November 13, 2023 • 46 mins
Imagine starting ministry at the tender age of 14 and it turns into a full-on ministry in the heart of your school and neighborhood. Sounds like a daunting task, right? That's exactly what Guery Ulysse, the founder of Young In Faith, did and continues to do. As we sat down with him, he unpacked his inspirational journey, right from his humble beginnings to the creation of a vibrant organization that empowers today's youth and students. He revealed the crucial role his mentors played, their belief in him led him to discover a passion that he himself was initially oblivious of – a passion for impacting schools and lost students.
Navigating through the challenging yet rewarding terrains of faith-based leadership, Guery shared his struggles when dealing with adversity, especially when on the precipice of significant breakthroughs. His resilience, unwavering faith, and an enlightening perspective on how persisting through these moments allows God's truth to wash over you, offered much-needed strength and insights. Speaking from the perspective of being a spiritual soldier, he emphasized that even Jesus faced hate and false accusations. As followers, we need to be ready to tread the same path, armored by our faith.
On a more relatable note, Guery shed light on the importance of contextualizing the Bible in a way that resonates with every generation. The key, he believes, is to offer a fresh perspective on an ancient text, making it digestible and relatable. We wrapped up with an encouraging note from Guery, urging listeners to persist no matter how hard life gets and to discover joy in Jesus every single day. Don't miss this inspiring discussion, as it promises to fan a spark of hope and faith in your hearts.
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Episode Transcript
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Guery Ulysse (00:03):
God is not a God that's trying to take fun away
from me.
He's trying to give you thatgreat life.
The most games you can do isfollow Jesus.
The enemy wants to fly.
Let's go, you know.
You want to put on your boxinggloves.
Let's go.
Just generation living indarkness.
I'm tired of it and it bothersand aches my heart and I'm like
(00:25):
it's time to bring light insidethese schools and do something
that hasn't happened before.
Aaron O'Connell (00:30):
Welcome to the WHY to Fitness Podcast.
I'm your host, aaron O'Connell,and today I am joined with Gary
Ulysses of Young In Faith.
How you doing today.
Guery Ulysse (00:41):
I'm doing good, man, I can't complain.
Aaron O'Connell (00:43):
Oh, that's great to hear.
And, yeah, I saw that whatyou've been doing with Young In
Faith you're the founder ofYoung In Faith and how you're
empowering the youth andstudents and it just was
inspiring me, so that's why Iwanted to get you on this
podcast, of course.
So just tell me a little bitabout not only yourself, but
(01:04):
Young In Faith.
Guery Ulysse (01:05):
Yeah, well, bro, I appreciate you, aaron, for
bringing me on.
Man, I love this podcast, Ilove what you're doing.
I just like I really believethis is going to change lives
and this is going to be able toimpact people around the
community.
So this is I'm honored to be onhere, this is essential and I
believe, again, there's more tocome.
But, yeah, a little bit aboutme is yeah, I'm 21.
(01:29):
I started doing ministry when Iwas 14 years old.
So I pretty much startedattending Christ's Settles and
Church when I was 14.
Really got super involved, got,you know, just in youth
ministry.
I had a lot of mentorship froma lot of pastors that really
just were drawn to me.
I was drawn to them but therewas something that they saw in
(01:50):
me that I didn't really seemyself as a young kid.
So, as I was attending StEilish's High School, I got an
opportunity to start, you know,doing youth group inside schools
, which was first priority.
So I started leading the way,started growing it out inside
the schools, being given, giventhe opportunity to impact, you
(02:12):
know, my classmates there.
Throughout the years I just gotsuper passionate about schools,
like super passionate about thelost, and I kind of saw like a
gap right, like I saw a gap oflike man.
I'm going to church, I lovechurch, I'm experiencing all
that you know the church isoffering.
I'm God's changing my life, butthen it's like man.
I want that for my friends, Iwant that for my classmates and
(02:35):
they're so blinded with theirsituations where they don't even
know there's a good God that'sfor them.
They don't even know there's agood God that wants to love them
and then wants to give them anew life.
And there was a gap.
It was like, well, they weren'tcoming to the church, so I got
to bring the church to them.
So throughout high school, likemy life was just dedicated to
just impacting the school,changing the school, fighting
(02:59):
for the lost, fighting for thosethat can't see for themselves
and God has taught me a lotsince I was 14.
I mean starting early.
Like you know, there was a lotof things that I learned in
ministry since then and God hasjust been pruning me, teaching
me a lot.
I'm just grateful for the, evenfor the opportunity, for the
people Like I want to be here,unless the men that stepped up
(03:20):
and say, hey, I want to, I wantto pour into.
Gary did that because I am nowfurther in my life doing the
things that God's calling to doimpacting more students now,
before.
Aaron O'Connell (03:30):
So that's awesome, thank you for sharing
that.
And you mentioned something inthere that you said that the
mentors that you had sawsomething inside of you that you
didn't see in yourself, andthat's, and that just reminded
me probably, why you're doingwhat you're doing, because
actually, a recent report thatcame out that says something
(03:53):
along the lines of thisgeneration, or at least Gen Z,
is in so much depression, somuch, so much anxiety, and a lot
of it to do is with socialmedia, the overuse of social
media, and with that they'recomparing themselves, with
people's highlight roles, andwith those highlight roles
(04:14):
they're comparing themselves sothey feel like they're lacking,
they feel like they don't havethis leadership skill, the
boldness that people are showing, whatever it may be X, y, z,
but you said you positionedyourself around mentors that saw
something inside of you thatyou didn't see.
And would you say that's whatyou're almost doing a little bit
(04:35):
with within your ministry aswell, as you're showcasing
people that they are chosen,their real identity.
Guery Ulysse (04:42):
Yeah, like I mean, we live in a culture right now
where students and Gen Z, genAlpha, they're defined by what
others think of them.
So on social media, you can seethat they're posting things on
social media to grab validationand grab attention, to be seen,
because I think everyone has adesire to be seen, to be wanted,
(05:05):
and when you go to the wrongplaces to get that, you lose
yourself.
So I'm teaching on my platform,educating Students that you can
find your identity in Christalone and you can find yourself
in Jesus in that word.
And again, like for me, goingback to myself, I could have
been that one kid that wasfollowing the crowd in high
(05:27):
school that was doing whatever Iwas doing smoking, going to
parties and all those things anda part of me really I talk
about it sometimes with thestudents a part of me was like
man at times when I was livingfor Jesus, that when I saw
everybody else turning up, Ifelt like man, I was missing out
.
Right, because sometimes whenyou're living that holy life,
(05:48):
you do feel like you're missingout, you do feel like you're not
living a full life and I had tolearn that man, jesus is fun,
you can have fun, you can liveright.
God is not a guy that's tryingto take fun away from me.
He's trying to give you thatgreat life.
And now I understand fully whyGod kept me in the how you say
(06:11):
it in guardrails, keeping mefrom things that were going to
probably take me out.
Because if I were to follow thecrowd again the people that I
impact now, the people that I,hundreds of students that I got
to impact and that are listeningto me that wouldn't have
happened and there was anassignment on my life that I had
(06:32):
to submit to.
And that's what.
That's what I encourage everystudent and everybody listening
like without submission to theLord, you can't really receive
the full benefits.
You will never see the prize,you will never see the vision.
And it does get hard, it doesget lonely, the journey is
lonely, but it's so worth it.
You know, like that.
Aaron O'Connell (06:53):
Now, I really like what you said about
guardrails, because that'sactually an analogy that I use,
and that analogy is pictureyourself, you're on the 50th,
13th, 50th, whatever floor of ahotel and you got that balcony
out there, but it's just a slabof concrete.
Are you going to go out on thatbalcony?
Are you going to bring yourkids or let your kids go out on
(07:15):
that balcony, If there's just aslab of concrete with nothing
around but those guardrails?
When they're there, it allowsyou the freedom to go out onto
that balcony and a lot of timesyou're probably leaning against
those guardrails so you can seeand take in the marvelous view
of God's creation.
But if not, you're actuallylocked into the confines of your
(07:39):
own room, which is man made.
So then you might be dealingwith the shabby paint job on the
walls or the or the, you know,the stinky mattress or whatever
it is that if you're in thathotel, but when you have those
guardrails in place on thatbalcony, you can really
experience it.
God is the author of life.
He knows what's best for us.
(08:00):
And that's what a lot of peopledon't think is like oh, if I do
the drugs, if you take awaythose, you take away that music,
you take away the drinking, allthose things my life's going to
be boring.
It's like no, back up andreally look at those things and
say almost all of them lead intoanxiety, depression and
straight up trouble, like ifyou're smoking weed, you can
(08:22):
then get in trouble with the law, especially if you're in school
.
You know, if you're drinkingand partying, the likelihood
that you're going to get introuble, make poor decisions, is
high.
And all of those things thatyou're scared of missing out, I
always found is actually thethings that were holding me in
bondage.
You were holding me into thatanxiety and depression.
Guery Ulysse (08:42):
Even to go into that.
What I was telling one kid theother day I was like you really
don't know what you need untilyou come to the end of yourself,
right yeah, until you come tothe end of yourself and you kind
of see that you're desperate.
