Alice Pinney recommends Bear Grylls’ new book to Christian parents as a resource that can help their youth and children who might be taking Jesus for granted
One of the biggest challenges many Christian parents face is watching their children grow up knowing all the right answers about Jesus but not wanting to live for him. When I tell teenagers in church about how Jesus died on the cross for them, one of the most common responses I get is a subtle eye roll and a quiet “yeah, I know.” Many youth and children in churches know the facts but struggle to connect them with the wonder, beauty, and urgency of following Christ for themselves.
As I walk alongside Christian parents one of the biggest challenges is helping their children move from simply knowing about Jesus to truly wanting to live for him and grow in faith for themselves. For many, faith has always been part of their lives, and the story of Jesus feels ordinary rather than life changing. The challenge is how we can walk alongside youth and children to rediscover the wonder of the Gospel for themselves.
I’m always on the lookout for resources that can help to present the gospel in fresh ways to those who feel it’s overfamiliar. Bear Grylls’ new book, The Greatest Story Ever Told, does exactly that
Working frequently alongside young people and parents, I’m always on the lookout for resources that can help to present the gospel in fresh ways to those who feel it’s overfamiliar. Bear Grylls’ new book, The Greatest Story Ever Told, does exactly that. In retelling the life of Jesus through five eyewitness accounts, this book invites readers to step into the Gospel for themselves: seeing, hearing, and feeling it as though they were there. Each chapter gives voice to one of these eyewitnesses, imagining their thoughts, emotions, and reactions to the events of the Gospel. This book is a wonderful resource that allows the reader to consider familiar passages from a fresh perspective.
In his book, Bear Grylls seeks to remain faithful to the biblical account. Crucially, he only uses New Testament words for Jesus’ speech. Creative literary choices, like using the original Aramaic names for people and places, help the reader to step into the first-century setting. The book itself is written in short, punchy chapters with clear, accessible language. This means that, even though the book may not have been written primarily for young people, it is an accessible text for them. Its realistic tone and emotional depth invite readers to see Jesus’ life not as a distant religious text, but as a living, breathing story that speaks to human experience.
For parents longing to see their children move from knowing about Jesus to truly following him, this book may just be one more way God sparks that rediscovery of the wonder of the gospel
The strength of the book lies not only in what it says, but in how it can be used across a wide age range. Here are a few ideas:
1. Read it together. Short chapters make it perfect for bedtime or family devotional reading. Parents can read aloud with their children, pausing to wonder together about what it would have felt like to see Jesus heal, teach, or calm a storm. This is about sparking imagination and helping children experience the story, not just hear it again.
2. Start conversations. The eyewitness style of storytelling opens up natural spaces for questions to discuss with older children and teens who might read the book themselves. The book gives space for conversations where young people can move beyond “I already know this,” and begin to wrestle with the Gospel on a deeper, personal level.
3. Support questioning teenagers. For teenagers who are wrestling with questions about faith or perhaps feeling like they’ve “heard it all before,” this book can be a useful companion. The realistic accounts of the eyewitnesses connect the Gospel to real experiences of doubt, fear, and hope.
4. Encourage independent reading. For older teenagers, the eyewitness perspective offers a fresh angle that may connect with their desire for authenticity. They can read independently, using the book as a springboard for deeper conversations about doubts, questions, and what it means to follow Jesus today. Parents can gently draw connections back to the original Gospel texts, encouraging them to dig deeper.
So, what does the book do?
This book is a helpful resource for parents who want to reawaken wonder in their children’s faith journey. It presents the Gospel story in a fresh way, connecting head and heart, and offering a bridge from passive knowledge to personal encounter. It can inspire conversations, spark curiosity, and open doors for Scripture to come alive again.
And what doesn’t it do?
At the same time, it is not a replacement for the Bible. It is not a simplified children’s Bible or a substitute for Scripture, but a creative retelling designed to point readers back to the Gospels. Nor is it a substitute for discipleship: no book guarantees faith. What this book can do, however, is provide a fresh lens and an engaging resource to support parents in nurturing their child’s faith.
If there is one danger for children raised in Christian homes, it is that the Gospel becomes assumed rather than adored. Resources like this are not magic solutions, but they can help reframe familiar truths in ways that capture young hearts again.
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Parents are the primary disciplers of their children. This doesn’t mean having all the answers or being the perfect teacher. Creating space, inviting questions, and using tools like this book can help your child see Jesus afresh. As Paul reminded Timothy, “From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).
Most importantly, as parents use this book as a resource with their children, let it be fuelled by prayer: that the Spirit of God will take familiar truths and make them come alive again. For parents longing to see their children move from knowing about Jesus to truly following him, this book may just be one more way God sparks that rediscovery of the wonder of the gospel.
