Bible AI that hears the sermon and queues the right verse

OpenMico's automatic Bible verse detection listens to the sermon, recognises scripture references as they are spoken and queues the verse in Preview, ready for the operator to send live. It is Bible AI built for the projection desk rather than for chat: the preacher keeps preaching, the media volunteer stops hunting for "Romans chapter eight", and nothing reaches the screen until a person decides it should.

Most "Bible AI" tools are chat or study apps. OpenMico is different. It is presentation software, and its AI has one job during a service: work out which passage is being talked about and have it waiting before the congregation needs it.

How does automatic Bible verse detection work?

1. Turn on Listening. Choose a microphone or audio input in OpenMico and start Listening. The app produces a live transcript of the sermon, either on your computer (free and unlimited) or through cloud transcription, which is processed online.
2. Speak references naturally. When the preacher says "John 3:16" or "Romans chapter eight", OpenMico detects the reference in the transcript. This works on every plan, including Free.
3. Review it in Preview. The detected verse is looked up in your installed Bible and queued in Preview. The operator sees the passage before anyone else does.
4. Send it live when it is right. Press Live to put it on the projector, stage display or livestream output. If the reference was a passing mention, simply leave it.
5. Let AI catch the described passages (Pro and Max). When the preacher describes a passage instead of citing it, such as "the night Jesus calmed the storm", AI scripture recognition suggests the reference (Mark 4:39) and queues it in the same way.

Setting up audio well makes a real difference to accuracy. The Listening guide walks through microphone choice and levels.

What can OpenMico's Bible AI recognise?

Spoken references, on every plan

Clear citations such as book, chapter and verse, or "chapter eight" style phrasing, are detected straight from the transcript. You do not need an account or a paid plan for this, and with on-device transcription it works offline.

Described passages, on Pro and Max

Preachers often allude to a passage rather than quote its address: "Paul's list of the fruit of the Spirit" or "the parable about the lost son". AI scripture recognition, which runs on Claude, Anthropic's AI, turns those descriptions into a reference such as Galatians 5:22, so the verse can be queued even when no numbers were spoken.

Checked against your Bible, every time

Every reference, whether detected or suggested by AI, is checked against the Bible installed on your computer before it can be shown. A suggestion that does not match a real passage in that Bible will not be displayed. The verse text itself always comes from your installed translation, never from the AI.

Who stays in control of the screen?

The operator does. Detected verses are queued in Preview, not pushed straight to the congregation. Automatic projection is available, but it can be left off, and we recommend keeping it off while you rehearse so you can see what the system picks up and how your preacher's style comes across in the transcript.

This matters on a Sunday. Preachers mention verses in passing, quote from memory, or change their minds mid-sentence. With OpenMico, a wrong or unwanted suggestion costs nothing: it waits in Preview until the next one replaces it.

What is included on each plan?

OpenMico's core app is free, needs no account and works offline. Pro and Max add the cloud and AI features. Billing is monthly or yearly; see pricing for current details.

Who is it for?

Pastors and preachers

Preach the way you normally do. There is no need to pause for the slide, read out references slowly or hand over a verse list on Saturday night, although a list in the Schedule still helps.

Worship leaders and service planners

Verses that come up in prayer, testimony or an unplanned moment can still reach the screen without a scramble, which keeps the service flowing.

Media volunteers

Instead of typing references under pressure, volunteers review a queued verse and decide whether to send it. It lowers the stress for newer team members and lets experienced operators focus on timing and presentation.

Livestream teams

Detected verses can go to your projector and to an OBS Browser Source or NDI output at the same time, each with its own theme and layout, so online viewers see the scripture too.

How is this different from other Bible AI tools?

Searches for Bible AI mostly return chat and study apps, which answer questions in conversation. OpenMico does not generate theological answers. It sits alongside a small group of tools that listen to a live sermon and display verses, and it combines that with a full presentation app: songs, slides, media, themes and multiple outputs in one place.

For a deeper look at the approach, read our guides to Bible AI for churches and how automatic Bible verse detection works.

Get started

1. Download OpenMico for Windows, macOS or Linux. The core app is free.
2. Follow the Listening setup guide to connect your microphone and check levels.
3. Rehearse with automatic projection off, watch what lands in Preview, and go live on Sunday with confidence.