That's when you know you need aGod, because when you're having
fun, when you're having funwith sin, you're living that
best life, that turn up life.
You don't see, you don't?
(09:03):
You're like, well, nothing isharming me now, nothing is doing
anything now to me, like I'mhaving fun, but when you get hit
with life, it's going to makeyou realize, like man, I need.
This is.
This is not working for me andyou know my heart really breaks.
Man, I have such a pastoralheart for the next generation.
You know I was.
I was reading Paul and the storyof Paul and he was obviously
(09:26):
evangelizing, going out of thecommunity to to reach those that
were for the gospel, and he wastalking I believe it was in the
first Corinthians or secondCorinthians, I believe where he
was talking about really thepeople that have that he has
ministered to, that have juststill.
(09:47):
They still are not.
Their hearts are hardened right, like their hearts are not, you
know, really receiving the goodnews.
And he's like man, my heartbreaks for them that they, they
know that, they know thatthere's something beautiful out
there, but they still decide tostay where they're at.
And he talks about the weightof the leading, and then you
know, pastoring, and for me,sometimes I I would usually in
(10:14):
ministry sometimes you putpeople before yourself, you know
, because it's like man, this ismy sheet, this is my flock, and
not I want them to go further.
You're willing to sacrificeyourself, for your time, your
energy, to, to to bring that oneperson to Christ.
And you know, man, that's what,that's what it's all about man
really going forward and justkind of fighting for the lost,
fighting the people that can'tfight for themselves.
Aaron O'Connell (10:36):
Amen, amen, yeah, even, even.
You know, the word says Jesusdidn't come to be served but to
be a servant, to own.
You know, and that, and that'swhat gives us so much comfort,
that when we are in those alonetimes because, you know,
sometimes I kind of have a boneto pick when some people say
like, hey, you know this islonely and all that stuff.
And you're right, it'sespecially lonely in the
(10:59):
beginning when you are breakingoff those friendships, when you
are so used to the way of lifethat you are normally in, yeah,
and you have to do that 180,that repentance, that and and
turn away from those things thatare holding you back.
That is when you do get verylonely and I will admit that,
(11:20):
but I just for encouragement forpeople that are going through
that is when you start reallydiving in to the areas and and
walking in your God givenpurpose and you're part of a
church.
Then it becomes, like you said,fun when you start having those
friends that are around you.
And yet in the beginning it'shard to make friendships that
(11:42):
are really meaningful.
But once they start hating thatyear, that two years or
sometimes a lot sooner, you know, you then have people that have
sustenance to yourconversations, because when it's
just empty about what did we dolast week, what are we doing
tonight?
Guery Ulysse (11:58):
You know it's so empty and never filling.
Aaron O'Connell (12:01):
But when you start getting those Christian
friends, that community aroundyou, when you start diving into
small groups, when you startwalking in your purpose, like
you have, then you, when youhave those people around you,
the moment it does get lonely,they're actually there and power
you yeah.
And power you up and you canstart having that fun, rejoicing
, like going having a houseparty where you're just playing
(12:23):
the guitar and worshiping theLord.
Yeah.
You know, you don't leave empty,you don't leave feeling dirty,
you feel empowered, clean.
You're almost like Moseswalking off the Mount Sinai with
just so much light radiatingfrom your face.
You know so like.
That's one thing.
I do do realize that itsometimes gets skewed, but there
(12:44):
is always there's, there's aseason for everything Correct.
But luckily, during that lonelytime, it's our nature to go to
the world.
But as, as I've been working onmy faith, getting a little bit
on my walk, on my walk Now, now,now I'm able to dive into the
word that much deeper duringthose lonely times and you start
really having, like David cometo life when he was in his caves
(13:08):
, you know saying Lord, I amdepressed, my bones are in
misery, but my comfort is in you, lord, and you can still.
You almost don't get lonelyanymore when you contrast it
with the loneliness I used tofeel when I was all about myself
, when I was smoking weed, whenI'm like, okay, tomorrow I'm
going to start, I'm going tostop this you know, then you
(13:30):
don't do it.
Yeah, that loneliness comparedto the loneliness of when I'm
with the world, where we're withGod completely, night and day.
Yeah, for sure that's fire man,but I do want to switch gears
just a little bit, and I wantyou to talk more about what
you're doing with schools,because that's.
I've gotten the opportunityonce to go to a group of
(13:53):
wrestlers at a high school andtalk to them, and I just love
that you get the opportunity todo that.
How often do you do that?
Guery Ulysse (14:02):
Well, so, first off, I'm a sub-teacher.
Okay, so I chose to be asub-teacher because it gave me
the opportunity to connect withthe next generation and I get to
literally work at any school Iwant in Palm Beach County.
Any school I want high school,middle school, elementary school
, yeah, and I get to sit withstudents.
(14:23):
I've been doing that past twoyears now, so I get to literally
sit in a room with students,talk with them, have
conversation with them, be amentor, friend them in the
classrooms and really, if youknow of a sub-teacher, if you
ever had a sub-teacher, theydon't really do as much in the
class You're really just kind ofchilling the class of the
students.
Aaron O'Connell (14:37):
They read off the assignments that the teacher
gave them.
You read this, do this.
Guery Ulysse (14:41):
So I was like when I found out I can get paid for
this sitting, I'm like okay, allright, we ballin' that.
Aaron O'Connell (14:45):
You know, I'm actually writing notes right now
.
Maybe that can be my side gig.
Guery Ulysse (14:49):
Yeah, side gig, I'll get that money, but anyways
but it was just a coolopportunity for me to do, excuse
me, just to really like learnfor what the kids are going
through here.
That hurts, and God has reallyput me in a position to listen,
be a listener, sit and listen tothe issues and the problems
(15:10):
that are happening.
Listen to the kids that arewalking inside your classroom.
They are crying for help.
Listen to the surroundings,because I want you to be a fix
for it.
I'm giving you the resources tofix that issue.
So I had to sit in that and Igot the opportunity to sit with
teachers, talk with them inbreak rooms.
I got the opportunity to.
I have so many ratio ofprincipals and system principals
(15:32):
just for the work that I doinside schools and now with
Young in Faith we are.
This year we're actuallylaunching two schools, which is
Santa Lucia High School and DrCongar State, which is a new
school in Palm Beach County.
It's been built and my goal inmy heart is to create a youth
service on campus for studentsto attend that will normally not
(15:54):
come to us.
That wouldn't come inside thedoors of a church.
So my goal is to have it duringboth lunches.
We're going to have food outthere, games, making life for
them, making great for them, andit's really for them just to
get introduction of what thegospel really is.
So I'm, you know again, like Isee what's happening and God has
(16:14):
put such a burden on my heartfor this, and it's like man,
what would it look like forcrowded students, a rally of
students to show up on a schoolcampus and say, man, we want to
hear Jesus and have fun, to havecommunity.
Kids want community.
That's one thing they're alwayssearching for.
They want to have fun.
When you tie that in with thegospel, it's a bonus, right?
(16:36):
So if I bring pizza too, it'sanother, Of course of course.
Yeah, it's a.
It's a great opportunity andI'm just really excited for
what's going to happen.
And I'll tell you this like ithasn't been easy getting this
together.
Still right now, as we speak,like there's a lot of logistics
that come with this.
There's a lot of leadershipthat comes with, especially for
(16:57):
me.
It's like you know, you go backand forth for yourself like God,
is this what you're calling meto do?
God, is this okay, what do Ineed?
He's like man.
I already gave you the answer,gary to go do what I call you to
do.
You don't need a validationfrom people, you don't have to
ask for permission.
Go do what I have called you todo.
Go out and spread the love.
You're supposed to go out andreach those.
(17:19):
And the cool thing about whatPaul was like he was talking
about, he said I am not a pastor, but I feel as a pastor.
Right, he was like man.
I'm not at a church leading aflock, but I'm going out and
reaching people.
And I always question, I mean,why, if the church, which church
(17:39):
is supposed to go out and reachand pack those people?
But if we're just stayinginside the doors of the church
and not going out.
That's an issue, because weneed to go out in a broken world
and call these people in andsay, hey, there's love here,
there's grace here, there'sforgiveness here.
You can find hope here, andthat's the goal.
Aaron O'Connell (17:58):
Yeah, that's amazing because I pulled up some
stats just before this and itstarted saying stuff like hey,
more than half of Gen Z peopleknow somebody battling
depression.
One in four has someone closeto dealing with a drug addiction
.
One in five knows somebody whohas died by suicide.
Gen Z's 42%, gen Z 42 is abouttwice as likely of Americans
(18:25):
over 25 to battle depression andhopelessness.
The list just keeps going on.
The suicide rate for people aged10 to 24 increased by 56%
between 2007 to 17, which 21 to22,.
Actually, 2021 to 22 is thefirst time that people between
10 and 24 actually took a littledip in suicide and I found that
(18:50):
kind of interesting becauseevery other age group went up,
but that 10 to 24, and it justgot me thinking how there is a
revival that seems to be kind ofgoing on in schools.
There's people like you thatare stepping up and going out
(19:11):
and realizing that there's thishuge need mental health disaster
.
That's going on and you arepositioning yourself right there
.
