← Jesus People Podcast
Jesus People Podcast
Gen Z Revival & Holy Spirit Boldness | The Jesus People Podcast Episode 43 | David Hurst
00:39:31
Loading summary
Transcript98 lines
- [00:00]
David Hurst
I was like, hey, like, I'm a Christian. I love Jesus. Like, what? Why are you here? And so I was like, yeah, I just love Jesus and I believe he's the truth and he's the way. And I just explained to them, you know, how I just explained them, like, scriptures in the Quran that pointed to the Bible.
- [00:33]
Podcast Host
Guys, welcome to the Jesus People podcast. I'm so honored to have David Hurst on the POD today. Thanks for being with us, dude.
- [00:40]
David Hurst
Thank you for having me on. I'm so grateful. Oh, super excited. You.
- [00:43]
Podcast Host
You are a killer in the kingdom. Holy smokes, dude. If you guys haven't seen David on social media. Radical evangelist, 15 years old, right?
- [00:53]
David Hurst
Yep.
- [00:54]
Podcast Host
Oh, my goodness, man. And it's just seeing fruit on fruit on fruit for the kingdom. I think what's so cool to too, dude, is I. I was telling someone the other day, I'm like, I think Gen Z Christians are the coolest Christians I've ever met in my life.
- [01:05]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [01:06]
Podcast Host
And you're, like, borderline Gen A. You're like, you're like the tail end of Gen Z. So, man, I'm excited to get in your story, but I just have a question. Like, why do you think Gen Z seeing the revival it's seeing right now?
- [01:20]
David Hurst
Yeah. So I feel like with Gen Z, it's really, really, like, how do I explain it? Our generation is really hungry for something. I see that in Z and now in Gen a lot. Like, if you see a lot of Gen Z, especially, like, you know, a lot of seniors now like, that are in senior, like, they're in 12th grade now, they're so desperate for something. Like, they're searching for so many things, like, they're going to vapes, they're going to drugs, they're going to alcohol. That's what they're going for because they're hungry for something. And I see that just happening. I see so many young people when I go to witchcraft events, I see so many young people, like young adults and older teens, because they're so desperate for something. So I think that's why there's a big revival, because they see that it's not working.
- [02:06]
Podcast Host
Yeah, yeah, that's that. I. I think I've seen something similar. And do you think phones have anything to do with that? I think Gen Z, like, I'm a millennial. So, like, I got my first iPhone after college. That's how old I am, you know? Do you think it's the constant just, like, scrolling the constant, you know, just like, laying on your bed just like Just trying to numb like, what do you think? Like, does that have any impact at all?
- [02:33]
David Hurst
Yeah. No. So it's actually funny you said that. So I actually had like a project that we did at school just last week and it was talking about phones and how phones impacted our generation.
- [02:44]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [02:45]
David Hurst
And as I studied it, I started like looking through that. And what I've noticed is that when a lot of teens now, from 2016 up into 2025, a lot of teens are going to social media and they're watching it day after day, they're watching it constantly. And what basically happening is a lot of our generation, their, what's the word? Their attention span is very, very, very much lower. And they like, I can barely even watch a long form YouTube video now. Like I'm going to Instagram reels YouTube shorts because that's all my, my, my attention can like, that's all I can like watch because for me it's just so much harder and like I can't watch long form content. And so I feel like that's like what the phones have done. And I think that with that it's caused phones to be almost an idol. And I mean I've, I'm guilty of it. I've made my phone an idle a lot of the time and it's just causing so much like problems in our generation. I just see that happening so much. And so. Yeah.
- [03:50]
Podcast Host
Wow. Yeah, I fully agree, dude. I fully, fully agree. I see it, even me like being on social media and just like constantly on this thing and it's, it is a legitimate addiction. So let's get into your story a little bit. Like I'm, I just, I mean people who see you online, they just see this guy who's just on fire for Jesus, like, looks like no fear. Looks like you're just charging hell and you're just like saving souls. So where did that come. Come from?
- [04:22]
David Hurst
Yeah, so I feel like a lot of people, they have a crazy testimony. And anytime I say, anytime someone says like, I don't have a crazy testimony, I always say, no, you have a crazy testimony, you know, if you found Jesus. And that's a crazy testimony. And for me, I always explain to people, like, from how I found Jesus may not be as crazy as from where I found Jesus to where I am now. And so when I found Jesus, I found Jesus at a church camp. I grew up Baptist. I hated the church. I was hurt by the church. I didn't like any of it. And I grew up Baptist and my mom made me go to the church camp every single year. And I would dread it. I would hate it. I hate the big team games. I would hate all of it. And this was one night. This was the first year of youth camp. And the guy was just preaching a sermon. It was all going normal. And he was like, if you want to give your life to Jesus, then come to this altar. And in my mind, I was like, well, it's just another thing, you know, just. Just another altar call. People are going to go, you know, talk to this fake God and all this stuff. And so I remember that night specifically. I felt this, like, this tangible presence of God. And God was telling me to go up to the altar, and I went up there, and I got on my knees, and I was like, God, I really don't think you're real, but if you are, show me. And that moment, I just, like, got. I received the most supernatural encounter ever. I can never explain it to people because it's just. It was so tangible. I could just. I could feel the tangible presence of God, and it was just so awesome. And, yeah, from there, I remember that exact moment, too, where I was on my knees, and God's like, you're gonna be an evangelist, and. Whoa.
