Kevin Purcell

Building disciples through sharing God's word in digital form.

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6 New Logos Improvements in Study Assistant AI Tool

Logos recently updated its Bible software application to Version 48, which includes some nice improvements to the Study Assistant AI Tool. I took part in a learning experience with Logos guru Mark Barnes, who handles the Product Manager of Bible Study Tools, and Mike Brown, Director of Customer Success for the company. He shared these new features, and I’d recommend you go and sign up for the “What’s New” webinars to learn what’s coming or has recently shipped.

What’s new for January 2026 in Logos?

1. Study Assistant Now Shows Up on the Logos Dashboard

The big improvements in Logos so far this year center around the Study Assistant. The AI Tool lets you ask natural language questions of your Bible application (desktop, web app, iOS, and Android). Think of it as the title suggests. You have your own Study Assistant, and you can ask them questions. They will look through your library or the books available to buy from Logos. The Study Assistant presents them in an easy-to-read form with links to the source material.

What did they improve in January 2026 in the Study Assistant?

First, they put the feature on the main page of your program. If you open Logos to the Dashboard, then you’ll see the Study Assistant at the top of the window. Type your question in the SEARCH BOX and hit ENTER or click on the ASK button. The program will return a report like the one seen below.

Working with Recent Study Assistant Conversations

When you open the Study Assistant, you can now interact with recent Study Assistant Conversations. On the left end of the toolbar, you’ll see a button labelled RECENT. Click on it to open your list of conversations along the left side of the window.

The programmers at Logos added some useful features to the Recent Study Assistant Conversations tool. You can edit previous conversations. That brings us to the second update.

2. Edit What You Search in Recent Study Assistant Conversations

Change the questions you already asked. For example, you can change what Logos searches to find answers. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a box with an ARROW on the right and a LINK on the left. Click the link to show a menu. It lists the following options to search:

All books (including ones you don’t own from Logos)

Your books (only those books you already own.

An update coming soon will let you search Collections

Type will be limited to a specific type of book, such as a Dictionary or Commentary.

The series will be limited to a series of books like the New American Commentary.

Books lets you search for a specific book. Use the box at the top of the menu to search for a book as you would search in your library (Title, Author, Type).

Change the Question You Use to Search in Recent Study Assistant Conversations (Changes 3 to 6)

Changes three through six come in this area. Users can now edit previous questions in the Study Assistant history, in addition to the books they search.

3. Change the question and what you search. Open a q,uestion and you’ll see the previous search question. Hover over the gray box with the question text in it. The little icon shows up, and you can hover over it. Click the word EDIT that appears. Now change the question.

4. Delete questions or rename them. Hoever over a question in the list of recent searches. The menu icon with three vertical dots shows up. Click it, then choose Delete or Rename to replace the old questions.

5. Bible references in the Study Assistant will open the Bible to the highlighted passage. Click a Bible reference link, and it opens the Bible to that verse, with the verse or passage highlighted to make finding it quick.

6. Copy All copies the entire conversation, not just a single section. Open a question or type a new question. When Logos returns results, you’ll see a toolbar with a Font button to change the Font of the results. There’s also a Copy link button to create a link to this Study Assistant question that you can put in your notes, sermons, or even other documents on your computer. Now we also have a new button labelled Copy all. This copies the entire question and the answers from the Logos Study Assistant.

Study Assistant Changes Also on Mobile and Web App

These changes also appear in the mobile and web apps. On the iPad and iPhone, tap the Dashboard icon at the left end of the bottom toolbar. You’ll see the Study Assistant search box at the top of the window that pops up.

The Logos Web App puts the Dashboard icon in the same spot as the Desktop app.

While you can open passages via links in the Study Assistant results, your passage won’t be highlighted on mobile or the web app.

A Mobile App Change: Search Non-Greek or Hebrew Words in Books to Open English Dictionaries

In the mobile app, you can now press and hold on a word that doesn’t have Greek or Hebrew behind it (from a regular book or bible dictionary). The Logos mobile app will open the word in a dictionary in the insight card.

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Plaude NotePin AI Note Taking Mic Reveiw

The Plaude NotePin records audio in meetings, lectures, church services, or even the doctor’s office, and gives you some useful results thanks to the power of Artificial Intelligence. I tested it out for a few months, and here’s how I use it and what I think of the little recording device you wear like a pin.

What Does the Plaude NotePin Do?

