In this inaugural episode of The Missional Leader, I had the privilege of sitting down with my friend and longtime partner in ministry, Bobby Gruenewald, founder of YouVersion and one of the most forward-thinking leaders I know.
Most people see the fruit of Bobby’s work, specifically the Bible App, but what often goes unseen is the resilience, risk, and Spirit-led thinking it took to get there. In this conversation, we explore the inner life of an innovator: the doubts, the failures, the hard-won lessons, and the deep conviction that drives it all.
We talk about:
- What it really means to take risks for the Kingdom
- The early learnings of YouVersion and how God used the process to reveal something better
- A framework for understanding risk that has shaped how Bobby leads
- Why your identity has to be rooted in who you are in Christ, not what you create
- How real innovation starts with people, not products
One thing that stood out to me was Bobby’s posture of abundance. He’s someone who lives openhanded, generous with ideas, relationships, and leadership. He reminds us that we are not the fruit. We are the tree. Our calling is to stay rooted in Christ and keep producing fruit, even when some of them fail or go unseen. God designed you to keep producing. That kind of mindset frees you to take risks, embrace failure, and keep moving forward.
Whether you’re leading a ministry or simply wondering what it looks like to follow God into uncharted territory, I believe this episode will challenge and encourage you.
🎧 Listen now and join us as we explore what it means to lead with clarity, courage, and conviction for the sake of the Gospel.
The Technology Adoption Lifecycle:
https://diffusion-research.org/diffusion-theory-extensions-and-adaptations
