Jesus People Podcast Episode 32

School Bus Driver Evangelist Saves 220 Lives Through TikTok: Joshua “Nick” Sergent
August 26, 2025
Host: Ryan Miller | Guest: Joshua “Nick” Sergent (aka “Holy Beards”)

Overview

In episode 32, host Ryan Miller sits down with Joshua “Nick” Sergent—the “bearded man that prays” and a viral Christian TikTok content creator known for his raw, authentic prayer videos. Nick, a school bus driver-turned-evangelist with 3 million followers, shares how he’s leveraged social media, specifically TikTok, to save at least 220 individuals from suicide and inspire countless others to faith. This episode digs deep into Nick’s heart for real ministry, the pitfalls of online fame, surviving trauma and addiction, and the power of vulnerable leadership.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

The Origin of Nick’s Unique Online Ministry

• Nick started on TikTok after being banned on Facebook:
  [01:53] “I didn’t have TikTok. I didn’t know what TikTok was until I got banned on Facebook...I downloaded TikTok, so I didn’t know nothing about it.” — Nick
• Initial focus on beard products shifted after hearing God's call:
  [02:40] “...the Lord just says, you’re leaving me out. ...You keep hearing people’s taking their life. Start praying against that.”
• First viral moment was a prayer video that saved a woman’s life:
  [03:59] “I had a bottle of pills. I was a mama of four...I’m going to scroll TikTok one last time...the suicide notes written out. She had four kids. ...The second video was me saying, whoa, whoa, don’t scroll. I love you. Let me pray for you. And she dropped the pills, man.” — Nick

Realness and Vulnerability: The Secret to Impact

• Rejects performance and editing—focuses on Spirit-led authenticity:
  [07:09] “If it takes me two or three times, Ryan, to do a video, I will not do a video. Because I feel like now it’s myself...I want the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and direct.” — Nick
• Measuring success by lives touched, not views:
  [09:04] “If a hundred people walked in my house right now and they want to hear what I got to say, that is a big deal...God just adds, just like the fish and the loaves, brother, what can I do with this little platform? ...I will feed the thousands.” — Nick

Reaching the Fatherless Generation

• Father figure to the broken and “fatherless” viewers:
  [05:22] Ryan: “Nick Sargent is now dad to a fatherless generation...You were just like, I want to pray for you today. If you’re struggling, let’s pray over that anxiety. ...People stayed because they saw your heart and because they saw that there was no facade.”
• Ministry among youth who lack safe adults in their lives:
  [68:24] “Most of these kids getting off the bus...to their grandparents, dad in jail, mama not around. ...That’s why I wanted to invest in the kids, man.” — Nick

Avoiding the Traps: Numbers, Fame, and Competition

• Warning against chasing virality or content for money:
  [18:57] “Don’t look desperate, man. People can see it. ...Let’s not be Judas. Let’s not trade it in for the money.” — Nick
• Encourages collaboration, not competition, among content creators:
  [14:57] Ryan: “Build up the other content creators instead of feel competition with them...there are different talents apportioned to different people. We need to be celebrating as a body of Christ.”

Standout Stories & Powerful Moments

Saving Lives, One Video at a Time

• Nick’s prayer videos have directly prevented at least 220 suicides:
  [18:13] “We need to count them all, man...When my book finally comes out...the back...is going to be all of them [the people who have not committed suicide].” — Nick
• Personal Follow-Up:
  [18:57] “I do try to comment on their videos and encourage them and say, hey, look how far you’ve come.”

God Cares for the One, Not Just the Crowd

• Ryan’s story of a video that saved a woman from abortion:
  [14:07] “A woman emails me...I was on my way to get an abortion...Three years later, I see her making Christian content on TikTok with a boy.” — Ryan
  [17:00] “That video that reached maybe 10,000 people is a million times more powerful to the king.” — Ryan

Deep Dive Into Nick’s Personal Journey

Trauma, Survival & Redemption

• Survivor of a traumatic childhood and three suicide attempts:
  [23:45] “I’m a three time suicide survivor...I was bullied through school...I was abused. ...But I stopped it with [my daughter]...I am not evidence of my past, but of my Father in Heaven.” — Nick
• Conversion Experience:
  [33:48] “At my third suicide attempt...My brother in law knocked his door down...We prayed. I felt the Holy Spirit...I felt a love that would not let me go. ...Got saved not too long after that.”

