In this episode of the RELEVANT Podcast Impact Conversation Series, we sit down with two leaders who have shaped the faith lives of billions. First, adventurer and global TV icon Bear Grylls opens up about how the wilderness taught him about spiritual survival. It’s one of Bear’s most personal and honest conversations ever — covering doubt, faith, courage and why he believes Jesus’ life is the greatest adventure of all. Then, YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald joins us fresh off a historic milestone: one billion downloads of the Bible App. He shares the wild origin story of YouVersion, how God exceeded every expectation, how to steward faith in a tech-driven world and why Gen Z is turning to Scripture like never before. This episode is part of our special Impact Series sponsored by World Vision, whose community-focused work is changing lives around the globe. Learn more and get involved at WorldVision.org/RELEVANT. CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction from Cameron Strang 02:19 — Emily Brown sits down with Bear Grylls 02:30 — Writing Jesus’ story as a thriller (and why no one had done it) 05:13 — How his new book began in the middle of the jungle 07:33 — Physical survival and spiritual survival: where they intersect 09:22 — Faith, doubt, fear and the courage to keep going 11:19 — What surprised Bear most after rereading the Bible three times 13:23 — Working with The Chosen and making “Chosen in the Wild” 16:07 — Why faith is breaking through in entertainment right now 18:20 — The first time Bear spoke publicly about faith (yes, including Obama) 20:07 — Cameron wraps Bear’s segment and introduces Bobby Gruenewald of YouVersion 21:49 — How a security line in Chicago sparked the Bible App 23:57 — Launching on Day 1 of the App Store… with zero Apple contacts 27:59 — What surprised him about global Bible engagement 30:48 — Balancing ministry and data while staying donor-supported 33:20 — From serial entrepreneur to lifelong ministry calling 37:26 — Where faith and technology are headed next 41:52 — AI, ethics and why YouVersion refuses to rush a chatbot 44:09 — What Bobby hopes YouVersion’s legacy will be 50 years from now 49:22 — Gen Z’s surprising hunger for Scripture Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