One question I do have for you,because you were saying hey,
you know it doesn't care whatpeople say all that stuff.
What are some challenges thatyou are facing to get it into
the school Like is it schoolboards, that kind of, are
getting your way.
What are some of thosechallenges?
Guery Ulysse (19:35):
Yeah, it's really so.
This is what people need toknow.
Anytime you wanna do afaith-based thing inside the
school, there's an Equals Actthat covers you to bring inside.
So legally someone can't tellyou that, oh, you can't have a
faith-based club or activity onschool campus because that
wouldn't be fair, it wouldn't beequal right.
(19:56):
So that's covering everyone.
And especially when I used todo mid-issue with First
Barberies an amazingorganization that's going inside
schools and doing youth groupsinside schools as well we learn
sometimes you would get pushbackfrom certain people that don't
wanna have that at the school,and it's cool that the law is
actually covering us in thataspect yeah, that's good.
(20:18):
I would say it's not anything ona school day and I mean I have
so much favor and I love allthese principals out here.
They're doing such amazingthings and they're just like,
hey, whatever you need, we'rehere, and it's just God opens up
those doors.
I would say it's mostlyspiritual warfare with me
individually.
I mean again different thingsthat the enemy is trying to
(20:40):
attack with mentally in my ownpersonal life.
Again, with all the logistics,this piece is not going together
.
This budget has to be approved.
I have to get this money forthis.
Things are not moving.
So all the things that arehappening, the enemy will love
for me to give up.
The enemy will love for me tofill in a towel because this is
not for the week, leadership isnot for the week.
(21:02):
You get what I'm saying.
So anytime something big isabout to happen, you're always
gonna get pushed back, and Ilearned that when I was 15 years
old, when I was trying to get100 kids in the room at San
Luis's High School to hear thegospel, and ever since then
there was a dog in me that'sfighting.
The enemy wants to fight likelet's go, you wanna put on your
(21:26):
boxing gloves?
Let's go, because I know what'son the other side and I'm
willing to sacrifice whatever ittakes to fight.
How long it takes for me to forthat goal, that vision that God
wants to be achieved.
So I would say for anybody.
Of course you can experiencereal trauma and again the
(21:47):
enemy's gonna be attacking youwhen you're about to do
something big and you know thatyou're doing something big when
you're getting attacked too.
Aaron O'Connell (21:53):
So, yeah, yeah, I've experienced that and I'm
experiencing that as well withthis podcast just overall
leadership.
But I tend to get a lot of liesin my head that it's like no
one really cares what you'redoing, aaron, even though I hear
that little story, this littlestory.
(22:13):
But it's like I'll look atviews on my podcast or listens
or on any type of social mediaand it's like man, god, why am I
not getting?
the viewership, as all theseother people like I'm doing it.
Where's the favor that Inormally experience in my life?
You know, like those types ofthings.
(22:34):
But then all of a sudden, Ilove that, god.
As long as I stick it through,as long as I go to battle, like
you said, there's always this,like glimmer of hope, this,
always this breakthrough that Ijust did not expect, whether it
be just like an unexpecteddonation.
You know, like when thathappens and God uses somebody
from the church from the body ofChrist, you know and is able to
(22:56):
do that.
That's just like reassurance.
It's like, okay, it's small.
And then finally the truthwashes over me and it's like,
wait a minute, I gotta show thatI am just as willing to fight,
just as willing to go hard, thatI'm not gonna stop even with
the least of these, because Godsays like, hey, he who is given
(23:17):
a little does well with a little, will give him much more.
Exactly, exactly.
And I haven't done well per sefor too long, because this
podcast is still new with thelittle that I have.
So it's like, why would Godjust give me all this
amazingness?
Because my history, if I wereto look past my past five years,
(23:37):
two years, it's like I go sixmonths strong and then I have a
bad month.
When you get into thatleadership, you can't have that
bad month and you know and dropoff and just drop the ball,
because then everything breaksand then that's when Satan goes
ha ha, I won and uses the worldand the naysayers to point at
(23:57):
you.
So there's so often that I hearthat.
But because I did the work todive in the word, because I've
been planning this for years, Ifinally got to that point.
It's like you know what.
I'm no longer gonna have myKPIs, my key performance
indicator, be views, dollars orany of that stuff.
It's how many lives am Iaffecting?
And when I have that, even ifit goes from one to two, four to
(24:22):
five, that's huge.
That's another person thatcould be the difference between
going to hell and going toheaven.
And when you start thinking ofit that way, it means I'm just
gonna keep on doing that.
Guery Ulysse (24:34):
Yeah, I honestly think I heard this from Eric
Thomas the other day.
He said most of us just have toget out of our feelings, like
we often get in our feelings andemotions when things happen.
And for me, I can speak on thatbecause I am sensitive person
when something happens to me andpeople when I've been falsely
accused what I've been you know,people have said this about me
(24:57):
negative rumors and all thosethings.
These things happen when youread the Bible.
It happened to Jesus too, andif you're becoming more like
Jesus, you can expect all thesethings to happen.
And I mean I've been hit withnasty stuff, bro.
Like I mean people think that Idon't hear things, but again,
like I've been hit with that andthe enemy knows that, hey, I'm
gonna have that person saysomething about you so he can
fall off track.
(25:17):
And again it's God will alwayssend someone to reassure you of
what you're supposed to do, likewhen I'm walking inside these
schools.
I kid you not, aaron, I'mwalking inside these schools.
They're like yo, you do youngand faith.
You do young and faith becauseI've been working so hard to
push out TikTok, snapchat,social media, you know, put it
(25:39):
branded out, so these kids areseeing my face on social media
and they're like yo, that's thatcool substitute, he has a
podcast and all these things.
And then I'm walking through.
There was a couple of months ago.
I was at Publix on my breakright, and I'm walking through
Publix.
Three boys come up to me, likeyo I know you're from Young and
Faith.
Man, bro, your videos areamazing, bro, like you know,
(26:00):
just in that time I was kind ofdiscouraged because I was like
sometimes you feel like are you,you know, are?
Am I making an impact?
Am I doing much?
Am I?
And it's those little smallthings in our head.
When we get in our head and getin our feelings, we allow those
things to define us, but thenthe Lord's always going to send
an angel to come speak to youhe's going to send an angel to
(26:20):
come remind you like, hey, youneed to stand firm on my truth
because I am doing somethinggreat Despite you, don't have to
listen to anybody else, youdon't have to get opinions from
others, and I and I think it'sreally cool I want to say this I
really think it's cool for usto seek wisdom from others, seek
wisdom from pastoral you knowpastors or mentors and leaders
(26:42):
but sometimes you have to knowthat the Holy Spirit is speaking
inside of you and you have tohave your own discernment
because sometimes, when you'redoing things, not everyone's
going to understand what you'redoing.
Now, everyone's going tounderstand oh, why are you doing
?
They're going to question that.
And it's like, well, you're notcalled to who I am.
The Holy Spirit is speaking tome, god is speaking to me and
he's telling me to do somethingcrazy, and it may sound crazy,
(27:02):
right, until it happens, whichis crazy faith.
And when it happens like ohwait, that was what you were
talking about I was like, yeah,that's what crazy faith is.
It's like you got to believe init and, even though you don't
see it, I have to keep going,you know.
So, just to really have thatdiscernment for yourself to say
that, man, and that's why it'sso important to get in the
presence of the Lord, becauseyou have to be listening to what
(27:24):
he says something the HolySpirit is going to be talking,
yeah.
Aaron O'Connell (27:26):
Yeah, and even Jesus, you know, because it
hurts when you hear it on like Ihear I got comments coming left
and right on social media oh,how stupid I am.
You know like how weak I am.
You know all these other thingsthat I have to put myself into
my daddy upstairs.
Guery Ulysse (27:44):
Like all these other.
Aaron O'Connell (27:44):
You know, like I just got one today that was
like and this is how you cantell that he's homeschooled.
And it's like, and the funnything was, I was like I am
homeschooled, yeah, you know,like just off of something,
because I was just mentioningsomething about like how I don't
listen to secular music, youknow all that stuff.
And they're like oh, and that'show you know, it's homeschooled
, exactly, you know.
And I was like, no, I justdon't you know, and I try not to
(28:07):
get into anything on the socialmedia, but like it hurts that
much more when people are closeto you and they, when they say
something, they don't believeyou.
But we have to understand thatGod even said, or Jesus said, a
prophet's not honored, in hishometown especially, they're
like, hey, all his brothers andsisters run around and like got
almost angry at him like this isjust the carpenter, yeah.
(28:28):
You know all the people that hegrew up with.
So, like, usually you face thatmuch more scrutiny when you're
around everyone, but you knowit's really getting to the point
that it's like hey, I actuallyheard this from one of the
biggest entrepreneurs out there,because I still follow those
guys, alex Hermosi.
Yeah, yeah, he just wrote aquote, I think it was today, and
(28:49):
it said if everyone isunderstanding you, you're
already late.
Wow.
That's fine, that's that's then,you know, because because if
everyone understands the messagethat you have, and and and
thinks you, what you're doing isamazing and everyone's already
for you, it means that peopleare already doing it and you're
(29:09):
just another drop in the bucket.