The Plaud NotePin records conversations, events, or meetings where people talk or you listen. People call it a “second brain” because it lets you focus on the moment instead of rushing to take notes to remember what was said.

The NotePin has two high-quality microphones that record clear audio. I used it in a church of about 300 people, sitting a third of the way back, and it picked up everything.

Battery life is long. The company says 20 hours of use and 40 days standby. I carried it to church, office meetings, and doctor visits; it only died once after three straight days without charging.

After you record, the Plaude NotePin uploads the files when you open the app. You can also connect directly to the NotePin and quickly transfer longer audio files. Upload and processing take just a few minutes. When it’s done, you can copy, edit, or ask questions about the text.

Plaude uses ChatGPT-4 and Claude 3.5 to transcribe audio from 112 languages into editable text. If you tag a speaker, the app recognizes them later and labels their speech automatically — useful for repeated speakers or regular meeting groups.

The app then summarizes the recording into templates: meeting recaps, mind maps, action-item lists, or full transcripts.

Use it as follows:

Show the mindmap to others to see the relationship of the ideas covered in the recording.

Create transcripts for record keeping.

Summarize the meeting into bullet points.

Create an action list to do things talked about in the event.

Create a converstaion of a lecture to learn the topic and study for tests.

Much, much more…

The Plaude NotePin Design and Functionality

The Plaude NotePin looks like a short AAA battery smashed and with one side shaved off. The flat size has magnet in it to attach the Pin to the charger, the pin, and the protective back.

The accessories you can get with the NotePin or that come in the box include…

An optional lanyard necklace that turns the NotePin into a pendant when attached to the hook on the cord that goes around your neck.

An optional wrist strap that holds the NotePin to your wrist.

The pin that clips to your collar or some other part of your shirt.

A magnetic back that you can put inside a shirt and snap the NotePin to the outside.

The lanyard connection is a bit fidly to unhook. The wrist strap is too small for my big hands to fit over, but once I do, it’s comfortable to wear. My favorite way to wear the NotePin is using the pin attached to my shirt or a jacket with the included clip. I don’t trust the magnetic back to stay connected if you’re moving around much while wearing. The pin secures the NotePin in place more reliable, as do the necklace and wrist strap. You could keep it on the charging connector and just set it on a table.

The charging connector magnetically holds the NotePin. A USB C connector will let you charge the NotePin. It doesn’t let you access the storage from a computer, but that’s not a problem because the iOS or Android app transfers the audio files to the phone quickly. There’s also a desktop version for Mac (both Intel and Apple Silicon) or Windows. and one that runs on the web. During setup you’ll connect the NotePin to your phone or tablet with Bluetooth. You can also connect directly to move files faster.

To use the NotePin first turn it on with a long hard press in the center of the NotePin and it vibrates to let you know it’s turned on and recording. To stop it, press again and it vibrates twice. After you’re finished recording open the app and let the device and the app transfer the file to the app and then the cloud. Now you can interact with the recording in the app or on the desktop app or webapp.

The NotePin comes with Apple’s Find My feature built in. Once you set it up, you play a sound to help find it, use the directional location feature, and even set it up in lost mode.

I had trouble turning the NotePin on and off to start or stop recordings. The vibration that buzzes once when you turn it on and twice when you turn it off feels too weak. I wish it had a physical button or switch and a bigger light to show status.

The Plaude NotePro is credit-card shaped and has a physical button and battery meter. If you’re like me, spend a bit more and get the NotePro instead of the NotePin. It won’t be as discreet in meetings, and it’s harder to wear in places where you can’t set it on a table.

The Plaude NotePin’s Value

Some may ask why spend over $100 for the Plaude NotePin plus a subscription. The device gives excellent audio quality, frees your phone, and the app converts recordings into useful, searchable files. It runs templates to turn audio into study, memory, and archive tools, lets you ask the AI questions about recordings, and organizes content into things like meeting To‑Dos and mind maps.

Automation makes the process much faster than manually copying a phone recording, transcribing it, and uploading it to an AI chatbot for summaries, mind maps, and other outputs. However, if you don’t think that brings enough to value to justify the expense, then you might not want to bother.

People who take a lot of notes or go to events like lectures, conferences, and meetings will find the Plaude NotePin useful. Some prefer writing notes by hand because it helps learning and memory, so students learning new skills or information may choose handwriting. However, the recordings of the NotePin will serve as a great backup.

