Is AI Pushing Us Toward God? with Bobby Gruenewald—CEO, YouVersion Bible App

The Aggressive Life with Brian Tome

Crossroads

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 756 Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2025

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Instead of something to be feared, Bobby Gruenewald has always seen technology’s potential for good. One day, while waiting in a long line at the Chicago airport, he wondered: could technology improve his lagging Bible-reading habit? Bobby pulled on that string, and the YouVersion Bible App was born. Launching as one of the 200 original free apps on the Apple App Store, YouVersion has changed the way the world reads scripture. As the app approaches 1 billion installs, Bobby reflects on the early failures of YouVersion, the aggressive moves that led to its historic growth, and how the rise of AI just might be pushing us more toward God.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Yeah, I mean, our app icon looks like an old.
0:02.0	Did I just draw myself, hold on,
0:04.0	can I just put ink all over my lips?
0:06.0	I can't tell.
0:08.0	I was chewing on a pen and almost that my mouth tastes odd.
0:12.0	Let me get some more.
0:14.0	Jeez.
0:16.0	Yeah, though we're seeing the, we're seeing trend, and we believe that is one part of it.
0:24.6	I did. I have ink on my hand. Sorry, sorry. Sorry, the first thing's first. Do not touch that pen again. You got no one for me, dirt.
0:32.3	Oh, this ink. It's like Novakane. It numbs the lips.
0:39.7	I have no idea what you just did to your body. I don't either. Do you see? You got a little spot on your tooth right there.
0:43.5	Oh gosh. This is horrible. This is horrible. Welcome to the aggressive life.
1:06.3	I had a conversation with a guy several months ago, and I said, would you please be on my podcast?
1:12.1	And he said, yes, I will.
1:14.7	His name is Bobby Gruenwald.
1:17.0	Not to be, he's not related to the Griswold's.
1:19.4	I don't think he's related to them, but he's more brilliant than them.
1:23.4	He's created and sold companies by the age of 23.
1:27.8	He was recognized by Fast Company. He's one of the most creative people in business.
1:31.6	He's part of one of the most creative churches in the country, known as Life Church, the first church that really pioneered having sites all over the place and video teaching.
1:42.4	Everyone wants to lay claim to, they invented it.
1:45.6	But the guys who really systematized it and went after it was Life Church based in Oklahoma
	...

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