Grok 3
Grok 3 is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) app on Twitter/X. You can ask Grok anything, and in seconds, it scours the web and provides an answer.
I Asked Grok
I asked Grok,
“What is Bob Kellemen’s approach to helping people who are struggling with grief and loss?”
Grok’s Answer
Here’s Grok’s answer:
“Bob Kellemen, a biblical counselor and author, approaches grief and loss from a deeply Christ-centered perspective, emphasizing applying biblical truth to the raw, honest experience of human suffering. His method is not about bypassing or minimizing pain but about walking through it with faith, hope, and the companionship of Jesus. Drawing from his works like God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, Grief: Walking with Jesus, and Grief and Your Child, here’s an explanation of his approach:
Kellemen believes that grief is a normal, God-given response to loss—whether it’s the death of a loved one, a broken relationship, or any significant life change. He rejects the idea that Christians should suppress their sorrow or pretend everything is fine because they have faith. Instead, he encourages people to face their pain head-on, acknowledging that it’s okay to hurt. He often points to Jesus as the ultimate example, a ‘Man of Sorrows’ who experienced deep grief yet remained connected to God’s purposes.
His approach unfolds in a journey-like process, often framed as moving through stages or ‘journey markers’ that contrast the world’s way of grieving with a biblical path toward healing.
1. He starts by urging honesty—encouraging people to stop pretending and admit their struggle, much like the psalmists who poured out their hearts to God. This might look like journaling raw emotions or simply naming the loss without sugarcoating it. For Kellemen, denying pain only delays healing.
2. Next, he guides people from anger or despair to what he calls ‘biblical lament.’ This isn’t just venting frustration; it’s a purposeful crying out to God, trusting Him with the hurt. He draws heavily on Scriptures like the Psalms, where David voices grief directly to God while still clinging to faith. This step transforms chaotic emotions into a dialogue with the One who listens.
3. Kellemen then emphasizes dependence on God over self-reliance. He encourages grievers to shift from trying to fix themselves to seeking God’s strength and presence, often pointing to Jesus’ own reliance on the Father during His darkest moments, like in Gethsemane. This isn’t passive; it’s an active choice to lean into God’s promises, even when feelings lag behind.
4. Finally, he leads people toward comfort and hope in Christ. He doesn’t promise the pain will vanish—scars may remain—but he insists that God plants seeds of hope that can grow into joy again. This might mean reflecting on Jesus’ resurrection as a guarantee that loss isn’t the end, or finding purpose in glorifying God through the grief, as Jesus did on the cross.
For parents helping children, Kellemen adapts this approach with a focus on presence and simplicity. He advises giving kids permission to grieve, listening patiently to their fears, and sharing age-appropriate biblical truths—like God’s nearness in sadness—while modeling faith through the parent’s own struggles.
Throughout, Kellemen’s tone is gentle yet convictional, offering practical steps like reflection questions or devotional readings to apply these ideas daily.
His core message is that grief doesn’t have to be a solitary, hopeless road. By walking it with Jesus, who knows suffering intimately, people can find not just survival, but a way to thrive again. It’s a process that honors both the reality of loss and the power of God’s love.”
A Trilogy on Grieving with Hope
For more about these three books, see:
