Step 1 — Start Your Plan (Tab 1 Build)

Every lesson starts on Tab 1. Work down the page from top to bottom:

1. Section I — Lesson Type. Decide what kind of lesson this is. A Topical lesson is built around a subject (like "Faith under pressure") — type your topic in the Topical box. An Exegesis lesson works through a passage verse by verse — type the reference (like "James 1:2-8") in the Exegesis box. Add your Audience / Class Name, Teacher Name, and Age Group, then click Submit to Outline so this appears on your outline automatically.
2. Section II — Lesson Heading. Give the lesson a title, the week it will be taught, and its number in the series (like "3 of 6"). Click Submit to Outline here too.
3. Section III — Learning Objectives. Write down why you are teaching this lesson and the truths you want your class to walk away with.
4. Life Application and Discussion Questions. Note how the lesson applies to daily life, and write up to three discussion questions — or click AI Suggest Questions for ideas tailored to your lesson. The questions appear on Tab 3, on the Lesson Worksheet, and in your PowerPoint.
5. Activities and Memory Verse. Plan an icebreaker activity (or let the AI suggest age-targeted ideas tied to your lesson), and choose a memory verse with a reference and a memory tip. The Lesson Prep Checklist now lives on Tab 7 — Checklist: tick items off as you complete them, and the tab will flash when you save a lesson with items still unchecked.
6. Click Save Build at the bottom when you're done.

After teaching, open VI. Post-Lesson Teacher Review from the Main Menu, or return to the Post-Lesson section at the bottom of Tab 1 — Build, to record what went well, what to improve, engagement level, and prayer requests.

Step 2 — Build the Study (Tab 2 Study)

Tab 2 is your study desk — Scripture, word studies, and illustrations:

1. Lesson Outline preview. The top panel shows the outline header built from what you submitted on Tab 1. You can download it as a Word document with Download Outline (Word).
2. Scripture Lookup. Type a reference like "John 3:16", "John 3:16-21", or "John 3" for a whole chapter, choose a Bible version, and click Look Up. In the KJV and ASV, many words are clickable — click one to see its Strong's Greek or Hebrew definition, and use Add to Word Study Notes to keep it. Click Insert into Primary Scripture Text to drop the passage into your lesson.
3. Key Greek / Hebrew Word. Type a word like "logos" or "chesed" and click Word Study Lookup (Strong's) to search the original-language dictionaries.
4. Word Study Notes. Everything you collect lands here — meanings, usage, and cross references. Edit it freely.
5. Vine's Expository Dictionary. Type an English word like "love", "faith", or "abide" and click Look Up in Vine's to read W.E. Vine's full explanation of each Greek word behind it — right inside the app.
6. Classic Commentaries. Pick a commentator — Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, or Adam Clarke — type a reference like "Eph 6:12", and click Read Commentary to read their notes on that passage right in the app (internet required).
7. Send to Outline. Under each lookup you'll find a Send to Outline dropdown. Pick a destination — Introduction, a Point's Title, a Point's Notes, or Conclusion — and click the button. The result lands in that exact spot on Tab 3 and is saved automatically. Tip: highlight just the sentence or phrase you want with your mouse first, and only that highlighted portion is sent.
8. Bible Book Context. Choose any of the 66 books, click Load Book Context, and read a short overview of its setting, purpose, themes, and teaching lesson. Highlight all or part of the context — or click Select All Context — choose Introduction, a point, or Teacher’s Reference, and click Send Selected Context. Use Print Full Context (Word) when you want the complete book overview on paper.
9. Ask a Bible Question. Type a general study question and click Ask a Bible Question for an AI-generated answer and references to check. Nothing is added to your lesson automatically. Read the full notice beneath the answer: AI may be inaccurate or reflect one interpretation, so verify important claims in Scripture and consult wise pastoral counsel.
10. Import Study Documents. Import HTML, Markdown, or plain text, then select the passage you want to use. DOC/DOCX files must first be saved as HTML, Markdown, or plain text in this browser-only version. Use the formatting buttons to preserve bold, underline, and highlighting.
11. Delete Text. Each text section has a Delete Text button. It clears only that section, saves the change, and lets you bring in the text again without affecting the rest of the lesson or uploaded media.
12. YouTube Illustrations. Use the search box to find a video illustration on YouTube, copy the video's web address, and paste it into Video 1, 2, or 3. Remember: YouTube videos need internet to play during class.
13. Videos from your computer. Slots Video 4, 5, and 6 let you upload video files — these embed right inside your PowerPoint and play with no internet.
14. Pictures. Slots Picture 1, 2, and 3 hold pictures (PNG or JPG) from your computer.
15. Include in Presentation. Tick the checkbox under any video or picture to make it its own slide in your PowerPoint, give it a Slide title — that becomes the heading shown above it — and use Place in outline flow to choose where it appears: after the Introduction, after a Point, or after the Conclusion.
16. Click Preview in Presentation Tab to send your videos over to Tab 4, and Save Study when finished.

Step 3 — Write the Teaching Outline (Tab 3 Outline)

Tab 3 is the outline you'll actually teach from:

1. The header at the top fills in automatically from Tab 1 (lesson type, title, week, number, teacher, class, and age group).
2. Introduction. Write how you'll open — a hook, some context, an opening prayer.
3. Points. Click + Add Point for each main point. Give each point a title, scripture, and notes. Add as many points as your lesson needs.
4. Conclusion. Write your summary, call to action, and closing prayer.
5. Discussion Questions appear automatically from Tab 1.
6. Use Delete Text on any outline section when you want to clear it and bring in different material from Study.
7. Video & picture alerts. Anything you checked "Include in Presentation" on Tab 2 shows up as a gold 🎬 alert right under the section where you placed it, so you know exactly when to show it while teaching.
8. Tip: you don't have to type everything here — the Send to Outline dropdowns on Tab 2 can drop scripture, Strong's definitions, word study notes, and Vine's definitions straight into any point, the Introduction, or the Conclusion.
9. Click Save Outline — and use ⬇ Download Outline (Word) to save your outline as a Word document you can print or edit.

