Andy Stanley Gives Pastors Permission To Repreach His Sermons—But Draws The Line At One Brazen Trick

Andy Stanley has a surprisingly relaxed attitude toward pastors borrowing his sermons-but even the megachurch leader admits that one preacher took things much too far.

Appearing on comedian John Crist's Net Positive podcast, Stanley opened up about sermon plagiarism, artificial intelligence, pastoral competition and the extraordinary occasion when another minister allegedly preached one of his messages almost word for word.

When Crist asked what Stanley does when people claim that a pastor has "stolen" one of his sermons, the North Point Community Church founder offered a humorous rule.

"If you make it better, you can take credit for it," Stanley joked. "If you butcher it, you have to take credit for it."

Stanley then gave pastors broad permission to reuse his material, arguing that "there's nothing new under the sun." His advice was to develop the borrowed material and make it one's own. Although his comments suggested that pastors need not announce every influence behind a sermon, he distinguished that practice from directly quoting someone without acknowledgment.

The conversation became considerably juicier when Stanley recalled hearing about a pastor who allegedly preached one of his sermons verbatim-including its personal illustrations. According to Stanley, the minister even repeated stories about "my wife and I" as though Stanley's experiences had happened to him.

A woman from Atlanta who attended that church recognized the material and confronted the pastor with a CD recording of Stanley's original message. The preacher initially became defensive before reportedly admitting, "I did hear Andy preach that, but I felt the same."

For Stanley, adopting another man's wife and personal experiences for the pulpit was clearly "a bridge too far." Nevertheless, he said the incident happened many years ago and that the two men have since reconciled.

Stanley explained that he deliberately credits direct quotations in his own sermons. Because he preaches with a screen, he can display the speaker's name and openly acknowledge that the words did not originate with him. He also frequently quotes his late father, renowned pastor Charles Stanley, as well as other veteran preachers.

The discussion highlighted a longstanding pressure facing local pastors. Congregants can listen throughout the week to celebrated communicators such as Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah and John MacArthur, then compare their own pastor's Sunday sermon with the polished messages of nationally known preachers.

Stanley argued that this competition did not begin with streaming or social media. Christian radio had already allowed listeners across the country to hear famous pastors long before sermons became instantly available online.

Crist, whose profession treats stolen jokes as a serious offense, appeared fascinated by the comparatively flexible attitude toward recycled sermon material. In comedy, using another performer's joke can destroy a reputation. In church circles, however, familiar illustrations and suspiciously recognizable sermon outlines have circulated for generations.

Stanley was much less enthusiastic about pastors allowing artificial intelligence to write their messages. He described AI as potentially useful for research, much as the internet became a research tool, but called having it produce an entire sermon "not a great shortcut."

The interview also revisited Stanley's reputation as one of American Christianity's most debated pastors. Crist recalled once roasting him before thousands of people during a controversy over Stanley's comments about the Bible.

Crist said he joked about Christian personalities approaching him while he was reading Scripture backstage. In the routine, Beth Moore recognized John 3, Louie Giglio identified the NIV and Stanley supposedly walked past and asked, "What is that? A Bible? Never heard of it."

Despite delivering the punchline before an audience filled with Stanley's followers, Crist later learned that the pastor reportedly found it funny. Stanley appeared equally willing to laugh about it during their new conversation.

The wide-ranging episode presented a noticeably unguarded side of Stanley as he discussed the strange world of celebrity pastors, recycled sermons and churches built around recognizable personalities. His message to preachers seemed simple: borrow an idea if it genuinely helps people, acknowledge direct quotations and never pretend that Andy Stanley's wife is your own.

Watch the full conversation: Stolen Sermons (w/ Andy Stanley) | Net Positive with John Crist