Plaude offers three levels of service including a Free tier that will give you 300 minutes/month. You can add 1,200 minutes in the Pro Plan for $8.33/month. The most expensive service costs $19.99/month for Unlimited Plan with no limit on the number of minutes of transcription.

Get the Pro Plan for $8.33/month. It’s the best value for most users with up to 1,200 minutes/month. The prices applies to annual billing not monthly billing.

Should You Buy a Plaude NotePin?

Is the functionality of a dedicated recording device like the Plaude NotePin worth the cost of the NotePin and the subscription? That adds up. You can buy the NotePin and the Unlimited Plan for $366.99. The Pro Plan bundled with the NotePin is $226.99. I bought the NotePin Combo, which comes with the lanyard and wrist strap. I wouldn’t bother with them, unless you think you’d rather wear the device around the neck or wrist. The Plaude NotePin is on sale right now for 20% off at $127.20.

I’d get the basic NotePin and then try out the free plan. If you’re happy with it, then add a subscription to the Pro or Unlimited plan.

Pay more and get the new Plaude NotePin S which does have a physical button. I wish I had that device instead of the cheaper NotePin. If you don’t want to wear the device, then get the credit-card shaped Plaude Note e or Note Pro for $189.

I like using the NotePin, but would not go back and buy it now that I’ve used it. I don’t record enough meetings or events to make it worth the cost. You’ll have to decide if you do. And if you do, then I’d recommend getting one of the devices with the buttons to make it clearer when it’s on and recording.

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Logos 2026 Libraries Are Available Now

The new Logos 2026 Libraries (affiliate link) are available now, and you can benefit by getting one starting today. You’ll save 20% if you upgrade your library with one of these great libraries between now and February 15, 2026.

Before this, Logos updated its libraries every two years, but now that changes. Starting in 2026, they plan to refresh their Libraries every year.

Logos promises four changes in the new Logos 2026 Libraries as follows:

Commentaries that engage the questions you’re asking

Theology reflecting today's conversations

Resources optimized for Logos’s AI and research tools

Contemporary pastoral voices bridging scholarship and ministry

2026 Leader Gold Library

I appreciate that Logos gifted me the 2026 Leader Gold Library for doing a quick review of the collection. Of course, my opinions are my own, and I was not told I had to give it a positive review, so this is as fair as I can make it.

The 2026 Leader Gold Library includes a lot. You’ll get several Bible translations, although it doesn’t include most of the more popular versions. Most Logos users already own those.

The included commentaries boast some great titles, such as the Christ-Centered Commentary, which comprises 20 volumes from the New Testament. I’ve used many of these before. They read like sermons the author repurposed for a commentary. That’s not a bad thing because users can easily work with the books and apply them to their preaching. I like that the Christ-Centered Commentary Series is written by preachers who also boast some scholarly understanding of the text. They come with good information and application for modern audiences and readers alike. You’ll get a useful outline of each pericope, along with illustrations to convey the message. Take a look at the introduction to Acts 6:8-8:3 by Tony Merida…

A popular jingle rang in the heads of young basketball fans around the country in the 1990s as kids sought to imitate NBA superstar Michael Jordan: “Like Mike! If I could be like Mike!” Gatorade even resurrected the tune to celebrate its own fiftieth anniversary, reminding me that I was among those kids who sought Mike-likeness. I had the shoes and wore the sweatband on my left forearm. I had a room decorated with Jordan posters. And there I practiced flying through the air with my tongue hanging out as I dunked my Nerf basketball.

Whom did you want to be when you were a kid? Many young children grow up wanting to be like their moms and dads. One of my pastor-friends recently observed his little daughter baptizing Cinderella in the bathtub, clearly imitating the actions of her Baptist father!

Regardless of who your model was as a child, every adult Christian should seek to imitate the same model: Jesus. The goal of the Christian is to be like the Savior. Paul wrote about this pursuit in Philippians 3:10–14. Growing more and more like Jesus was his life’s aim.

Merida, Tony. 2017. Exalting Jesus in Acts. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference.

At the end of each passage, the author includes some questions to consider in a section called “Reflect and Discuss.” Use these in a group study or as some churches do for small groups that cover the passage the pastor preached the previous Sunday.

Take a look at some of the other great series included…

ESV Expository Commentary

Opening Up Commentary Series

The College Press NIV Commentary

Tyndale Commentary

Some of the great values in the Gold Library include tools for Pastors, Bible students, and other ministry-related books. I’m looking forward to diving into the following titles only available at the Gold level.