- [05:59]
Podcast Host
So right when you got saved, you got your calling.
- [06:02]
David Hurst
Yeah. So God told me I was gonna be an evangelist before I even knew what the word meant.
- [06:05]
Podcast Host
No way.
- [06:06]
David Hurst
Yeah. So I went up to my youth pastor after. I was like, what's an evangelist? And she's explaining to me, like, what an evangelist is about how I was going to share the good news to other people. And I was like, that's what the Lord wants me to do. And this is right after, like, you know, 10 minutes ago. I'm over here complaining about being there, and so I'm super hyped up. And there was this. There was this event called call rally. This was like, if you want to accept, like, you're calling, you want to go out and do what you. And do what God has called you to do. So I went to this. This event, call rally, and they basically, it was all for evangelism. Like, they were like, send. They were, like, commissioning us, and they were sending us out. So I remember this is just two weeks later. It was all timed perfectly. Like, my church had, like, planned to go to this, and I went to call rally. And that moment, I remember them, like, explaining to us how, you know, call rally went, how we would evangelize, what to say. And then they sent us out. And I remember the first place I evangelized was a dollar general. And I remember I walked in and I was so scared. I saw this older lady and she was like, you know, just shopping normally and Lord's like, go speak to her. And I was like, I can't do this. I can't do this, Lord, I can't do this. And you know, meanwhile, like the other youth students are over here, like making signs, holding at the front, Jesus loves you and all this stuff. And the Lord told me to go up to her. And I remember going up to her and just saying, jesus loves you. And then I just walked away. And ever since that day, I really realized that it's. You don't have to be give a whole sermon to somebody about the gospel. You can just show the love of Jesus or just say, jesus loves you. And that's a seed planted right there. And so at this moment, I was still scared. And about a few weeks later, one of my good friends, his name is Joseph, he had invited me to go evangelize. And I was, you know, once again, super scared. I was like, yeah, I'll go. I probably won't talk to anybody though. And so I remember we walked into the mall and they all started going crazy for Jesus. Like, I never expected anything like that. And so, like, I've never seen them like, evangelize like that. That's not, that's never how I envisioned evangelism. Like, just walking up to people like, hey, how are you doing? Just like going to a full conversation. And so I remember my friend Joseph, he goes into the food court and he just stands on a table and he's like, jesus loves you. And just like open air preaching and just giving this whole like, awesome sermon. And I remember that moment. The Holy Spirit just filled me with boldness. And that moment I like, I can barely even, like, I don't even know how to explain it because it was again, such like a crazy moment. The Holy Spirit encountered me. And I remember all I remember, I like, all I remember doing is just going store to store and just going, Jesus loves you guys, going the next door. And I would just like, in the midst of it, I would just be praying for people. And, you know, all I knew was a simple, Jesus loves you and he died for you. That's all I knew. And I just went store to store doing all this stuff. And my friends had ended up recording it because they thought it was so cool. And they gave me the video the next day. And I was like, what if I posted this? You know, what if I could at least like, you know, like, maybe encourage one person. And so that's kind of where my social media journey began. And through that. I remember this was two weeks later, this is in January of 2024. And God was like, I want you to speak in the middle of your hallways. I want you to open air, preach. I want you to proclaim the gospel in the middle of your hallways. And this is like a pretty big, busy middle school. And it was after lunch, and the Lord's like, I also want you to record this and post on social media. And so I had ended up going in the middle of the hallway after contemplating it for probably like 10 or 20 minutes. You know, I was. I was almost late to class by then. And so I stood in the middle of the hallway and I just started preaching, like, whatever. I knew Jesus loves you. He died for you. I hope you guys come to find him. And I posted that video, and I think maybe within the first day got like 10 million views. And so it just went viral. And so many people are encouraged. Like, I receive, I was receiving DMs, like, hey, you make. You encouraged me to bring an atheist to Christ and all these crazy DMs. And I would never expect anything like that. And this is before evangelism got really big in social media. So it was very, very, like, it was very new to me. It was very cool to see all the reactions and how it worked. And since then, I've just continued doing social media. And we've done so many crazy things, so many crazy events, and so, yeah, it's amazing.