Ongoing Battle With Mental Health (Even After Salvation)

• Honest confession of recent depression and suicidal thoughts:
  [50:04] "I kind of got depressed a few months ago...I actually thought about taking my life a time or two...And I had other ministers...tell me [these] were fiery darts. ...If he could take you out, then there goes the 220." — Nick

• Practical spiritual strategies against intrusive thoughts:
  [53:44] "I had to keep telling myself, I’m not these thoughts...Greater is he that’s in me than he that’s in this world. ...Say it again. I am more of a conqueror through Christ Jesus. He says faith comes by hearing...when it comes out of your mouth, listen because your inward faith can grow." — Nick

Vulnerability About Addiction and Sexual Brokenness

• Open talk about pornography and the deeper wound beneath it:
  [36:00] Nick: “...struggled with pornography...Her response was, basically, you was getting off looking at other women and saying I was not enough. ...So that’s what did it right there.”
  [38:04] Ryan: “I wasn’t looking at the porn because I was horny. I was looking at the porn because I was medicating a wound that was instilled in me when I was nine years old.”

• Advice for those addicted and for spouses:
  [43:19] Ryan: “If you’re looking at pornography...your first person you confess to does not need to be your wife...Go find someone trustworthy. ...Spend some time with the Lord in prayer and fasting...Then go to your wife in the right way, in the right timing. ...You need to come in with humility, you come in recognizing that you just broke trust.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I’m not in this for the money...I don’t care if I reach 10,000, 20,000, I don’t look anymore. I let it go. I put it in God’s hands. If it reaches one, praise God, it reaches one.” — Nick ([10:37])

“People want real, man. They're tired of the fake...If I'm sweaty, I'm sweaty. I don't care how I look, if my beard's a mess, if my hat's messed up, people don't even look at that. The comment sections...are, 'Brother, I was about ready to take my life. Thank you for this prayer. I needed it.'” — Nick ([12:59])

“I’m not evidence of my past, but of my Father in heaven...my past is not me. Yes, it’s broken, yes. But I got a new chapter...God is writing out my story. That’s why it’s such a blessing to be known as the bearded man that prays.” — Nick ([27:00])

“‘Don’t take your spirit from me.’ If people only knew that you are forsaking a greater portion of his spirit...then you wouldn’t pimp yourself out to an algorithm or to a job or to money or to a relationship that doesn’t draw you closer to Jesus.” — Ryan ([22:00])

“Let’s take out the one that prevented the 220, right? ...If he could take you out, then there goes the 220.” — Nick referencing spiritual warfare ([55:54])

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:53] Nick’s beginnings on TikTok after Facebook ban
• [03:59] First life-saving prayer video and viral content
• [18:13] Counting lives saved: “We’re at 220...”
• [23:45] Nick details his abusive upbringing and multiple suicide attempts
• [33:48] Testimony: Encounter with Holy Spirit and path to faith
• [36:00] Candid discussion about pornography addiction and marital healing
• [50:04] Nick confesses recent battles with depression; prayer on-air
• [66:12] Becoming a school bus driver to reach the next generation
• [68:24] Reflections on kids’ broken home situations, importance of school ministry

Actionable Insights & Takeaways

• Authenticity trumps production: People are deeply hungry for realness and to be truly seen and loved as they are.
• The power of one: Sometimes the Spirit will lead content solely for the individual in crisis, not the multitudes.
• Disciple-making deficit: Social media ministries need support structures for long-term discipleship, not just rescue.
• Vulnerability is leadership: Both Nick & Ryan model radical honesty about mental health, addiction, and ongoing wounds.
• Pray for online ministers: They face intense spiritual warfare and internal battles. Prayers of the body matter.

How to Support Nick and His Ministry

• Website: holybeards.com (buy merch, support trips, book Nick for events)
• TikTok/Instagram: @holybeards
• Ryan’s ministry for support and resources: sharethestruggle.org
• Upcoming Events: Baptism event at Panama City, FL, October 16–22
• Encouragement: Pray regularly for Nick and those ministering online.

Episode Tone & Language

The tone is raw, heartfelt, and deeply spiritual, marked by brotherly camaraderie, real tears, and a profound sense of mission. Both Ryan and Nick regularly reference prayer, scripture, and the importance of staying close to Jesus above all else. Their vulnerability is matched by practical advice and urgency for listeners struggling with mental health, addiction, or spiritual dryness to seek help and community.

Listen if you want inspiration, a dose of realness, and a fresh vision for how God’s love still radically intervenes—one hurting soul at a time.