So when you're doing somethingbrand new, when you're doing
something that's powerful, whenyou're shaking up foundations
that the way of the world,people aren't going, to
understand.
They're not going to understandyour message.
That's why you have been called.
Like you were saying, you'rethe one that has that message.
You're the one that's bringingit to Palm Beach County, one of
the most under churchedcommunities in the United States
(29:33):
.
Yeah, you know of how manypeople aren't going to church
and I just want to breathe thatinto you.
You know that, like hey, it's agood thing they don't
understand you right now,because that's why you're making
such an impact.
Guery Ulysse (29:44):
Yeah, yeah.
And as you're becoming a biggerinfluencer, you're going to get
more critics, oh yeah.
So the more influence you have,the more critics you're going
to have in different areas.
They may be silent, they may beopen, but hey, that's not your
business, right, it's not ourbusiness.
Like, I'm focused on what Jesuscalled me to do and I I don't
need anyone, like I told you.
(30:05):
Like you know, we often lookfor some of the co-sign on our
dreams and our goals and, again,you don't need anyone to do
that.
And the crate.
There's a lot of crazy thingsthat I have put in my mind when
I wanted to start young andfaith four years ago, I started
young and faith my senior year.
Honestly, I didn't know what Iwas doing at the time.
(30:25):
I was like, well, I'm going tostart doing videos because I
just I just felt like it was aseason to start doing videos,
right, and we went.
We went into COVID that year,right, and when that happened, I
started just doing videos,being consistent and all those
things.
There was a need for someone tostart something, to speak life
(30:46):
in this community, right In myschool, and like I was like man,
lord, just keep speaking to meon what to do and I took some.
I wasn't consistent at one time.
I was like, you know, I don'tknow what I'm doing, I'll just
do a video every five months orsomething like that.
And now there's just such aburden where, like man, this is
the biggest year we ever had,with the whole team, you know,
(31:07):
with the ambassadors, the leaderthat we have on the show, so
it's been crazy to see like theimpact we had.
One episode that hit up, youknow, on social media, hit over
15 million views.
Aaron O'Connell (31:18):
That's the one with a man is the most gangster
thing you can do is follow.
Guery Ulysse (31:22):
Jesus, the most gangster thing you can do is
follow Jesus and brother,brother, jews, my guy and again
we.
I met him in a school.
You know he, I was at a, I wasat a parent night and his son
goes to the school and we metand he saw he saw a Bible's on
the table with you know that Iwas hosting the table and all
that.
He's like yo, what's this, bro?
(31:43):
And I was like bro, it's it'syouth group.
At the school man, I was likebro, I respect that man and
moving forward, I think when didI meet him?
Like September.
We exchanged, you know, socialmedia accounts and all that.
Comes January there was ashooting in Palm Springs, not
too far from here, and there wasthree students involved.
(32:05):
There was one center for summerset and one center from Palm
Central.
Both died and what's crazy wasthey were supposed to graduate
last year, they were supposed tograduate class of 2023 and they
that didn't happen.
So you have parents that aremourning the loss that kids are
supposed to be graduating newyear and this happens and it was
, it was a part of us because ofFuller's decisions and drugs
(32:28):
and all those things, and I waslike man, like who didn't, who
they didn't want to ever speaklife into that kid and anyone
ever shared the guy you know.
So that's where it led us to dothat episode where we talked
about the hood life you know,wanting to be gangsta, which a
lot of kids in the communitywant to be gangsta, want to
represent what the rappers aredoing, the kids cool and all
(32:48):
that.
And for somebody like brotherJew to been through all of those
things and overcome that, he'sjust a living testimony.
But for him to use his voicenow to impact the next gen is
amazing.
Man, it's just all God.
It's not my views, it's God'sviews.
Aaron O'Connell (33:01):
So that's awesome.
And speaking about like goingviral, all that stuff, you know
you were saying like, hey,you're going to have that
pushback and I think I heard itsomewhere that the things that
go viral, 50% of people like it,50% of the people hate it.
That's why the news is so darnpopular, because they just pit
each side against each other,but you know you're doing
(33:22):
something great when thathappens, because then that means
you're actually standing forsomething.
You're not just becoming partof the crowd.
Exactly, you're standing forsomething and Jesus stood for
something.
So many people MisunderstandJesus.
They think that, yes, he's thePrince of peace, but they think
that, oh, if he was just soaccepting.
(33:44):
You know, we need to accepteveryone in love.
It's like I don't know aboutyou, but my Bible says I don't
think I came to come to astretch for peace.
Yeah, no, I came to bring asword that a sword that you know
that will then pit motheragainst you know, son, brother
against sister, like that's whathe really came to bring.
Was that truth?
(34:04):
Yeah, and when you are walkingin that authority You're gonna
be pissing people off Becausethey have demons inside of them
and darkness cannot be wherelight is.
So that is just a little bit ofin just encouragement to our
listeners that when you'refeeling that pushback, when
you're when you're gettingpitted against each other, don't
(34:24):
let the devil lie to you, toshut you up, to be like, oh, I'm
causing turmoil.
It's like no, no, no, no, youare doing exactly what you need
to be doing.
That's so good.
Guery Ulysse (34:35):
So good.
Aaron O'Connell (34:37):
What?
What would you say some of themajor success stories, or one or
two, that you've seen instudents life, without
mentioning them by yeah, by byany name?
But what are some things thatyou've seen in students lives?
Guery Ulysse (34:51):
Um, yeah, over a month ago I I was at Lake Worth
Middle School.
I had a student that I was.
I had a seventh grade classstudent that I never made, never
met before, walks in my classlike yo, I know you from young
and faith and all that right,and he was telling was like he
was something like he's beenwatching my videos and I guess
(35:12):
from his situation his parentswere fighting a lot at home On
the educator voice and all thatand he said he will watch my
videos.
Um, say to you know, just kindof help him in that situation, I
guess.
So I For me, hearing that, itjust felt unreal.
My man, you, you watch myvideos, you watch my stuff.
Like I don't, you know, Ididn't really believe it, you
(35:34):
know.
And then he was just telling memore into like, wow, like you
do watch my videos.
Because he was telling me, yeah, I remember that one episode
with that and now, wow, you dowatch my stuff.
So it was cool for that onebecause it was like man, like
you don't know who's listening,and there he is one of the many
kids that are that are listeningthat one view.
Sometimes we see views onInstagram like, oh, we got 30
(35:56):
likes and you don't even know.
You know, like bro, that thosecouple of kids that are tuning
into that are getting impacted,you know.
So that was like a big openerfor me and really just like
again, like the Just even what'sabout to happen inside these
schools.
Again, there's many storiesthat come out of that that I
don't even know having even seenyet There'd be living
(36:19):
testimonies that their Studentsare gonna be experiencing
freedom and they're experiencinglove and be getting out the pit
that they're in.
I just see God pulling peopleout of the pit at a school, you
know, getting them out the sideof the darkness, because you
know, I'm tired of just seeingJust generation living in
(36:39):
darkness.
I'm tired of it and it bothersand aches my heart and I'm like
it's time to bring light insidethese schools and do something
that has never been done before.
And what a well, the story thatI got man, uh yeah, that's what
really I'm actually gonna saythere's just a lot.
No, of course, of course,because it.
Aaron O'Connell (37:00):
You have such an impact that you don't even
see right now.
You know, you, you get, you'reencouraging so many people and
just wanted to just shift intothat next topic and I was just
wondering what are somestrategies that you use to make
the gospel relevant to yourstudents.
Like you know, that make itinteresting.
Guery Ulysse (37:20):
Yeah, that's.
That's a good question.
Um, so God has given me a giftand I now know my spiritual gift
since I was 14, so I'm able toreally relate and connect with
anyone that I encounter.
So I can meet you in a, in a,in the.
For the first time in your lifeI can meet you and you're just
drawn by me, like you're justdrawn by my presence.
(37:41):
So a lot of students are drawnby my presence just because of
my, my character, how I love,how I, how I speak.
There's drawing to that.
You know.
I have students that come andlike to my desk and they're just
like near my desk.
It's just wanting to talk withme.
I'm my dude, I can go sit atyour desk.
Don't come on my desk, I'm likeyou know.
But they come near me becauseI'm like man, you're cool, I
(38:02):
want to be around you.
So the strategy that I use isreally relatability.
You have to get on someone'slevel to and really hear from
them on what they're actuallydealing with, right.
So my first, my first approachis like I love you, right, like
that's.
Love is the greatest Commandthat we have as believers to
(38:24):
love on those that are lost.
You can't love on somebody.
If you don't love on somebody,sorry.
If you don't love on someoneyou don't, you can't expect to
reach them.
Aaron O'Connell (38:32):
I think I heard it's something like if people
don't feel valued, they won'tvalue what you have to say
exactly yeah, so it's correct.
Guery Ulysse (38:40):
So, constantly adding I think John Maxwell said
that but constantly addingvalue To the people that you
want to be able to reach andjust in general, like, adding
value to people is what they'regonna, that's what's gonna help
them see clearly Jesus, becausewe're called to do that.
So for me, in the content thatI that I Write for the show that
(39:05):
we come together it's not onlyme on that's writing it, but I
have ambassador.
Student leaders are on theplatform as well.