- [10:23]
Podcast Host
And dude, the way. The way me we met, I'm even just like reminiscing on that right now. So I'm just gonna tell the story because they don't know the story. We obviously know the story. So I was walking on there by my gym. There's this little trail. I'm just walking on the trail, and this lady and her husband are walking. And the lady recognizes me and she's like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe it's you. So I stop, I chat with them, I pray with them, and then leave. And then I hang out with their son sometime, just kind of like encouraging him, going to the gym. And then a couple weeks later, I'm walking on that same trail and up comes this golf cart right behind me. And I just hear, hey, man, Jesus loves you. And I turn and I look, and my first thought was like, oh, they recognize me from social media. I'm like, oh, thanks, man. He loves you too. And you keep going. Come to find out that that kid did not recognize me. You did not recognize me. You were just sharing the gospel. And the people you were with were the, the kids of the. The parents that I met on that trail. And so it's just like full circle, this crazy moment. And then I come to find out that you've been chatting with Bryce Crawford, who's a buddy of mine, who's like the OG evangelist on social media.
- [11:39]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [11:40]
Podcast Host
And so I forget who told me whether it was Bryce. I. Oh, it was Bryce. I was talking to Bryce. And Bryce goes, yeah, man, I've kind of been pouring into this, this like, spitfire kid, David Hurst. And I look him up and I'm like, this kid looks so familiar. And then, and then I think I texted you and you were like, yeah, bro, we met. I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, this is crazy, like, mind blowing to me how full circle the Lord is. And so you and I have been hanging out now, and I think what I've been so encouraged by is there's this boldness in you. There's this. And there's this humility, too. Like, I had watched the videos and I was so shocked. I don't think I've told you this. When we first met for lunch that first time, I was expecting just a, like this firepower of a kid. And I've noticed this when I meet with. I noticed this with John Piper, he's an old preacher. When I met him in person, when I met other, like, warriors for the kingdom, you see them on camera or on stage preaching or, you know, on social media, and then you meet them in person and it feels like you're just meeting the most meek and humble and kind, soft spoken person. And that's what I felt with you, is like you have this ability to, you know, just be a savage online, where you're just like, fearless. Going to Muslim festivals, going to witchcraft festivals, going to gay bars, and you're just like, I don't care. I'm sharing the good news of Jesus. And there's this, this like, fearlessness in you. But then you meet you and you've got this like, rich humility, like this deep meekness. And I guess my question to you would be like, do you experience fear? Like, do you still experience fear when you go to these festivals, to these gay bars and you're sharing the gospel?
- [13:23]
David Hurst
Yeah, so of course I do. That's the short answer. I feel like a lot of people when they see all these big Christian content creators, these big Christian Evangelists, they think that they just have this crazy amount of boldness and they can just go out and do whatever they want. But that's not really true because there's so many times where I've, like, wanted to stay at home and just lay in bed instead of going to the gay bars and preach. And I remember the Holy Spirit telling me, go, go. And so, like, that's, like, a big thing. I feel like, you know, again, like, when people see these big people, they think that, you know, oh, like, I could never do that. They're so big. And. And, like, when I see that, I really think that, you know, you have to accept the bonus from the Holy Spirit in order to receive it. So, like, I feel like a lot of people, they see all these big people, and when they see that boldness in them. Do you know what I mean? I'm trying to explain it. I'm sorry.
- [14:18]
Podcast Host
Totally. I think what's crazy is you. And to be fair, like, you know, like, I think you and I have gotten to a place where we're getting recognized, and, like, people probably look at us like those big people now, which feels so weird. It feels so weird to think about that because, like, I, like, accidentally became a social media influencer in the Christian space, you know, like, didn't intend for this to happen.
- [14:44]
David Hurst
And.
- [14:44]
Podcast Host
And I think. I think I remember having those same thoughts of, like, oh, it probably takes a really special person or a really spiritual person to do that. And I don't really feel like a very special person or a spiritual person not dogging myself. I just. I've never had that thought of, like, you have this deep anointing that you need to, like, yeah. You know what I mean? Like, and I think God uses the willing.