A Conversation with Jesus series on Doubt, Hope, Relationships, Religion, Suffering, and Truth by David Heim.

Follow Me by David Platt

Be a People Person by John Maxwell

Two of my favorite study Bibles (The Open Bible and Life Essentials Study Bible

Knowing God by JI Packer

For a complete listing of all the books in the Leader Library, download this page.

The New Logos Study Assistant Tool

I have to mention some of the cool new features Logos recently released related to Artificial Intelligence. You may hear that phrase and squirm. “You don’t let Logos write your sermons, do you?” Of course not! But I do let it help me research using the new Study Assistant.

Go to Tools and scroll down to Reference to find the new Study Assistant. Or you can type it into the search box in the Tools pop-up to find it.

Hit the New button, then ask a question in the box at the bottom of the window. You can use natural language, as if you were asking your friend who is helping you study the Bible.

I recently attended a Bible study, and I wanted to find passages about Moses and his frustration with the people of Israel. I asked the Study Assistant, “Where did Moses express frustration over the people’s infidelity?” It gave me a few helpful passages and a brief synopsis of these passages. I could then rate the response (Thumbs Up or Down) or Copy the answer to paste elsewhere. I just tapped on the links and opened passages from Exodus.

Other Recently Added Features in Logos

In addition to the Study Assistant, there’s the new Smart Search in your Bible translations and books. Simply ask a question and it finds passages based on the natural language search.

In addition to the Study Assistant, we get the improvements to the new tab box. When a user clicks the large Plus icon in the center of a section of the Logos window, a new tab opens in that section. For example, I have my LSB on the left, and you see the plus icon on the right. Click it to open a new box.

You will see a list of recently viewed tools or books, along with the option to search for items to open. When you search, the list updates to show titles that contain that search string.

To search books with Smart Search, open a Search Box and click on the Search tab. Select Smart instead of Precise from the drop-down box in the upper-left corner. If you only see Open Books, then it will only search the books you have open. Click on it to change the search to something else.

Commentaries On Sale For One Week

In addition to the 20% off for the 2026 Libraries, customers can get up to 55% off some commentary collections and 40% off a single volume. Let’s look at some of the great deals in this Flash Sale on Logos Commentaries.

Two Horizons Commentary in 23 Volumes for half off - $175

Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible in 31 volumes for half off - $408.50

The Bible for Everyone in 35 volumes for 55% off - $144.86

ESV Expository Commentary in 12 volumes for 55% off - $202.45

Evangelical Exegetical Commentary in 16 volumes for 55% off - $359.62

Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary in 12 volumes for 55% off - $219.55

Of the above, I would recommend the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary. The Editor for the NT volumes is Andreas Kostenberger, a respected NT scholar in the Evangelical academic world. I don’t know a lot about the Brazos Theological Commentary, but it will give you the biggest savings.

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It's such a simple trick, but if you learn it, you'll save time creating layouts for Bible study in Logos. Here's a Logos Quick Tip.

Clicking and Dragging in Logos - a Logos Quick Tip

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How to Create Sermon Outlines That Won't Bore Your Church - Part Three

Too many Biblical preachers do a great job of creating sermons that are faithful to the text, but they can’t craft sermon outlines that won’t bore your church. The audience will need extreme motivation to listen, something few church attendees bring on Sunday. So, we’ll look at putting together an outline that hearers will naturally want to listen to since the preacher figured out how not to bore…

How to Create Sermon Outlines That Won't Bore Your Church - Part Three

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Here's step two on how to create sermon outlines that won't bore your church. We state the Big Idea in an engaging way and then begin to bridge that to an outline that you can preach.

How to Create Sermon Outlines That Won't Bore Your Church - Part Two

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How to Create Sermon Outlines That Won't Bore Your Church - Part One

Creating sermon outlines that won’t bore your church requires some creativity. Before you infuse your words with whimsy, do the hard work of conjuring an outline that clearly and accurately covers the passage you’re preaching. We’ll cover the steps of how to create your sermon outlines based on the deep study you’ve already done. Additionally, in Part Two, we’ll see how to craft exciting sermon…

How to Create Sermon Outlines That Won't Bore Your Church - Part One

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Mastering the Inductive Sermon Format

