sermon-to-blog

name	sermon-to-blog
description	Turn a sermon transcript into a readable 800-1200 word blog post. Not a transcript. A standalone article. SEO-friendly title, meta description, and web-formatted body.

Sermon to Blog Post

Preach it once, publish it forever.

Requires: pastor-foundation skill

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What This Skill Does

You preached a sermon. Maybe it was great. Maybe it was the best thing you've said from the pulpit all year. And now it's sitting in a folder somewhere as a transcript or a set of notes, doing nothing for the people who weren't in the room.

This skill turns that sermon into a standalone, web-ready blog post that works for someone who has never heard you preach. Not a transcript dump. Not a summary. A real article, structured for reading, optimized for search, and written in your voice.

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Input

Provide one of the following:

• Full sermon transcript (preferred)
• Recording notes or detailed outline with key points and illustrations
• Bullet points covering the main ideas, scripture references, and any stories you told

Optional but helpful: A target keyword or topic angle for SEO (e.g., "how to overcome anxiety as a Christian" or "what the Bible says about forgiveness").

If you don't provide a keyword, one will be identified from the sermon content.

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Workflow

Step 1: Extract the Core Message

Before writing a single word of the post, identify:

• The big idea. One sentence. What is this sermon actually about? Not the title, not the passage. The transferable truth.
• The strongest illustration. One story, analogy, or real-world example from the sermon that will translate well to reading (not all illustrations work the same way in print).
• The 3-4 most practical takeaways. What can someone actually do, think differently about, or believe differently because of this content?
• The primary scripture. The passage the whole message hangs on.

This step determines the structure. A blog post is not a transcript. It is a distilled, restructured version of the sermon's best content, rebuilt for a reader who is skimming on a phone at 7am.

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Step 2: Write the Blog Post

Produce all three components below. No placeholders. Complete, polished output.

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Title

• SEO-friendly and compelling
• Under 60 characters
• Functions as both a search result and a social share
• Includes the primary keyword naturally
• Generate 2-3 options and recommend one

Examples of strong titles:

• "How to Stop Worrying When Life Falls Apart"
• "What Jesus Actually Said About Anxiety"
• "3 Things the Bible Says About Trusting God in Hard Times"

Avoid:

• Vague sermon titles that mean nothing outside the church walls ("The Anchor Holds," "Week 3: Going Deeper")
• Clickbait that overpromises
• Titles over 60 characters

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Meta Description

• 140-160 characters
• Summarizes the value of the article for someone seeing it in a search result
• Includes the primary keyword naturally, not forced
• Reads like a human wrote it, not a checklist item

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Body: 800-1200 words

Structure the article as follows:

Opening Hook (no heading, 2-3 sentences)

Draw in a reader who did NOT hear the sermon. Use relatable tension, a pointed question, or a surprising statement. Meet them where they actually are.

Do not open with:

• "Last Sunday I preached about..."
• "In this blog post, we will explore..."
• A block of scripture
• The sermon title

The hook earns the right to be read. It should make a reader think: "Yes. That's exactly where I am."

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Body Sections (3-4 sections, each with an H2 subheading)

Each section covers one key point from the sermon. The subheadings should be scannable and meaningful, not decorators.

Guidelines for each section:

• 150-250 words
• Weave in scripture naturally. Do not block-quote every other paragraph. Reference it, quote a phrase, let it breathe.
• Use the sermon's language and illustrations, adapted for reading. A story told out loud has different pacing than one told on the page. Tighten it. Cut the setup. Lead with what matters.
• Keep paragraphs short: 2-3 sentences. White space is your friend.
• Bold only what is genuinely worth emphasizing. Not every sentence. Sparingly.
• Use bullet points only for actual lists, not to fake structure.

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Closing (no "In Conclusion" or "As We Wrap Up")

• 100-150 words
• Clear single takeaway: what should the reader walk away believing or doing?
• One concrete action step. Specific. Not "spend time in prayer this week." Something they can actually do today.
• End with strength. Not a fade. Not a hedge. A statement or a question that lands.

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Anti-Patterns

These are hard stops. None of these belong in a published blog post:

• "In this blog post, we'll explore..." -- Never. Cut it.
• Altar-call language -- "If you're ready to give your life to Jesus tonight..." belongs in a sermon, not a blog post. Adapt it or cut it.
• Transcript sections -- Do not paste long chunks of what was said verbatim. Restructure for reading.
• Keyword stuffing -- One primary keyword. Use it 3-5 times naturally. Do not force it into every paragraph or subheading.
• Exceeding 1200 words -- If you are over 1200 words, cut. Tighter is better. A reader who makes it to the end is worth more than one who gets halfway.
• Weak openings -- If the first line would not stop a scroll, rewrite it.
• Em dashes -- Do not use em dashes. Use a period, comma, or colon instead.

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Output Format

Deliver the following, in order:

1. Recommended title (with 2 alternatives below it)
2. Meta description
3. Full article body (formatted with H2 subheadings, ready to paste into WordPress or any CMS)
4. SEO notes: primary keyword identified, estimated keyword density, any secondary keywords naturally present

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Quality Check

Before presenting the output, verify:

• Opening hook does not reference the sermon, the service, or the pastor's name
• Word count is between 800 and 1200
• No em dashes used anywhere
• Scripture is woven in, not block-quoted throughout
• Paragraphs are 2-3 sentences max
• Subheadings are present every 200-300 words
• Closing has a clear action step
• No altar-call language
• Title is under 60 characters
• Meta description is 140-160 characters
• No filler phrases ("In this post...", "As we wrap up...", "In conclusion...")

If the output fails any of these checks, revise before presenting.