- [15:04]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [15:04]
Podcast Host
And he. I think a lot of people, too, they. They go into. Or they want to go into social media, or they want to go into pastoring, or they want the stage because they want the acclaim because they want the glory. And that was me. Like, that was me when I was, you know, a youth pastor. And I just wanted to be on the stage. Like, it sounds so silly, but I'd get so hyped up whenever I could do communion on the big stage, and I would, like, make it this whole sermon. I was, like, performing and stuff. And it was just mixture. It was mixture. It was like, yes, I wanted to proclaim the name of Jesus. Yes, I want to preach the gospel. Yes. I knew that there was something inside of me that was like, there was this dog on a leash, like, I needed to share the good news, but at the same time, I wanted the stage because I just wanted to be acclaimed. I wanted to be seen. And I think then the Lord took me through the tour of going through the wilderness and having a lot of that stuff pruned off of me to the point where it could be pure. And I think what a lot of people don't realize is they're not evangelists. It doesn't mean they can't evangelize, but they're not called to that. They might be called to be an accountant, they might be called to be a mom, they might be called to, I don't know, to work at a store, like, and in the kingdom of God. Like, we are a body, right? And so there's different parts. It doesn't mean that you're not an evangelist, you're an apostle or disciple, maker or being pastoral, all those things. Like, we have those gifts. Right. But it's given in different measure, and it's different, and we have different parts of the body. So I think a lot of people, they want the followers, they want the social media, really, because they want the acclaim and they want the glory. And I don't think the Lord can work with that, you know?
- [16:38]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [16:39]
Podcast Host
I think the one thing that the Lord's like, I don't know that I can really work with that is pride. Yeah, I think I. Because if you're. If you're going after your own glory. Well, I don't even know if that's true. I think. I think the Lord can work with anything. But I would. I will say this. The people that I have met, you know that. That are doing stuff on a pretty significant level. I think Bryce is a good example.
- [17:00]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [17:00]
Podcast Host
You know Bryce, you just meet him and you're just like, this kid just loves Jesus.
- [17:04]
David Hurst
He just.
- [17:04]
Podcast Host
He just wants people to know Jesus. He doesn't care about anything else. Like, he legitimately has no other. There's no other motives. He just wants people to know about Jesus. And I've found that too. Like. And what's crazy to me is you see a lot of these people get hate online. And then when you know the people, you're like, oh, my gosh, wow. The sin of gossip and slander within the body of Christ. Because I see people saying stuff about dudes that are friends of mine, like, good friends of mine. And I'm looking at it and I'm like, you're doing that in the name of Jesus, but you are partnering with Satan when you're doing that.
- [17:37]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [17:37]
Podcast Host
And so I guess all that to say, I think some people are called to this. And having. Having the mantle of being a social media influencer and having that many eyeballs on you at 15 and being able to withstand it. Well, first of all, how do you withstand it? And what has your story been to get you to the point where you can, with an anointing, stand there and be okay with the eyeballs on you?
- [18:04]
David Hurst
Yeah. So the biggest thing when I started going viral was the hate. Like, I would look at every single comment, and it would be like, this kid doesn't know what he's saying. This kid is believing in something that's not true. And I really got hit by it. Like, I got real hit by it at first. And I remember, like, one day I almost, like, started crying. Like, I was just, like, looking through these comments, sitting in my room, and I was like, I'm about to start crying because I don't want to. I feel so encouraged. There's so many people encouraging me, but there's also so many people hating on me. And so the way I always used to, like, combat that is, number one, seeing what the Bible says. You know, a lot of people would say, you know, this. You're doing it wrong in this way. You're doing wrong in that way. But what does the Bible say? So I would always call mentors up. I'd be like, hey, so what is. What is. What does the Bible say about this? You know, they're saying this is wrong. What do you. What does the Bible say? And the biggest thing is, like, you're gonna receive hate no matter what. Like, even if you're not in a big influence, you'll be influenced. You'll have an influence around you at school.
- [19:03]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [19:03]
David Hurst
And so the biggest thing is to show love, you know, at school, like, literally the other day, I was. It was actually yesterday. I was in my. I was in my English class, and there was this girl next to me, and she said she was a Catholic. And I was like, well, that's awesome. Do you read your Bible? And she goes, no, I don't read the Bible. I was like, do you have one? She's like, no, I have a kid's one. I was like, well, can I buy you one? And I remember her. She, like, gave me some insult in Spanish. And I had, like, known of what it meant, but, like, I didn't, like, say much of it. And I just remember her just, like, calling me, like, this one word. I don't know what the word was, but I remember calling me this one word. And I was like, well, Jesus loves you. And I was like, I would still love to buy you the Bible. And I remember her face. She's like, what? Like, why do you want to buy me that Bible? Like, did you not hear what I just said to you? Yeah. And so, like, I was just like, yeah, I would still love to. And you know, just showing them love back, Showing people who hate just love back. That's just what I've seen, you know, the most impact on. And you know, she still wants that Bible. She still looks at me like, I. It all started because I was reading my Bible in class. We had reading time in class. I was just reading my Bible in class. And that's how the whole conversation started. So, you know, like, even into that, like just having good conversation starters, like to share your faith with someone in school or, you know, maybe at work, it's really simple. Just, you know, just have a good starter. You know, maybe you're reading a Bible, maybe someone asks you a question.