We are we.
We steward towards whatstudents are going through.
So I don't sugarcoat anythingBecause I did a date.
If the world's not sugarcoatingstuff with them, what makes you
think I'm gonna sugarcoat stuff?
Yeah, you know, I'm saying, ifthey're listening to rappers and
celebrities and how to livetheir life, and they're not
(39:25):
sugarcoating stuff, I'm notsugarcoating anything.
You that I'm gonna put truthand love with it.
So we kind of put that togetherwhere, okay, this is a
situation that's happening, thisis what's going on with our
generation.
This is what's happening.
We're gonna speak clearly tothat.
And again, I sit in theclassroom with students and
that's where I get some of mycontent from.
I Listened.
When I talk with them, I'm likeoh, we need to do a
(39:48):
conversation on that becausesomeone needs to.
Someone's dealing with that,you know that's awesome.
Aaron O'Connell (39:53):
And one thing that I've kind of noticed is you
need almost contextualize theBible in a way that is edible
for each generation, for eachculture, because the Bible was
made for Middle Eastern's,written by Middle Eastern's,
exactly, you know, for a MiddleEastern time.
So that's why a lot of peoplebeg oh well, what it takes away
(40:16):
women's rights.
It's like sorry, I don't knowabout you, but it actually did
the most progressive for awomen's rights for children.
So for all these different,things they were the most
progressive for give removingslaves, you know, like all of
that type of stuff.
But when it's written for thattime period in that area, of
course it's gonna mention it,you know, and but that's one
(40:37):
thing that I've noticed with atleast working with a younger
generation when I do have thatOpportunity is you need to bring
it into context with them.
Like, if you just go around andtalk to people saying you need
to be saved, they're gonna belike what do I need to be saved
from?
Yeah, you know it's like whatdo I need to be saved?
(40:57):
But if you can really dig downinto it, saved is actually the
Greek word of sozo, yeah, andthat can actually be Defined as
to be made whole.
Right, and when you can startlooking at it's like to be made
whole.
This new generation wants toknow about the present, the now,
because I feel bad, I amanxious, I am depressed, I don't
(41:22):
have x, y, z, I'm sad I have.
I'm going through all thisstuff and so instead of saying,
oh well, jesus Christ can saveyou exactly.
They're gonna be like what?
But if they can, if you can sitthere and be like, hey, he can
make you whole yeah he can.
When you give your life to him,he will remove those burdens.
Yeah, the now is what I see.
(41:44):
That will actually.
That will resonate with thestudents that much more of how
it benefits me now, because weknow this generation, even my
generation.
It's hard to Sacrifice the nowfor the later and that's what
that's what ChristianChristianity is all about Dying
to self picking up the crossdaily for the now, because it's
(42:05):
like a drop in the bucket of aneternal size bucket For the end.
And the end is near, you knowit's gonna come quickly, so we
need to make get that messageout but get, but contextualize
it in a way that is palpable forthe children and for the kids,
you know, for students.
Guery Ulysse (42:25):
Yeah, you're right again.
Relatability is where it's atand I'm telling you, once you
get, once you get relatable witha person, it's easier to have a
conversation with them.
Aaron O'Connell (42:34):
So that's so for sure, for sure.
Well, is there anything elsethat you would like to depart
with my Listeners, or you know,any final words, any message
that you just would like toencourage them with, or any
advice that you would like togive anyone?
Guery Ulysse (42:49):
man Hmm, as hard as it gets, keep going.
You know you're too close tothe door to give up now and a
lot of us are super close andwe're just throwing a towel.
And if you throw in a towelyou're not gonna see the promise
(43:11):
and we have to keep going, ashard as life gets.
You know, just cause you knowyou had a bad day, that doesn't
mean it's gonna be a bad week.
If you had a bad week, thatdoesn't mean it's gonna be a bad
month.
And we just have to reallyunderstand life happens.
You know things happen.
But to really find joy in Jesusevery single day, cause I'm
telling you, aaron, if I don'thave Jesus in certain areas,
(43:36):
well, fully in my life, I can'tdo what he's going to do.
I need him more now than ever,Because, with the doors that are
opening, the opportunities thatare happening, I'm like God, I
can't handle that without yourpresence and I'm nothing without
that.
So you just have to reallysubmit.
Submit to God.
You know everything it's aboutyou, your ministry is about you,
(43:56):
but it's about the people,about Jesus, and just keep going
, you know.
Aaron O'Connell (44:02):
Yeah, that obedience always will result in
more favor.
You may not see it now, butwhen you keep planting those
seeds, you will start bearingfruit in the right season.
Yeah, that's why when canpeople find you?
Guery Ulysse (44:20):
On social media, everything.
Yeah, so you guys can follow meon Young and Faith on Instagram
and we have a TikTok Young andFaith films Snapchat Young and
Faith same thing.
My person Instagram isGaryJUlyssi on Instagram as well
, and we're on YouTube again andyou guys can be able to tune
(44:41):
into all those things.
Aaron O'Connell (44:43):
Yep, and that's Young and Faith.
Y-o-u-n-g-i-n.
Faith, yeah, yeah, just makeand serve for all the listeners
out there because you never knowhow you know.
I say Y2 Fitness all the time.
They're like Y2, just numbertwo.
It's like no, no, no, no, I'mexplaining Y2.
Yeah, oh, okay, well, you know,thank you so much.
(45:04):
You mind if I close this out insome prayer?
Amen, let's do that.
Dear Heavenly Father, I justthank you so much for joining me
with Gary today and just forall the listeners that tuned in.
Lord, I pray that this podcastinspires anyone that is watching
to pour into the nextgeneration, lord, because
pastors the median age for apastor right now is around 60
(45:27):
plus years old and we are gonnaneed a new generation to replace
those pastors, lord, to beleaders.
So I pray that this inspiressomebody to just rise up and to
be a leader, lord, and to pourinto the younger generation, to
be able to instill thoseleadership qualities in them.
Lord, I just thank you just somuch for just giving us the
(45:50):
opportunity to speak through themedia, to have this technology
that multiple people can heareven though we're just in one
place.
Lord, bless this podcast, blessanyone that is listening, bless
Gary and young in faith andjust allow it to expand like
rapid fire.
And in all things, I pray inJesus' name, amen, amen.
Guery Ulysse (46:14):
Thank you so much, gary, for joining me.
Love you, bro, love you too,man.
God is not a God that's trying to take fun away
from me.
He's trying to give you thatgreat life.
The most games you can do isfollow Jesus.
The enemy wants to fly.
Let's go, you know.
You want to put on your boxinggloves.
Let's go.
Just generation living indarkness.
I'm tired of it and it bothersand aches my heart and I'm like
(00:25):
it's time to bring light insidethese schools and do something
that hasn't happened before.
Aaron O'Connell (00:30):
Welcome to the WHY to Fitness Podcast.
I'm your host, aaron O'Connell,and today I am joined with Gary
Ulysses of Young In Faith.
How you doing today.
Guery Ulysse (00:41):
I'm doing good, man, I can't complain.
Aaron O'Connell (00:43):
Oh, that's great to hear.
And, yeah, I saw that whatyou've been doing with Young In
Faith you're the founder ofYoung In Faith and how you're
empowering the youth andstudents and it just was
inspiring me, so that's why Iwanted to get you on this
podcast, of course.
So just tell me a little bitabout not only yourself, but
(01:04):
Young In Faith.
Guery Ulysse (01:05):
Yeah, well, bro, I appreciate you, aaron, for
bringing me on.
Man, I love this podcast, Ilove what you're doing.
I just like I really believethis is going to change lives
and this is going to be able toimpact people around the
community.
So this is I'm honored to be onhere, this is essential and I
believe, again, there's more tocome.
But, yeah, a little bit aboutme is yeah, I'm 21.
(01:29):
I started doing ministry when Iwas 14 years old.
So I pretty much startedattending Christ's Settles and
Church when I was 14.
Really got super involved, got,you know, just in youth
ministry.
I had a lot of mentorship froma lot of pastors that really
just were drawn to me.
I was drawn to them but therewas something that they saw in
(01:50):
me that I didn't really seemyself as a young kid.
So, as I was attending StEilish's High School, I got an
opportunity to start, you know,doing youth group inside schools
, which was first priority.
So I started leading the way,started growing it out inside
the schools, being given, giventhe opportunity to impact, you
(02:12):
know, my classmates there.
Throughout the years I just gotsuper passionate about schools,
like super passionate about thelost, and I kind of saw like a
gap right, like I saw a gap oflike man.
I'm going to church, I lovechurch, I'm experiencing all
that you know the church isoffering.
I'm God's changing my life, butthen it's like man.
I want that for my friends, Iwant that for my classmates and
(02:35):
they're so blinded with theirsituations where they don't even
know there's a good God that'sfor them.
They don't even know there's agood God that wants to love them
and then wants to give them anew life.
And there was a gap.
It was like, well, they weren'tcoming to the church, so I got
to bring the church to them.
So throughout high school, likemy life was just dedicated to
just impacting the school,changing the school, fighting
(02:59):
for the lost, fighting for thosethat can't see for themselves
and God has taught me a lotsince I was 14.
I mean starting early.