Step 4 — Create the Slide Show (Tab 4 Present)

Tab 4 turns your outline into a ready-to-teach PowerPoint:

1. Click Build A PowerPoint Slide Show. The app creates a slide deck from your lesson: a title slide, a Lesson Information slide (always built from Tab 1 Section I — topical, exegesis, class, teacher, and age group), then your introduction, points, scriptures, notes, discussion questions, and conclusion — downloaded as a .pptx file you can open in PowerPoint.
2. AI Slide Enhancements (optional). Click Get AI Suggestions and the AI reads your lesson and offers extra slide ideas. Nothing is added unless you click Accept — accepted ideas become extra slides on your next build, and you can remove them anytime.
3. Media slides. Any video or picture you ticked "Include in Presentation" on Tab 2 becomes its own slide, with your slide title as its heading. Each one is inserted right after the outline section you chose in Place in outline flow on Tab 2. For items left at "End of presentation", the media slide position box still applies (e.g., "1" places them right after the title slide; blank adds them at the end). Uploaded videos play offline; YouTube slides need internet — and to make a video start by itself, open the slide in PowerPoint and set Playback → Start: Automatically.
4. Your YouTube videos, uploaded videos, and pictures from Tab 2 appear lower on this tab so you can play or show them during class.

Step 5 — Prepare Handouts (Tab 5 Communicate)

Tab 5 helps you communicate the lesson to your class:

1. Click Load Lesson Outline to pull your lesson into the Printable Lesson Summary box, then trim it into a one-page handout.
2. Use the Email / Message Draft box to write a note to your class — time, passage, and focus for the week.
3. Click ⬇ Download Lesson Worksheet (Word) to save a fill-in student worksheet as a Word file — centered lesson title, date, class, and teacher at the top, then your Introduction, Points, and Discussion Questions with note-taking space (Life Application is left blank for you to give in class), and Save Communication to keep your work.

Step 6 — Post-Lesson Teacher Review (Main Menu VI)

After you teach the lesson, return to the Post-Lesson section at the bottom of Tab 1 — Build, or open it directly from VI. Post-Lesson Teacher Review on the Main Menu.

1. Record what went well and what you would improve.
2. Choose the student engagement level: Low, Medium, or High.
3. Write any follow-up needed and prayer requests from students.
4. Click Save Build so the review stays with this lesson in your lesson library.

Step 7 — Expand Into a Sermon (Main Menu VII / Tab 6 Sermon)

Tab 6 helps you grow the lesson into a full sermon or series:

1. Manuscript Sermon (AI). Prefer preaching from a full script instead of an outline? Click Write Manuscript Sermon at the top — the AI turns your outline, notes, and accepted suggestions into a complete word-for-word sermon. Edit it freely, then ⬇ Download Manuscript (Word).
2. Outline Sermon (AI). Prefer preaching from an outline instead? Click Outline Sermon — the AI builds a structured sermon outline from your lesson, and ⬇ Download Sermon Outline (Word) saves it.
3. Build Your Own Sermon. Click Load Outline to bring Tab 3 into the matching editable structure: Introduction, Roman-numeral points, Discussion Questions, Life Application, Conclusion, and Memory Verse. Modify any section as needed, or use Delete Text to clear one section and bring in new material.
4. Sermon format. Preview Sermon and ⬇ Download Sermon (Word) use a prepared-sermon layout: centered Sermon Title, left-aligned Introduction, Scripture/commentary reference and notes, Sermon Outline with Roman-numeral points, Application, and Conclusion. Tab 3 remains the source for the outline content.
5. Sermon PowerPoint. Click Build Sermon PowerPoint to create grouped slides from the selected sermon source. Manual sermons use one slide per structured section or point rather than splitting every paragraph into separate slides. Uploaded sermon video can be included and placed after the title, after the sermon source, or at the end.
6. Collect cross references and deeper applications in Expansion Ideas.
7. AI Sermon Enhancements (optional). Click Get AI Suggestions for background, expanded points, and supporting scriptures. Accept a suggestion and it's added to your Expansion Ideas box — reject anything you don't want.
8. Click Save Sermon — and use Preview Sermon, ⬇ Download Sermon (Word), or Build Sermon PowerPoint when ready.

Saving, Loading, and Starting Fresh

1. Everything saves in your browser automatically when you click the Save buttons on each tab — your work is there when you come back on the same computer.
2. The Lesson bar (just under the header) holds your whole lesson library. Click the lesson name to switch between saved lessons, + New to start another one, Rename to title it, and Delete to remove it. Each lesson keeps its own content on every tab — but uploaded videos and pictures are shared across all lessons.
3. Save (top of the page) downloads your entire lesson — every tab — as a backup file on your computer. Do this when a lesson is finished, or before trying something new.
4. Guided Mode Save. The final Guided Mode step saves the lesson to your browser library and downloads both a Word document containing the lesson information, study notes, and outline, plus a reloadable JSON backup. Use Load to restore the JSON backup later.
5. Load brings a backup file right back into the app.
6. Reset wipes every tab for a fresh start — save a backup first!
7. Use any section's Delete Text button to clear only that section before bringing in replacement material. It does not delete the lesson or uploaded media.

Tip: uploaded videos and pictures are stored separately in your browser and are not inside the backup file — re-upload them if you move to a new computer.