- [20:30]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [20:30]
David Hurst
And so.
- [20:31]
Podcast Host
Yeah, amen, dude. And how is your, I guess, your strategy or how. What is your philosophy of evangelism been? Like, like, how has it shifted? Because I remember you telling something to me. Like, hey, like when I was doing things early on, I had some people call me out and I actually kind of hear some of it and received some of it. So tell me about that journey of kind of coming to the place you're at now.
- [20:51]
David Hurst
Yeah, so when I started, I remember I would always just go and I would just open air, preach everywhere I went. I wouldn't do like one on one conversations. I would just go into big areas and start proclaiming the gospel, which was good, except they weren't all in God's will. So like, for example, when I. When God wanted me to go into the middle of my hallways, like, God specifically told me to do that. Yeah, but there will be other videos where I would just go and like some guy would just start yelling at me to get off the table and I just let my pride get in the way. And so like, there, there are big falls that come with like, accepting your callings. Like, you're gonna fall. You know, the Bible says a righteous man falls seven times, but gets back up. So I've had my moments where I wouldn't go in God's will. Like, I would evangelize, but it wouldn't be in God's will. And so like, I had like, you know, like, I had like mentors and like leaders in my life that would just go, hey, David, this isn't right. And I also had leaders in my life that just kind of said it wasn't right, but they didn't say it in the right way and I took it wrong. And so I had like battled this for maybe, maybe five months going into social media. And I remember the Lord humbling me one night. And this was at. I forgot what event it was. It was one event that I was evangelizing at. And the Lord's like, david, see, this is what I want you to do. I, I've called you to do some things and some things I haven't. So like, you know, accepting your calling is one step and there's more steps to it. And so like, I remember like, you know, just, just having these humble conversations with people. And I remember like when I was over there, I had this great conversation with people and the Holy Spirit was just flowing through me. And I think the main part of that was because I was just too scared to just have these one on one conversations. Like I was too scared to socially like go one on one with somebody. And so I would just go and just say it to everybody, which, you know, in a sense is awesome and it's great to do. But that's like one big thing to make sure it's under God's will. Because I only open air preach now if it's under God's will, if God tells me to. And so that's just a lot of wisdom comes behind that. But, you know, as you know accepting your calling, there's going to be falls. Yeah, without a doubt. So, yeah, I want to take a.
- [22:59]
Podcast Host
Quick break and I want to tell you about a ministry that my family personally supports. It's called Global Christian Relief. And you may not know this, but there are more persecuted Christians around the world than ever before. And Global Christian Relief sends medical aid. They send Bibles to persecuted countries that don't have access to them. They're providing shelter. They're taking care of the least of these in the name of Jesus. And if you want to support them, you can click the link in the show notes. You can read stories of what God's doing in the persecuted church. And know this, Jesus says that what you've done for the least of these, you've done for him. But also that when we love each other as a body of Christ, the rest of the world will see him. So go check it out. Yeah, you see people with the picket signs and stuff, you know, saying God hates fags and you're gonna burn in hell and all these awful, horrific things. And it makes me think, you know, you can speak the truth and have it still be wrong.
- [23:53]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [23:53]
Podcast Host
Like you can tell someone you're going to hell might be true, but it's still wrong. And I think that's why the Lord says to speak the truth in love. And I think you have these two sides of the camp in the church where you've got people that are all truth. Let's slam truth down people's throats. And then you have on the other side of the camp, people that are so desperate to just appease everyone and just peace and don't realize that the Bible divides or the gospel divides people. Right. That they don't proclaim the truth at all. And what Jesus did is he spoke the truth in love. And I think what's interesting is every time I see Jesus interacting with someone who's far from God, he operates in grace and truth, but the grace always precedes and exceeds the truth. Here's what I mean. So he finds the woman at the well. He finds the woman caught in adultery, both of them. And he goes up to them, and the Pharisees drag this woman in front of him. And they say, the law of Moses says we should stone this woman. What do you say? Great Teacher, what do you say? Jesus. And he gets down on her level and draws in the sand.
- [24:57]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [24:58]
Podcast Host
And the first thing he does is he rejects her shame. And he says he was. Or he says he is without sin, throw the first stone. And they all leave. And then he looks back at her and he says, now go and leave your life of sin. He operates in grace. The woman at the well, same deal. He met her shame. He told her everything she'd ever done and didn't judge her. And then he says, go and leave your life of sin. And she became the first evangelist, the first evangelist in the whole Bible, who was a woman who had been sleeping around with five other dudes. And Jesus told her all of her sin, brought it right up in front of her face. Didn't judge her, said, go, leave your life to sin. She runs into that village. And I think what. What a lot of people don't realize in the church is that it's the kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance.