Like you know, there was a lotof things that I learned in
ministry since then and God hasjust been pruning me, teaching
me a lot.
I'm just grateful for the, evenfor the opportunity, for the
people Like I want to be here,unless the men that stepped up
(03:20):
and say, hey, I want to, I wantto pour into.
Gary did that because I am nowfurther in my life doing the
things that God's calling to doimpacting more students now,
before.
Aaron O'Connell (03:30):
So that's awesome, thank you for sharing
that.
And you mentioned something inthere that you said that the
mentors that you had sawsomething inside of you that you
didn't see in yourself, andthat's, and that just reminded
me probably, why you're doingwhat you're doing, because
actually, a recent report thatcame out that says something
(03:53):
along the lines of thisgeneration, or at least Gen Z,
is in so much depression, somuch, so much anxiety, and a lot
of it to do is with socialmedia, the overuse of social
media, and with that they'recomparing themselves, with
people's highlight roles, andwith those highlight roles
(04:14):
they're comparing themselves sothey feel like they're lacking,
they feel like they don't havethis leadership skill, the
boldness that people are showing, whatever it may be X, y, z,
but you said you positionedyourself around mentors that saw
something inside of you thatyou didn't see.
And would you say that's whatyou're almost doing a little bit
(04:35):
with within your ministry aswell, as you're showcasing
people that they are chosen,their real identity.
Guery Ulysse (04:42):
Yeah, like I mean, we live in a culture right now
where students and Gen Z, genAlpha, they're defined by what
others think of them.
So on social media, you can seethat they're posting things on
social media to grab validationand grab attention, to be seen,
because I think everyone has adesire to be seen, to be wanted,
(05:05):
and when you go to the wrongplaces to get that, you lose
yourself.
So I'm teaching on my platform,educating Students that you can
find your identity in Christalone and you can find yourself
in Jesus in that word.
And again, like for me, goingback to myself, I could have
been that one kid that wasfollowing the crowd in high
(05:27):
school that was doing whatever Iwas doing smoking, going to
parties and all those things anda part of me really I talk
about it sometimes with thestudents a part of me was like
man at times when I was livingfor Jesus, that when I saw
everybody else turning up, Ifelt like man, I was missing out
.
Right, because sometimes whenyou're living that holy life,
(05:48):
you do feel like you're missingout, you do feel like you're not
living a full life and I had tolearn that man, jesus is fun,
you can have fun, you can liveright.
God is not a guy that's tryingto take fun away from me.
He's trying to give you thatgreat life.
And now I understand fully whyGod kept me in the how you say
(06:11):
it in guardrails, keeping mefrom things that were going to
probably take me out.
Because if I were to follow thecrowd again the people that I
impact now, the people that I,hundreds of students that I got
to impact and that are listeningto me that wouldn't have
happened and there was anassignment on my life that I had
(06:32):
to submit to.
And that's what.
That's what I encourage everystudent and everybody listening
like without submission to theLord, you can't really receive
the full benefits.
You will never see the prize,you will never see the vision.
And it does get hard, it doesget lonely, the journey is
lonely, but it's so worth it.
You know, like that.
Aaron O'Connell (06:53):
Now, I really like what you said about
guardrails, because that'sactually an analogy that I use,
and that analogy is pictureyourself, you're on the 50th,
13th, 50th, whatever floor of ahotel and you got that balcony
out there, but it's just a slabof concrete.
Are you going to go out on thatbalcony?
Are you going to bring yourkids or let your kids go out on
(07:15):
that balcony, If there's just aslab of concrete with nothing
around but those guardrails?
When they're there, it allowsyou the freedom to go out onto
that balcony and a lot of timesyou're probably leaning against
those guardrails so you can seeand take in the marvelous view
of God's creation.
But if not, you're actuallylocked into the confines of your
(07:39):
own room, which is man made.
So then you might be dealingwith the shabby paint job on the
walls or the or the, you know,the stinky mattress or whatever
it is that if you're in thathotel, but when you have those
guardrails in place on thatbalcony, you can really
experience it.
God is the author of life.
He knows what's best for us.
(08:00):
And that's what a lot of peopledon't think is like oh, if I do
the drugs, if you take awaythose, you take away that music,
you take away the drinking, allthose things my life's going to
be boring.
It's like no, back up andreally look at those things and
say almost all of them lead intoanxiety, depression and
straight up trouble, like ifyou're smoking weed, you can
(08:22):
then get in trouble with the law, especially if you're in school
.
You know, if you're drinkingand partying, the likelihood
that you're going to get introuble, make poor decisions, is
high.
And all of those things thatyou're scared of missing out, I
always found is actually thethings that were holding me in
bondage.
You were holding me into thatanxiety and depression.
Guery Ulysse (08:42):
Even to go into that.
What I was telling one kid theother day I was like you really
don't know what you need untilyou come to the end of yourself,
right yeah, until you come tothe end of yourself and you kind
of see that you're desperate.
That's when you know you need aGod, because when you're having
fun, when you're having funwith sin, you're living that
best life, that turn up life.
You don't see, you don't?
(09:03):
You're like, well, nothing isharming me now, nothing is doing
anything now to me, like I'mhaving fun, but when you get hit
with life, it's going to makeyou realize, like man, I need.
This is.
This is not working for me andyou know my heart really breaks.
Man, I have such a pastoralheart for the next generation.
You know I was.
I was reading Paul and the storyof Paul and he was obviously
(09:26):
evangelizing, going out of thecommunity to to reach those that
were for the gospel, and he wastalking I believe it was in the
first Corinthians or secondCorinthians, I believe where he
was talking about really thepeople that have that he has
ministered to, that have juststill.
(09:47):
They still are not.
Their hearts are hardened right, like their hearts are not, you
know, really receiving the goodnews.
And he's like man, my heartbreaks for them that they, they
know that, they know thatthere's something beautiful out
there, but they still decide tostay where they're at.
And he talks about the weightof the leading, and then you
know, pastoring, and for me,sometimes I I would usually in
(10:14):
ministry sometimes you putpeople before yourself, you know
, because it's like man, this ismy sheet, this is my flock, and
not I want them to go further.
You're willing to sacrificeyourself, for your time, your
energy, to, to to bring that oneperson to Christ.
And you know, man, that's what,that's what it's all about man
really going forward and justkind of fighting for the lost,
fighting the people that can'tfight for themselves.
Aaron O'Connell (10:36):
Amen, amen, yeah, even, even.
You know, the word says Jesusdidn't come to be served but to
be a servant, to own.
You know, and that, and that'swhat gives us so much comfort,
that when we are in those alonetimes because, you know,
sometimes I kind of have a boneto pick when some people say
like, hey, you know this islonely and all that stuff.
And you're right, it'sespecially lonely in the
(10:59):
beginning when you are breakingoff those friendships, when you
are so used to the way of lifethat you are normally in, yeah,
and you have to do that 180,that repentance, that and and
turn away from those things thatare holding you back.
That is when you do get verylonely and I will admit that,
(11:20):
but I just for encouragement forpeople that are going through
that is when you start reallydiving in to the areas and and
walking in your God givenpurpose and you're part of a
church.
Then it becomes, like you said,fun when you start having those
friends that are around you.
And yet in the beginning it'shard to make friendships that
(11:42):
are really meaningful.
But once they start hating thatyear, that two years or
sometimes a lot sooner, you know, you then have people that have
sustenance to yourconversations, because when it's
just empty about what did we dolast week, what are we doing
tonight?
Guery Ulysse (11:58):
You know it's so empty and never filling.
Aaron O'Connell (12:01):
But when you start getting those Christian
friends, that community aroundyou, when you start diving into
small groups, when you startwalking in your purpose, like
you have, then you, when youhave those people around you,
the moment it does get lonely,they're actually there and power
you yeah.
And power you up and you canstart having that fun, rejoicing
, like going having a houseparty where you're just playing
(12:23):
the guitar and worshiping theLord.
Yeah.
You know, you don't leave empty,you don't leave feeling dirty,
you feel empowered, clean.
You're almost like Moseswalking off the Mount Sinai with
just so much light radiatingfrom your face.
You know so like.
That's one thing.
I do do realize that itsometimes gets skewed, but there
(12:44):
is always there's, there's aseason for everything Correct.
But luckily, during that lonelytime, it's our nature to go to
the world.
But as, as I've been working onmy faith, getting a little bit
on my walk, on my walk Now, now,now I'm able to dive into the
word that much deeper duringthose lonely times and you start
really having, like David cometo life when he was in his caves
(13:08):
, you know saying Lord, I amdepressed, my bones are in
misery, but my comfort is in you, lord, and you can still.
You almost don't get lonelyanymore when you contrast it
with the loneliness I used tofeel when I was all about myself
, when I was smoking weed, whenI'm like, okay, tomorrow I'm
going to start, I'm going tostop this you know, then you
(13:30):
don't do it.
Yeah, that loneliness comparedto the loneliness of when I'm
with the world, where we're withGod completely, night and day.
Yeah, for sure that's fire man,but I do want to switch gears
just a little bit, and I wantyou to talk more about what
you're doing with schools,because that's.
I've gotten the opportunityonce to go to a group of
(13:53):
wrestlers at a high school andtalk to them, and I just love
that you get the opportunity todo that.
