Logos Coach | Bible Study with Jason Stone

How Mike Colburn Uses Logos AI and Advanced Search to Research Like a Pro

Jason Stone — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:18:49 GMT

Mike Colburn doesn’t fit the typical profile of a Logos power user. He’s not a pastor. He’s not a seminary professor. He’s a financial executive and, by his own description, someone who treats deep biblical research as a calling, not a career.

His Logos library has grown to over 32,000 books. He uses the software the way a researcher uses a lab. He’s methodical, intentional, and operates with a clear framework built to keep him from letting the tools do his thinking. In this interview, Mike walked me through exactly how he does that.

Favorites as a Filing System, Not Just a Bookmark

One of the first things Mike explained is how he uses the Favorites panel and it’s not to bookmark passages he likes, but as a full organizational system for his research. He creates folders from A to Z, each representing a different topic or study thread. Inside those folders, he saves active searches, clipped notes, and annotated passages.

The practical benefit is simple but significant: your research trail doesn’t disappear. Anyone who has spent time in Logos knows how easy it is to find something useful, get pulled in another direction, and lose that original result entirely. Mike’s Favorites system solves that problem before it starts.

AI with Guard Rails

Mike’s approach to AI inside Logos is worth paying attention to, especially if you’ve ever felt uneasy about letting an AI tool loose across your entire library. His concern is straightforward: because Logos AI pulls from every resource you own, it can surface perspectives from theological traditions that may not align with your own commitments.

His solution is to build custom Collections in Logos, becoming curated subsets of your library that either include or exclude specific resources or theological traditions. When you restrict your AI queries to a Collection, the results stay within the theological guardrails you’ve set. As Mike put it, that’s not limiting the tool, that’s stewardship.

Author-Specific Queries: A Smarter Way to Search

Perhaps the most immediately useful technique Mike shared involves Smart Search. Rather than running a broad keyword search across his entire library, he uses author-specific syntax to narrow the results to a single scholar’s body of work. Outside of Smart Search, the format is typically simple: type author: followed by the scholar’s name in the search bar. Now it’s even easier than ever! Just ask Smart Search.

From there, he asks a pointed theological question to Study Assistant like the kind you’d ask a trusted colleague. What is this author’s view on a specific topic? How does this scholar interpret a particular passage? The results aren’t aggregated from dozens of voices. They come from one trusted source, making them far more precise and easier to evaluate.

This is the difference between a library search and a research interview. Mike has figured out how to do both inside Logos.

Quick Update: There have been significant updates to Study Assistant since this interview. Be sure to check it out for yourself if this is all new to you.

What to Try This Week

Mike’s workflow isn’t complicated. It’s disciplined. And the discipline is what makes the difference. Here are three things you can start doing in Logos right now, drawn directly from this conversation:

Create one Favorites folder this week. Pick a topic you’re currently studying and build a dedicated folder for it. Save your searches and notes there as you work. Don’t let the research trail disappear.

Try an author search in Smart Search. Use the author: prefix followed by a scholar you trust, then ask a specific theological question. See how targeted the results become compared to a standard search.

Audit your Collections. If you haven’t built any, start one. Decide which resources in your library should be included when you’re doing AI-assisted research, and which ones should sit out. That decision is yours to make.

The text deserves rigor. Logos is built to support that rigor. But the tools only serve you well if you’ve set them up to do so.

When Logos Leaves the Pulpit: A Conversation with Fiction Author Isaac Hunter

Jason Stone — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:18:12 GMT

If you’ve ever assumed Logos was only for pastors and seminary students, Isaac Hunter is about to change your mind in this interview from the archives.

A few weeks ago, I was deep in a passage from 1 Enoch, trying to understand why it mattered to the early church and how it shaped Jewish apocalyptic thought. I opened the Logos AI search bar and just type…

How Chase Replogle Uses Logos for Sermon Prep and Writing — A Conversation with a Pastor and Author

Jason Stone — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:18:34 GMT

If you’ve ever stared at a shelf of theology books and thought, “I know the answer is in one of these, but I just can’t find it!” Taking comfort in knowing that you’re not alone.

Chase Replogle knows that feeling well. He’s pastored the same congregation for thirteen years. He preaches expositionally through whole books of the Bible. In fact, he spent t…

What a Brand-New Logos User Should Know — A Conversation with Morgan Dybing

Jason Stone — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:18:44 GMT

Most of my interviews are with long-time Logos users — pastors, scholars, researchers who have spent years inside the platform and built workflows that would impress any librarian.

Morgan Dybing had been using Logos for about three months.

And this interview might be the most useful one I’ve done.

Not because Morgan knew more than the others — she was quic…

The Voice Behind Every Greek Word in Logos — A Conversation with John Schwandt

Jason Stone — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:18:50 GMT

If you’ve ever right-clicked on a Greek word in Logos — and heard it pronounced out loud — you’ve already heard John Schwandt’s voice.

You just didn’t know it.

That’s one of the things I love about this interview. John isn’t a distant scholar behind a podium. He’s someone who has been quietly serving Logos users for decades — pronouncing every Greek word …

Building a New Home for the Logos Community

Jason Stone — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:37:52 GMT

A different kind of Substack post

Most weeks I use this space to share conversations—interviews with people who love Scripture and are using Logos in creative, faithful ways.

Today, I want to pull back the curtain on something closer to home: the new Logos Community site at community.logos.com and the work it took to prepare, migrate, and launch it for yo…

From Overwhelmed to Clear: How Dr. John Fallahee of LearnLogos Turns Logos into a Partner in Ministry

Jason Stone — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:07:58 GMT

If you’ve ever opened Logos, clicked around for a while, and thought, “I know there’s power here, but I have no idea how to get to it,” this conversation is for you.