How good are jokes when the joke teller delivers the punchline at the start? That’s what a preacher does when he turns the traditional sermon development around and uses an inductive sermon format. Good jokes come with the surprise of the punchline at the end. That’s what makes a joke funny. Sermons can have a similar impact on hearers when the preacher doesn’t reveal the main idea until the…

Mastering the Inductive Sermon Format

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3 Reasons to Use a Digital Bible Study App vs Paper Bible

I enjoy reading the Christian Communicators Worldwide blog. They recently posted an article entitled 3 Reasons to Prefer a Paper Bible Over a Digital Bible at a Church Meeting. I completely overlooked the “at a church meeting” part of the title and dove straight into the article. As I read through the three reasons, each one hit a nerve. It seemed like the author got it wrong. Look at these 3…

3 Reasons to Use a Digital Bible Study App vs Paper Bible

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If you use Logos, you should look at the Logos Bible Study Dashboard. It offers a bunch of great tools to streamline your Bible study in Logos.

Top 6 Reasons to Use the Logos Bible Dashboard

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Answering Interpretive Questions in Logos Bible Study - Step 3B in Sermon Prep

In our last post in this series, we examined the third step of creative digital sermon preparation using Logos Bible Study (partner link to Logos). In that step, we discussed asking interpretive questions and then focused on word studies in Logos. Now, let’s turn to answering these interpretive questions using the Logos Bible Study Platform. Consider this part two of the third step. You’ll use…

Answering Interpretive Questions in Logos Bible Study - Step 3B in Sermon Prep

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Unlocking the Logos Draw On Screen Feature on iPad and iPhone

Take a look at this post on using the Logos Bible app on your iPad with the built-in Draw On Screen tool. It's great for personal note taking, teaching a small group or class, or doing social media Bible teaching videos.

People often ask how to use their Apple Pencil on the Logos Mobile iPad app (Logos: Deep Bible Study on the App Store). The Logos Draw on Screen feature takes advantage of the Apple Pencil’s drawing features while using an Apple Pencil on Logos Mobile and iPad. We’ll look at how to use Draw On Screen with the Apple Pencil on Logos Mobile and offer use cases for using the feature on your iPad. We…

Unlocking the Logos Draw On Screen Feature on iPad and iPhone

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How to Read the Bible Daily with the Logos iOS Bible App

The big day approaches, and people will recommit themselves to read the Bible daily in 2025. Maybe you want to use Logos iOS Bible app to read your Bible every day in 2025, or at least try to read your Bible daily in 2025. We’ll show you how to set up the Logos Bible for iOS on your iPad and iPhone. This will help you read daily. It will also remind you to read every day. How to Set Up the Logos…

How to Read the Bible Daily with the Logos iOS Bible App

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How to Use Logos on Two Monitors on a Mac or iPad

If you use Logos on a desktop computer or a laptop at a desk, you should consider setting things up so you can use Logos on Two Monitors. The program includes built-in features that let you create a work environment with two screens of real estate for greater productivity. We’ll show you how to use tools in Logos to set up dual-screen setups that will boost your efficiency in Bible study and…

How to Use Logos on Two Monitors on a Mac or iPad

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Olive Tree Bible for Mac with MASSIVE Update 3 Years in the Making

According to the Mac App Store page, the Olive Tree Bible app on the Mac desktop has received a “MASSIVE update three years in the making.” The jump to version 7.16 brings the iOS mobile app and the Mac app together with a similar look and feel. The app on Mac and iOS always looked similar. However, Olive Tree updated the Mac version to behave like what you’d see on an iPad. Here’s what’s…

Olive Tree Bible for Mac with MASSIVE Update 3 Years in the Making

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PocketBible for iOS and Mac Adds ChatGPT to Autostudy

Laridian announced that they added ChatGPT to their Autostudy feature. This feature is available to subscribers of the company’s Advanced Feature Set, which gives users more features than the free Bible study tool. PocketBible for iOS is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and runs on Macs. The new version is 4.18. Find the full list of updates using the previous link. How to Use…

PocketBible for iOS and Mac Adds ChatGPT to Autostudy

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Logos Subscriptions Bad or Good for Your Bible Study?

When Logos released the new Logos Subscriptions version of the Logos Bible Study Platform, it dropped the numbering nomenclature and added a subscription model. These moves upset some users and confused others, so we want to help alleviate the confusion. We can explain the name quickly, but the new Logos subscriptions model will take up more space here on KevinPurcell.org. The most significant…

Logos Subscriptions Bad or Good for Your Bible Study?