How often do you do that?
Guery Ulysse (14:02):
Well, so, first off, I'm a sub-teacher.
Okay, so I chose to be asub-teacher because it gave me
the opportunity to connect withthe next generation and I get to
literally work at any school Iwant in Palm Beach County.
Any school I want high school,middle school, elementary school
, yeah, and I get to sit withstudents.
(14:23):
I've been doing that past twoyears now, so I get to literally
sit in a room with students,talk with them, have
conversation with them, be amentor, friend them in the
classrooms and really, if youknow of a sub-teacher, if you
ever had a sub-teacher, theydon't really do as much in the
class You're really just kind ofchilling the class of the
students.
Aaron O'Connell (14:37):
They read off the assignments that the teacher
gave them.
You read this, do this.
Guery Ulysse (14:41):
So I was like when I found out I can get paid for
this sitting, I'm like okay, allright, we ballin' that.
Aaron O'Connell (14:45):
You know, I'm actually writing notes right now
.
Maybe that can be my side gig.
Guery Ulysse (14:49):
Yeah, side gig, I'll get that money, but anyways
but it was just a coolopportunity for me to do, excuse
me, just to really like learnfor what the kids are going
through here.
That hurts, and God has reallyput me in a position to listen,
be a listener, sit and listen tothe issues and the problems
(15:10):
that are happening.
Listen to the kids that arewalking inside your classroom.
They are crying for help.
Listen to the surroundings,because I want you to be a fix
for it.
I'm giving you the resources tofix that issue.
So I had to sit in that and Igot the opportunity to sit with
teachers, talk with them inbreak rooms.
I got the opportunity to.
I have so many ratio ofprincipals and system principals
(15:32):
just for the work that I doinside schools and now with
Young in Faith we are.
This year we're actuallylaunching two schools, which is
Santa Lucia High School and DrCongar State, which is a new
school in Palm Beach County.
It's been built and my goal inmy heart is to create a youth
service on campus for studentsto attend that will normally not
(15:54):
come to us.
That wouldn't come inside thedoors of a church.
So my goal is to have it duringboth lunches.
We're going to have food outthere, games, making life for
them, making great for them, andit's really for them just to
get introduction of what thegospel really is.
So I'm, you know again, like Isee what's happening and God has
(16:14):
put such a burden on my heartfor this, and it's like man,
what would it look like forcrowded students, a rally of
students to show up on a schoolcampus and say, man, we want to
hear Jesus and have fun, to havecommunity.
Kids want community.
That's one thing they're alwayssearching for.
They want to have fun.
When you tie that in with thegospel, it's a bonus, right?
(16:36):
So if I bring pizza too, it'sanother, Of course of course.
Yeah, it's a.
It's a great opportunity andI'm just really excited for
what's going to happen.
And I'll tell you this like ithasn't been easy getting this
together.
Still right now, as we speak,like there's a lot of logistics
that come with this.
There's a lot of leadershipthat comes with, especially for
(16:57):
me.
It's like you know, you go backand forth for yourself like God,
is this what you're calling meto do?
God, is this okay, what do Ineed?
He's like man.
I already gave you the answer,gary to go do what I call you to
do.
You don't need a validationfrom people, you don't have to
ask for permission.
Go do what I have called you todo.
Go out and spread the love.
You're supposed to go out andreach those.
(17:19):
And the cool thing about whatPaul was like he was talking
about, he said I am not a pastor, but I feel as a pastor.
Right, he was like man.
I'm not at a church leading aflock, but I'm going out and
reaching people.
And I always question, I mean,why, if the church, which church
(17:39):
is supposed to go out and reachand pack those people?
But if we're just stayinginside the doors of the church
and not going out.
That's an issue, because weneed to go out in a broken world
and call these people in andsay, hey, there's love here,
there's grace here, there'sforgiveness here.
You can find hope here, andthat's the goal.
Aaron O'Connell (17:58):
Yeah, that's amazing because I pulled up some
stats just before this and itstarted saying stuff like hey,
more than half of Gen Z peopleknow somebody battling
depression.
One in four has someone closeto dealing with a drug addiction
.
One in five knows somebody whohas died by suicide.
Gen Z's 42%, gen Z 42 is abouttwice as likely of Americans
(18:25):
over 25 to battle depression andhopelessness.
The list just keeps going on.
The suicide rate for people aged10 to 24 increased by 56%
between 2007 to 17, which 21 to22,.
Actually, 2021 to 22 is thefirst time that people between
10 and 24 actually took a littledip in suicide and I found that
(18:50):
kind of interesting becauseevery other age group went up,
but that 10 to 24, and it justgot me thinking how there is a
revival that seems to be kind ofgoing on in schools.
There's people like you thatare stepping up and going out
(19:11):
and realizing that there's thishuge need mental health disaster
.
That's going on and you arepositioning yourself right there
.
One question I do have for you,because you were saying hey,
you know it doesn't care whatpeople say all that stuff.
What are some challenges thatyou are facing to get it into
the school Like is it schoolboards, that kind of, are
getting your way.
What are some of thosechallenges?
Guery Ulysse (19:35):
Yeah, it's really so.
This is what people need toknow.
Anytime you wanna do afaith-based thing inside the
school, there's an Equals Actthat covers you to bring inside.
So legally someone can't tellyou that, oh, you can't have a
faith-based club or activity onschool campus because that
wouldn't be fair, it wouldn't beequal right.
(19:56):
So that's covering everyone.
And especially when I used todo mid-issue with First
Barberies an amazingorganization that's going inside
schools and doing youth groupsinside schools as well we learn
sometimes you would get pushbackfrom certain people that don't
wanna have that at the school,and it's cool that the law is
actually covering us in thataspect yeah, that's good.
(20:18):
I would say it's not anything ona school day and I mean I have
so much favor and I love allthese principals out here.
They're doing such amazingthings and they're just like,
hey, whatever you need, we'rehere, and it's just God opens up
those doors.
I would say it's mostlyspiritual warfare with me
individually.
I mean again different thingsthat the enemy is trying to
(20:40):
attack with mentally in my ownpersonal life.
Again, with all the logistics,this piece is not going together
.
This budget has to be approved.
I have to get this money forthis.
Things are not moving.
So all the things that arehappening, the enemy will love
for me to give up.
The enemy will love for me tofill in a towel because this is
not for the week, leadership isnot for the week.
(21:02):
You get what I'm saying.
So anytime something big isabout to happen, you're always
gonna get pushed back, and Ilearned that when I was 15 years
old, when I was trying to get100 kids in the room at San
Luis's High School to hear thegospel, and ever since then
there was a dog in me that'sfighting.
The enemy wants to fight likelet's go, you wanna put on your
(21:26):
boxing gloves?
Let's go, because I know what'son the other side and I'm
willing to sacrifice whatever ittakes to fight.
How long it takes for me to forthat goal, that vision that God
wants to be achieved.
So I would say for anybody.
Of course you can experiencereal trauma and again the
(21:47):
enemy's gonna be attacking youwhen you're about to do
something big and you know thatyou're doing something big when
you're getting attacked too.
Aaron O'Connell (21:53):
So, yeah, yeah, I've experienced that and I'm
experiencing that as well withthis podcast just overall
leadership.
But I tend to get a lot of liesin my head that it's like no
one really cares what you'redoing, aaron, even though I hear
that little story, this littlestory.
(22:13):
But it's like I'll look atviews on my podcast or listens
or on any type of social mediaand it's like man, god, why am I
not getting?
the viewership, as all theseother people like I'm doing it.
Where's the favor that Inormally experience in my life?
You know, like those types ofthings.
(22:34):
But then all of a sudden, Ilove that, god.
As long as I stick it through,as long as I go to battle, like
you said, there's always this,like glimmer of hope, this,
always this breakthrough that Ijust did not expect, whether it
be just like an unexpecteddonation.
You know, like when thathappens and God uses somebody
from the church from the body ofChrist, you know and is able to
(22:56):
do that.
That's just like reassurance.
It's like, okay, it's small.
And then finally the truthwashes over me and it's like,
wait a minute, I gotta show thatI am just as willing to fight,
just as willing to go hard, thatI'm not gonna stop even with
the least of these, because Godsays like, hey, he who is given
(23:17):
a little does well with a little, will give him much more.
Exactly, exactly.
And I haven't done well per sefor too long, because this
podcast is still new with thelittle that I have.
So it's like, why would Godjust give me all this
amazingness?
Because my history, if I wereto look past my past five years,
(23:37):
two years, it's like I go sixmonths strong and then I have a
bad month.
When you get into thatleadership, you can't have that
bad month and you know and dropoff and just drop the ball,
because then everything breaksand then that's when Satan goes
ha ha, I won and uses the worldand the naysayers to point at
(23:57):
you.
So there's so often that I hearthat.
But because I did the work todive in the word, because I've
been planning this for years, Ifinally got to that point.
It's like you know what.
I'm no longer gonna have myKPIs, my key performance
indicator, be views, dollars orany of that stuff.
It's how many lives am Iaffecting?
And when I have that, even ifit goes from one to two, four to
(24:22):
five, that's huge.