- [25:40]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [25:40]
Podcast Host
It doesn't mean we stop sharing the truth. Because the kindest thing you can do is share the truth with someone. But it doesn't mean that you come and you bash them over the head with it. Because Jesus never Did that. We never see Jesus ever doing that. If Jesus is anyone on blast, he's putting the religious leaders on blast. When he finds sinners, he treats them with grace and kindness and gentleness, and, yes, proclaims the truth after he reveals his kindness and his grace. And I think that's what's so cool about what I've seen in your content. I've really seen a shift, you know, where you're going to these, you know, gay celebrations, gay parades.
- [26:15]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [26:15]
Podcast Host
And you're just like. I love the one with you with a picket sign where you're just like, how has the church hurt you? Tell me about some of those conversations.
- [26:22]
David Hurst
Yeah, so this was at. This was during June of Pride Month. This was just a big. This is like, the biggest LGBTQ festival in the state. And I was like, well, I want to go. I was like, holy Spirit, I don't know what you want me to do there, but I want to go. And so I went there, and on the way, the Lord's like, I want you to get a sign, and I want you to write, have you been by. Have you been hurt by the church? Let's talk. And so the Lord revealed to me. I was like, the Lord revealed to me that there's a lot of people, a part of the LGBTQ community that have been really hurt by the church. And when they see some guy walking up to them saying, hey, what do you think about Jesus? They instantly have a different lens towards Christianity. And so instead of going up to them, I was like, holy Spirit, bring them to me. So I went in the middle of this Pride Festival, and I just held the sign, and I'd say probably about 20 people walked up. And this, again, goes back to how our generation's hungry. Our generation's super hungry. And so they were just like, hey, like, I've been hurt by the church. This one guy or this one woman, actually, she was like, my dad was the pastor, and he hurt me. And how do you think I've been hurt by my own father yet? My father in heaven. And that really hurt me. I was like, I really feel you. Because, like, I was hurt by the church. Maybe not in the way you have, but I've been hurt by the church. So from someone who loves Jesus, that has been hurt by the church. Church, too. Let me explain to you what I believe, and let me explain to you the truth. And so I remember just planting all these seeds and just praying over these people, and we even had conversations off camera. Like, afterwards, there were people walking up to us, like, hey, sorry we didn't get to do it in time. I was like, no, dude, you're good. We're still here. Let's keep talking.
- [28:02]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [28:02]
David Hurst
And so, like, there was just this one guy as well that, like, was just so hurt by the church, and he just didn't know. Like, he just thought that it was, like, a whole cult, like, a religion. And I was like, dude, it's just this guy who just loved you enough to die for you. And I was like, it's like, I know. He was like, we're gonna be all the proof. Give me all the proof. I was like, I don't need to give you the proof. Just encounter Jesus. Like, I was like, if you want proof, I'll give it to you. I can show you the manuscripts. I can show you that they've been Translated up to 99.9% accuracy. But, like, I was like, dude, can I just pray for you that he'll encounter you? And by the end of that conversation, he gave his life to Jesus.
- [28:38]
Podcast Host
Let's go.
- [28:38]
David Hurst
So it was awesome. Wow.
- [28:41]
Podcast Host
That's incredible, dude. Yeah, that's so cool. I love what you said. Like, you said, I stopped and I asked the Holy Spirit, what should I do? And, man, if we did that more just with even the little things in our life, let alone going and preaching in a gay parade, you know, like, if we just stopped and asked the Holy Spirit, lord, what should I do in this situation?
- [28:59]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [29:00]
Podcast Host
I think David's the only character in the whole Bible that asks the Lord permission consistently. Like, his family gets killed, and he still asks God, like, can I go and take them out? Can I go to battle against them? Like, you and I, if someone did something to our family, we're just going.
- [29:16]
David Hurst
We're going to take it out.
- [29:17]
Podcast Host
You know what I mean?
- [29:18]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [29:18]
Podcast Host
And David is just asking permission. And then the difference between David and Saul is Saul, when he got in trouble, he didn't want his kingdom taken from him.
- [29:28]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [29:28]
Podcast Host
David, when he got in trouble, didn't want the presence of the Lord taken from him. And so to value the presence of the Lord and to ask permission of the Lord for every step of the way is the biblical model of what it means, I think, to walk effectively and powerfully in the kingdom of God. And I'll never forget hearing Billy Graham say that if he could go back and do his schooling over again, he would study anthropology, which is the study of different cultures. Because he said, I found that different people needed to hear the gospel in different ways. So you go and preach the gospel to Chinese people, and you start saying, you know, Jesus died for your sins. He wants to give you new life. He's dealt with your shame. Doesn't. Doesn't scratch the itch quite as much as telling them that they've been adopted into a new family because they're not as much of an individualistic culture as we are. So saying Jesus died for your sins, he's got a new life for you, is far less powerful than saying you have been adopted into a family of believers because of his death, burial, and resurrection.
