I wrote — so the outputs are mine. But if someone drops a prompt into a blank chat and posts the result as their own… do we need to wrestle with that as believers?

Michael:
I wouldn’t judge someone, but I would say: if you’re not leveraging your voice, who’s talking? People who know you can tell when it’s not you. They may never say it, but they feel it.

Better: build a knowledge base of your language — your emails, posts, transcripts. Then ask for help. Now it sounds like you. Not to trick anyone — to avoid the hollow.

If you’re unsure, edit it with your hands and heart. Make it honest. Make it you.

Automation, Stewardship, and a Light Yoke

Garrett:
Shift to automation. Why automate? What even needs it?

Michael:
Ask: What am I stewarding? We all have 24 hours. But energy is the real cap. Automation can free up time and free headspace so you can do the kingdom work only you can do.

Also ask: is this a light yoke? Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden light. If your automations multiply noise and hurry, that’s a wrong yoke. If they free you to meet with a client, pray for a teammate, be present with your family — that’s the right fruit.

Scripture Anchors

Garrett:
Are there Scriptures we should keep in front of us?

Michael:
Two I’d hold close:

• Matthew 11: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” If AI makes life heavy, examine the yoke.

• Matthew 6: “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Don’t miss the kairos moments (opportune time) by getting trapped in chronos (clock time).

If we seek the Kingdom first, AI stays in its place.

How to Stay Human in a Hyper-Efficient World

Garrett:
I’ll be honest — when I pray and submit my work to the Lord, AI doesn’t overwhelm me. When I don’t, it does. The temptation is to chase efficiency, not faithfulness.

So maybe the move isn’t “be the fastest.” It’s be the most faithful — and let tools serve that end.

Michael:
Exactly.

Connect With Michael

Garrett:
If folks want to continue this conversation with you, how do they do that?

Michael:
Connect on social: Michael Woodfield. Best hub: KingdomCampfires.com — podcast, YouTube, and a private Christian entrepreneur community (moving off Facebook groups). Would love to have you.

Garrett:
Agents, that link is in the show notes. Michael, thanks for your wisdom, brother. This is a conversation we’ll keep having — not to fear AI or idolize it, but to steward it for the glory of God.

Agents, we love you. I’ll see you next week.