Today I want to introduce you to someone who has quietly spent three decades helping pastors, students, and Bible teachers move from overwhelmed to clear: Dr. John Fallahee, founder of Learn…

When “The Silent Years” Aren’t So Silent: How Anthony Delgado Uses Logos for Second Temple Study and Daily Devotions

Jason Stone — Fri, 22 May 2026 12:17:44 GMT

If you’ve ever heard someone say “God was silent for 400 years between Malachi and Matthew,” and something in you quietly wondered, “Is that really true?”—you’re not alone.

In one of my favorite conversations, I sat down with Anthony Delgado, a pastor and writer from Southern California, to talk about how he uses the Logos Bible Study App to explore the …

How Mike Chu Uses Logos for Custom Layouts, Clippings, and Language Study

Jason Stone — Fri, 15 May 2026 12:37:43 GMT

If you’ve ever opened Logos, stared at all the panels, and quietly thought, “I should be better at this by now,” you’re in good company.

In my interview with Mike Chu—Academic Director at the AWKNG School of Theology and teaching pastor in Quincy, Massachusetts—I met a man who loves Scripture, carries real ministry weight, and still chooses a simple, rep…

How Eddy Gil Uses Logos for Bilingual Sermon Prep (Clippings, Sermon Builder, and Translation Tools)

Jason Stone — Thu, 07 May 2026 23:34:14 GMT

If you’ve ever had to preach the same sermon in two languages, you know it’s not as simple as “say it twice.” It’s more like carrying two congregations in one heart—thinking in English and Spanish, choosing words carefully so nothing important gets lost along the way.

That’s where my friend Eddy Gil, a bilingual pastor from the Dominican Republic, lives …

From Deacon Overwhelm to Pulpit Confidence: Eric Couture’s Logos Journey

Jason Stone — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:03:31 GMT

If you’ve ever opened Logos with a sermon deadline looming—or a Sunday school lesson to prep—and felt that knot of “where do I even start?”, you’re in good company.

Eric Couture, a deacon and faithful teacher in New Hampshire, knows that tension intimately. He battled FOMO over missing key insights in Scripture, but discovered a simple Logos layout blen…

When Inductive Bible Study Gets Practical: Learning Logos from a 30-Year Veteran

Jason Stone — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:07:50 GMT

Jim Garnett is the kind of Bible student many of us want to become: steady, thoughtful, and still eager to learn after decades of ministry. In this conversation, he reminds us that Logos is not about impressing people with software skill — it’s about handling God’s Word carefully and helping others understand it more clearly.

When Logos Feels Intimidating: Helping a Busy Pastor Find Her Way Back to Bible Study

Jason Stone — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:07:48 GMT

When someone says, “I hate Logos,” it can sound harsh at first — but in Michelle’s case, it was honest, tired, and deeply relatable. She wasn’t rejecting Bible study; she was rejecting the feeling of getting lost, wasting time, and ending up more frustrated than helped.

That’s why this interview matters. It reminds us that the problem is often not a lack…

How Pastor Tanner Turned Logos into a Visual Sermon Prep Assistant (Without Becoming a Tech Guy)

Jason Stone — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:45:51 GMT

If you’ve ever sat down to prep Sunday’s message, opened Logos, and felt your brain tighten instead of relax, you’re not alone.

You love preaching, you care deeply about your people, but the combination of a digital library, sermon deadlines, and church responsibilities can feel like more weight than help.

In my interview with Pastor Tanner Thetford, I me…

A Simple Pathway for Overwhelmed Ministry Leaders

Jason Stone — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:14:07 GMT

Most ministry leaders don’t need more Logos features—they need a calmer way to use the ones already in front of them. If you’ve ever opened Logos and felt like you were stepping into a crowded control room instead of a quiet study with your Bible, you’re not failing; you’re just engaging with a very powerful tool that was never designed to impose a sing…

When Logos Finally Fits Your Week: Dr. Joe Miller’s 5‑Day Sermon Prep Rhythm

Jason Stone — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:57:41 GMT

What If Logos Was Built Around Your Actual Week?

Most pastors do not live in the world that training videos assume.

Your week is not a blank slate. It is hospital visits and staff meetings, late‑night texts and early‑morning crises. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, you are trying to sit with Scripture long enough to preach a clear, honest sermo…

You’re Not Behind: A Seminary‑Ready Logos Workflow with Brandon Black

Jason Stone — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:02:57 GMT

You’re not behind. You’re just learning to handle the tools that will help you pastor, teach, and write well for years to come.

Brandon Black’s workflow isn’t about cramming more into your day; it’s about training your habits so Logos quietly supports your seminary‑level work and your church‑level preaching.

Ministry life leaves Bible study on the back bu…

How a “Normal Person” Built a Powerful Logos Notes Workflow (with BOOX and Zero Guilt)

Jason Stone — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:03:16 GMT

If you’ve ever opened Logos, seen ten panels and twenty buttons, and thought, “This is for professors, not for me,” you’re in good company.

In my interview with Chuck Kelley, I met a brother who came to Christ just recently, fell in love with Scripture, and then ran straight into the same wall many of us hit: he wanted the power of Logos, but not the gui…

Join my new subscriber chat

Jason Stone — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:03:28 GMT

Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: Logos Coach subscriber chat.

This is a conversation space exclusively for paid subscribers—kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post questions and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion.

Join chat

Stop Feeling Guilty About Logos: Dr. Mark Ward’s Surprisingly Simple Workflow

Jason Stone — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:04:18 GMT

If you’ve ever looked at Logos Bible Software and thought, “I probably only use 5% of this,” you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. In a recent conversation, Dr. Mark Ward (YouTuber, former “Logos Pro,” Bible translation expert, and longtime Logos power user) admitted that he doesn’t use most of Logos’ tools most of the time either.

And that’s actually…