I’m about a quarter through reading Return to Real by Ryan Levesque and I’m already appreciating it enough to recommend it to others. Levesque’s starting point is his belief that “What the world is craving isn’t more. What the world is craving is what’s real.” I would agree. AI is about to bring an enormous shift to our daily lives – for better or worse. Levesque’s book suggests how individuals can ride the coming wave on both the personal and the professional fronts. As far as business goes, as it slowly dawns on people that “Artificial” is a synonym for…

This week I am working with this beatitude: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” (Matt 5:10) I think this is passage needs to come with a reminder that true persecution finds you, you don’t find it. And if an aggression against you is “micro”, it is best to assume it exists only in your imagination. In our present culture, many people go to great lengths to FIND persecution, as small as a facial expression or as big as an entire “system”. Because there is something seductive about being a victim.…

If you’re the type who likes to flatten out Scripture in order to develop a tidy little systematic theology, you are probably already familiar with the term “Ordo Salutis”. If you’re not that type (and good for you!), I should explain that “Ordo Salutis” is a Latin phrase meaning “Order of Salvation”, in other words, an attempt to outline the steps in God’s work of salvation in the life of a believer. I say “attempt” because theologians cannot agree on the proper sequence of the steps. In fact, they can’t even agree on which steps belong in the Ordo or…

Thanks to the efforts of my (self-proclaimed) favorite child – Samuel, my blog has a new home and an updated look. And a more straightforward web address: stevegrossblog.com. We are hoping this format will be easier to navigate AND, importantly, make it easier for anyone to leave a comment. I would truly welcome pushback on the ideas I explore on my blog. I do not make any claims to be infallible about any particular topic, especially when it comes to theology. I hope that even when I am 90 years old that God’s word will continue to surprise and challenge…

We tend to take the Beatitudes and turn them immediately into “here’s what you need to do, how you need to think, how you must act” to get God’s blessing.  Be poor in spirit, be meek, be a peacemaker, etc., and then God will grant you entry into the Kingdom.  But doesn’t this call into question our core evangelical profession that we do not in any way earn our salvation? That Jesus came to seek the lost sheep? That he came as a physician calling those who were sick? Think about it.  If we read “Blessed are the poor in…

Yesterday I introduced a new sermon series where we will be taking a look at each of the Beatitudes individually over the next few weeks.  The intro had to do with seeing Jesus as a teacher. In an important sense, He is even more foundationally a Teacher to us than He is a Savior.  This week I am meditating on the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3) You might think there would not be much to work with in a single line of dialogue like this. But considering its…

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anaïs Nin God willing, in less than two weeks, I will be stepping off a plane in Accra, Ghana with three college students – one being my youngest daughter, Sarah. It will be my privilege to show them around the country and introduce them to microfinance as ministry.  I came across the quote posted above in an email today and I include it here in hopes that I remember to share it with the three students.  It takes a lot of courage to pack your bags and head to Africa…

If you asked people what is the biggest challenge they face in this life, I think most would point to family strife, a hated boss, financial stresses, or a major health crisis like cancer. But Galatians 5 says humanity’s biggest problem is NOT external. Our biggest problem is IN-ternal.  Our flesh and our spirit are opposed to each other.  “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Gal 5:17) But…

I successfully hit the bed by 10:30 last night. AND I got a start on a new morning routine. The most important aspect was this: I have decided that for at least the first hour after waking up, I will use my phone for nothing but a flashlight and a Bible.  I was awake a bit before 5:00 am, got up and made my coffee and spent a few minutes in a comfy chair, praying.  And, it turns out, prayer is much better for my pre-daybreak mental state than endless Facebook reels are.  I followed prayer with some Bible study…