- [30:29]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [30:30]
Podcast Host
And so I think we need to have that same curiosity that Billy Graham was talking about to say, okay, maybe it's not just, like, cultures like us in different countries, but there are microcultures, the LGBTQ community. It's a micro culture, and we need to know, what are they struggling with? What are their pain points? What are they desperate for? It doesn't mean we water down the gospel and we change the gospel to meet their needs. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is the gospel is so holistic to everybody. It's for everybody. And so Paul said, I'm going to be all things to all people. He wasn't changing the message. He was changing the delivery of the message. He was speaking the message in a way that people could hear him. And I think so often when it comes to evangelists, they're lazy with the picket signs. Like, you're going to burn in hell, man. That's tired. That's easy. But to stop and to get curious and ask the Holy Spirit what he wants you to do, he might give you something totally off the wall to say. You know, he might tell you something that seems completely stupid to you, but if he told you to do it, you got to go do it. It sounds to me like that's what he did for you that day.
- [31:38]
David Hurst
Yeah, no, definitely. Yeah. And, like, when you were going back to. I've become all things to all, man. Like, this is just, like, a great example of when I went to a Muslim festival. I snuck into a Muslim festival, and this was, I want to say, in March of this year, and it was just, like, an evening I'd known to this Muslim festival, but I wasn't sure if I was gonna go. And another YouTuber that was good friends with me, his name's Mapolo, he was in town, and I was like, well, dude, let's go. And the Holy Spirit was. Remind me of the verse. It was what Paul says. He was like, I was a Jew or I became a Jew. Or to the Jews. I became a Jew to win the Jews. Yes. I was like, to the Muslims. I'm gonna become a Muslim to win the Muslims. So that night I went to, like, a Muslim store, and they're like, oh, look at this cute little. He wants a Muslim outfit. Yeah. And they had, like, no idea what I was up to. Like, they were just. They thought I was just, like, just getting a Muslim outfit. But, like, yet. Do they know, like, I'm about to go sneak into a Muslim festival?
- [32:33]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [32:34]
David Hurst
And so I got this Muslim outfit. And, you know, Mapalo did, too. He was with me. And we went straight to this thing. It started probably about. It was during Ramadan, so they could only eat, you know, after dusk. So it was like middle of the night. So I think we got there maybe 12 or 1 o' clock, and in the morning. And I think we were there probably till 5 or 6 in the morning, and we just snuck in. And I'll never forget it, I walked in there and we were just crowded by Muslims, like, in the same outfits as us. And we were just crowded. It was, like, very, very packed. It was, like, the largest one in the US and it was here in Dallas. I was like, well, dude, let's go. So I remember going in and it was just so crowded. Like, I had, like, no room to move. And, like, our camera guy was just over here. Like, guys, I can't record a shot for y'. All. Like, I have no space. And so we finally got out of the huge crowds and we got, like, a little bit of space. And we were. We started talking this one guy. And, you know, of course they're getting really angry. You know, they're not happy about it. And so we were just here to explain, you know, hey, we're just coming in love. You know, we just want it. We just wore the outfits just to get in here. And, you know, by the end of the conversation about all of them understood kind of like our perspective towards coming in. We didn't just want to, like, bash them.
- [33:47]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [33:48]
David Hurst
And they were able to understand that. And, you know, they were just like, give me proof about this. Give me proof about that. And, you know, it was really interesting. Like, I've never experienced anything like this. Like, it was almost like debates. But, you know, I believe, you know, debates are healthy to an extent. And so after that, I went up to these teens and, you know, they just grew up muscle. They didn't. They didn't know anything. And so I started Talking them more. And they were telling me kind of like how they became and how they got into, like, you know, Islam in itself. And so I was like, hey, like, I'm a Christian. I love Jesus. Like, what? Why are you here? And so I was like, yeah, I just love Jesus and I believe he's the truth and he's the way. And I just explained to them, you know how. I just explained them, like scriptures in the Quran that pointed to the Bible and just explained to them how the Bible was incorrupt. And I remember praying for them and I haven't talked to them since. I didn't get their contact or anything, but I really believe, like, good seeds were planted there. So.
- [34:48]
Podcast Host
Amen.
- [34:49]
David Hurst
It was so cool.
- [34:50]
Podcast Host
But yeah, that's amazing. So you, you were the hijab and.
- [34:54]
David Hurst
Yeah, yeah, that's the head scarf.
- [34:56]
Podcast Host
Oh, yeah.
