A few months ago, I found something that changed my views on AI tools. It’s called MCP (Model Context Protocol); it allows AI models to connect to external tools and data sources.
What is Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Why Should You Care?
Think of MCP as the glue that binds different AIs into a unified network. Before MCP, if I wanted Claude to help me with Bible study, I had to copy and paste verses, look up references manually, or jump between apps. It was cumbersome and interrupted my flow.
With MCP, I can create a custom server that gives Claude AI direct access to Bible data—verses, cross-references, commentaries, and more. It’s like having a personal research assistant who never gets tired.
Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Bible MCP Server on Cloudflare Workers
I am a hands-on solutions architect, and I wanted to make something useful for my daily Bible study. Here’s how it went down:
Identifying the Problem: Why Build a Custom Bible AI Tool?
Every morning, I read scripture and take notes. I often wondered, What other verses relate to this theme?. But looking this up meant opening multiple tabs, losing my place, and breaking my focus.
I thought, What if Claude could just know this stuff?
How to Build Your First MCP Server: Technical Implementation
The beauty of building MCP servers is that you don’t need to be an expert programmer. I used Cloudflare Workers because they are free for small projects and easy to set up for custom AI integrations.
My server does a few important things:
- Retrieves Bible verses by reference (like John 3:16)
- Searches for verses with specific words or themes
- Provides cross-references and related passages
- Offers different translations for comparison
The MCP server code is surprisingly simple. Model Context Protocol handles all the complex communication, so I just focused on the Bible API integration and data logic.
Deploying MCP Server on Cloudflare Workers: Free and Fast
Here is where it gets interesting. I deployed my server to Cloudflare Workers, and now it runs all the time without my involvement. There’s no server maintenance, no hosting fees (thanks to Cloudflare’s generous free tier), and it works quickly because of Cloudflare’s global CDN network.
Then I connected it to Claude AI through the MCP protocol integration, and suddenly, my AI assistant became a personalized Bible study companion.
MCP Server Benefits: Real-World AI Integration Results
Now, when I study, I can ask Claude questions like:
- How did Jesus feed 5,000 people?
- What is the context around Romans 8:28?
- Compare this verse across different translations
Claude doesn’t just give me generic answers; it pulls real data from my server and provides exactly what I need.
Beyond Bible Study: MCP Use Cases for Custom AI Development
What excites me most is not just my Bible server. It’s the concept behind MCP. We are transitioning from AI language models that act as isolated information bubbles to AI assistants engaging with real-world data and APIs through custom MCP servers.
Imagine connecting your AI to:
- Your company’s internal database
- Your personal calendar and task manager
- Stock market APIs for real-time trading info
- Your smart home devices
- Medical databases for health research
The options are endless, and the barrier to entry is surprisingly low.
MCP Development Best Practices: Lessons from Building AI Tools
Building this MCP server for Bible study taught me several important lessons about custom AI development:
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Start small: I didn’t try to build everything all at once. My first version just returned single verses. Then I added search. Iteration is your friend.
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MCP does the heavy lifting: I spent much more time thinking about the Bible data structure than the protocol. MCP simplifies all the connection challenges.
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Free tier is powerful: I built something useful without spending a dime using Cloudflare Workers and free Bible APIs.
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Documentation matters: When I got stuck, the MCP documentation and community examples saved me hours of debugging.
Advanced MCP Features: Scaling Your Custom AI Server
I’m already thinking about version two. Maybe I should add commentary integration or connect to my personal notes and highlights. The great thing about MCP is that adding new features doesn’t require rebuilding everything—I just include new tools in my existing server.
The Future of AI Customization: Why MCP Matters for Developers
We are witnessing the rise of personalized AI. Not AI that knows everything about everyone, but AI that knows exactly what you need it to know. MCP makes this possible by letting us build connections between AI models and our specific data sources.
My Bible MCP server is just one example, but it represents something larger: the opening up of AI customization. You don’t need to work at a tech company to empower your AI assistant. You just need an idea and a weekend.
If you’re interested in building your own MCP server, start with something you care about. For me, it was Bible study. For you, it might be cooking recipes, fitness tracking, or managing your book collection. The technical side is the easy part—the harder part is deciding how you want your AI to assist you.
Once you experience an AI assistant that truly understands your specific needs and can access your data, you won’t want to go back to generic chatbots.
You can find my Bible MCP server code on GitHub if you want to see how it works or build something similar. For more MCP examples, check out the official MCP documentation and MCP server examples.