- [34:57]
David Hurst
That went down to my.
- [34:58]
Podcast Host
Yeah, I don't think it's hijab. Maybe I misspoke there. Yeah, dude, I remember those videos now. Now that you bring it up.
- [35:04]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [35:04]
Podcast Host
Awesome. What would you say to someone that says, why bring a camera? Why don't you just go and evangelize without a camera?
- [35:11]
David Hurst
Yeah. So I would say the biggest thing is anytime I talk about social media and why I do it, I say if the devil can use, you know, social media and a phone screen for porn and all these crazy things, he can use it and God can use it for his glory. And so anytime people go out, I'm like, the camera is just here as an addition. Like, I'm just here to have a conversation with you. This camera is here just to encourage people. So I always tell people, like, I've. I don't want anything from. Back from social media. Like, I don't want. I want the views for God's glory. I don't want the views to look good. I don't want the money to look good. I have yet to even make a single dollar off social media since I started. And, you know, since then I've just been wanting to just advance the kingdom of God. I just tell people like, hey, I'm just doing it just for the glory of God. And. And you can just see the fruit in the dms. Like, I've just, like the DMS that I get from people just, just, hey, you got me to bring my. My friend at school to Christ who hasn't gotten to know Jesus that I've been trying to talk to for years, and all these crazy dms, and it's just like, dude, that's the whole purpose, it's not to look cool, it's not to get all the views, get all the money. No, it's just. It's just for God. It's just for the glory of God. So. Yeah.
- [36:23]
Podcast Host
Amen. Amen. Okay, so you're this spitfire social media evangelist at 15 years old. So you're a sophomore.
- [36:32]
David Hurst
Yeah, in.
- [36:33]
Podcast Host
In high school.
- [36:34]
David Hurst
Yeah.
- [36:35]
Podcast Host
It's so cool, dude. Where do you want to go from here? What's the. What's the calling? Like, what's the next step? Is it just the same? Are you already on the trajectory or, like, what dreams do you have?
- [36:47]
David Hurst
Yeah, so my. My favorite place to be is la. Like, I always tell everybody I want to be in la. That's like, where I want to, you know, preach the gospel in. Like, I just feel at home anytime I'm in la. So that's like, where I want to be in a few years, you know, Lord willing, of course, it's, you know, whatever the Lord wants, but I really want to just have, like, my mission fields be in LA and around that area and continue to do what I do. Maybe to a crazier extent. I mean, people think you can't get any crazier than that. But, like, I mean, hey, like, if the opportunity comes up, I'll sneak into a Satanist party or whatever it may be. Like, take me with you. Like, I would love to do that. And so, like, like, yeah, just something like that just sounds so sick. And, you know, maybe starting a podcast like this, it sounds so sick. Like, I would love to do that.
- [37:36]
Podcast Host
Yeah, I'll get it, man. You will. And there's. There's such a crew of just Kingdom savages in la. I mean, you know the guys, Bryce and David Ladding and Elijah Lamb and George Janko and just all the homies, Johnny Chang, like, there. There's a crew out there that are just. Just moving and shaking. So you'd fit right in, man. That'd be amazing. Well, you got a few more years of school.
- [38:01]
David Hurst
A few more years, that's it. A few more years, then I can go out.
- [38:04]
Podcast Host
Awesome. Well, dude, I'm blessed by you. I'm so encouraged by our friendship. Getting to hang and lunch and just talking about Jesus and we got to get out on the street soon. Let's go make some content and talk about Jesus and encourage some people. How can people be praying for you?
- [38:24]
David Hurst
Yeah, I mean, I would just say school. You know, I got a lot of school. And then just mixing that into being able to make time for evangelism and traveling for whatever the Lord wants me to do. I would say, you know, maybe financial prayers just to continue doing what I do. Because, you know, a lot of, like, if I choose to travel, we did a lot of traveling last year. You know, it's a. It's a hunk of money and then just like, going out, even just the gas money to go. So just prayers financially and. Yeah. Awesome.
- [38:54]
Podcast Host
Well, the Lord will provide.
- [38:55]
David Hurst
Amen.
- [38:56]
Podcast Host
He does every single time. When you've got a calling, man, not even the gates of hell and the legions of demons can get in the way. He's just making the path for you, dude. So you are on fire. Continue to do it. And I'm just so grateful to be your friend, man. So thanks for being with us today. I'm honored.
- [39:14]
David Hurst
Thank you so much.
- [39:15]
Podcast Host
It's been awesome, guys. Thanks for tuning into the Jesus People podcast. Go follow David Hurst on social media, on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok this guy. You're going to be seeing, David, for many, many years. So thanks for your faith. Thanks for your zeal. Thanks for being here. Thanks, guys.