That's another person thatcould be the difference between
going to hell and going toheaven.
And when you start thinking ofit that way, it means I'm just
gonna keep on doing that.
Guery Ulysse (24:34):
Yeah, I honestly think I heard this from Eric
Thomas the other day.
He said most of us just have toget out of our feelings, like
we often get in our feelings andemotions when things happen.
And for me, I can speak on thatbecause I am sensitive person
when something happens to me andpeople when I've been falsely
accused what I've been you know,people have said this about me
(24:57):
negative rumors and all thosethings.
These things happen when youread the Bible.
It happened to Jesus too, andif you're becoming more like
Jesus, you can expect all thesethings to happen.
And I mean I've been hit withnasty stuff, bro.
Like I mean people think that Idon't hear things, but again,
like I've been hit with that andthe enemy knows that, hey, I'm
gonna have that person saysomething about you so he can
fall off track.
(25:17):
And again it's God will alwayssend someone to reassure you of
what you're supposed to do, likewhen I'm walking inside these
schools.
I kid you not, aaron, I'mwalking inside these schools.
They're like yo, you do youngand faith.
You do young and faith becauseI've been working so hard to
push out TikTok, snapchat,social media, you know, put it
(25:39):
branded out, so these kids areseeing my face on social media
and they're like yo, that's thatcool substitute, he has a
podcast and all these things.
And then I'm walking through.
There was a couple of months ago.
I was at Publix on my breakright, and I'm walking through
Publix.
Three boys come up to me, likeyo I know you're from Young and
Faith.
Man, bro, your videos areamazing, bro, like you know,
(26:00):
just in that time I was kind ofdiscouraged because I was like
sometimes you feel like are you,you know, are?
Am I making an impact?
Am I doing much?
Am I?
And it's those little smallthings in our head.
When we get in our head and getin our feelings, we allow those
things to define us, but thenthe Lord's always going to send
an angel to come speak to youhe's going to send an angel to
(26:20):
come remind you like, hey, youneed to stand firm on my truth
because I am doing somethinggreat Despite you, don't have to
listen to anybody else, youdon't have to get opinions from
others, and I and I think it'sreally cool I want to say this I
really think it's cool for usto seek wisdom from others, seek
wisdom from pastoral you knowpastors or mentors and leaders
(26:42):
but sometimes you have to knowthat the Holy Spirit is speaking
inside of you and you have tohave your own discernment
because sometimes, when you'redoing things, not everyone's
going to understand what you'redoing.
Now, everyone's going tounderstand oh, why are you doing
?
They're going to question that.
And it's like, well, you're notcalled to who I am.
The Holy Spirit is speaking tome, god is speaking to me and
he's telling me to do somethingcrazy, and it may sound crazy,
(27:02):
right, until it happens, whichis crazy faith.
And when it happens like ohwait, that was what you were
talking about I was like, yeah,that's what crazy faith is.
It's like you got to believe init and, even though you don't
see it, I have to keep going,you know.
So, just to really have thatdiscernment for yourself to say
that, man, and that's why it'sso important to get in the
presence of the Lord, becauseyou have to be listening to what
(27:24):
he says something the HolySpirit is going to be talking,
yeah.
Aaron O'Connell (27:26):
Yeah, and even Jesus, you know, because it
hurts when you hear it on like Ihear I got comments coming left
and right on social media oh,how stupid I am.
You know like how weak I am.
You know all these other thingsthat I have to put myself into
my daddy upstairs.
Guery Ulysse (27:44):
Like all these other.
Aaron O'Connell (27:44):
You know, like I just got one today that was
like and this is how you cantell that he's homeschooled.
And it's like, and the funnything was, I was like I am
homeschooled, yeah, you know,like just off of something,
because I was just mentioningsomething about like how I don't
listen to secular music, youknow all that stuff.
And they're like oh, and that'show you know, it's homeschooled
, exactly, you know.
And I was like, no, I justdon't you know, and I try not to
(28:07):
get into anything on the socialmedia, but like it hurts that
much more when people are closeto you and they, when they say
something, they don't believeyou.
But we have to understand thatGod even said, or Jesus said, a
prophet's not honored, in hishometown especially, they're
like, hey, all his brothers andsisters run around and like got
almost angry at him like this isjust the carpenter, yeah.
(28:28):
You know all the people that hegrew up with.
So, like, usually you face thatmuch more scrutiny when you're
around everyone, but you knowit's really getting to the point
that it's like hey, I actuallyheard this from one of the
biggest entrepreneurs out there,because I still follow those
guys, alex Hermosi.
Yeah, yeah, he just wrote aquote, I think it was today, and
(28:49):
it said if everyone isunderstanding you, you're
already late.
Wow.
That's fine, that's that's then,you know, because because if
everyone understands the messagethat you have, and and and
thinks you, what you're doing isamazing and everyone's already
for you, it means that peopleare already doing it and you're
(29:09):
just another drop in the bucket.
So when you're doing somethingbrand new, when you're doing
something that's powerful, whenyou're shaking up foundations
that the way of the world,people aren't going, to
understand.
They're not going to understandyour message.
That's why you have been called.
Like you were saying, you'rethe one that has that message.
You're the one that's bringingit to Palm Beach County, one of
the most under churchedcommunities in the United States
(29:33):
.
Yeah, you know of how manypeople aren't going to church
and I just want to breathe thatinto you.
You know that, like hey, it's agood thing they don't
understand you right now,because that's why you're making
such an impact.
Guery Ulysse (29:44):
Yeah, yeah.
And as you're becoming a biggerinfluencer, you're going to get
more critics, oh yeah.
So the more influence you have,the more critics you're going
to have in different areas.
They may be silent, they may beopen, but hey, that's not your
business, right, it's not ourbusiness.
Like, I'm focused on what Jesuscalled me to do and I I don't
need anyone, like I told you.
(30:05):
Like you know, we often lookfor some of the co-sign on our
dreams and our goals and, again,you don't need anyone to do
that.
And the crate.
There's a lot of crazy thingsthat I have put in my mind when
I wanted to start young andfaith four years ago, I started
young and faith my senior year.
Honestly, I didn't know what Iwas doing at the time.
(30:25):
I was like, well, I'm going tostart doing videos because I
just I just felt like it was aseason to start doing videos,
right, and we went.
We went into COVID that year,right, and when that happened, I
started just doing videos,being consistent and all those
things.
There was a need for someone tostart something, to speak life
(30:46):
in this community, right In myschool, and like I was like man,
lord, just keep speaking to meon what to do and I took some.
I wasn't consistent at one time.
I was like, you know, I don'tknow what I'm doing, I'll just
do a video every five months orsomething like that.
And now there's just such aburden where, like man, this is
the biggest year we ever had,with the whole team, you know,
(31:07):
with the ambassadors, the leaderthat we have on the show, so
it's been crazy to see like theimpact we had.
One episode that hit up, youknow, on social media, hit over
15 million views.
Aaron O'Connell (31:18):
That's the one with a man is the most gangster
thing you can do is follow.
Guery Ulysse (31:22):
Jesus, the most gangster thing you can do is
follow Jesus and brother,brother, jews, my guy and again
we.
I met him in a school.
You know he, I was at a, I wasat a parent night and his son
goes to the school and we metand he saw he saw a Bible's on
the table with you know that Iwas hosting the table and all
that.
He's like yo, what's this, bro?
(31:43):
And I was like bro, it's it'syouth group.
At the school man, I was likebro, I respect that man and
moving forward, I think when didI meet him?
Like September.
We exchanged, you know, socialmedia accounts and all that.
Comes January there was ashooting in Palm Springs, not
too far from here, and there wasthree students involved.
(32:05):
There was one center for summerset and one center from Palm
Central.
Both died and what's crazy wasthey were supposed to graduate
last year, they were supposed tograduate class of 2023 and they
that didn't happen.
So you have parents that aremourning the loss that kids are
supposed to be graduating newyear and this happens and it was
, it was a part of us because ofFuller's decisions and drugs
(32:28):
and all those things, and I waslike man, like who didn't, who
they didn't want to ever speaklife into that kid and anyone
ever shared the guy you know.
So that's where it led us to dothat episode where we talked
about the hood life you know,wanting to be gangsta, which a
lot of kids in the communitywant to be gangsta, want to
represent what the rappers aredoing, the kids cool and all
(32:48):
that.
And for somebody like brotherJew to been through all of those
things and overcome that, he'sjust a living testimony.
But for him to use his voicenow to impact the next gen is
amazing.
Man, it's just all God.
It's not my views, it's God'sviews.
Aaron O'Connell (33:01):
So that's awesome.
And speaking about like goingviral, all that stuff, you know
you were saying like, hey,you're going to have that
pushback and I think I heard itsomewhere that the things that
go viral, 50% of people like it,50% of the people hate it.
That's why the news is so darnpopular, because they just pit
each side against each other,but you know you're doing
(33:22):
something great when thathappens, because then that means
you're actually standing forsomething.
You're not just becoming partof the crowd.
Exactly, you're standing forsomething and Jesus stood for
something.
So many people MisunderstandJesus.
They think that, yes, he's thePrince of peace, but they think
that, oh, if he was just soaccepting.
(33:44):
You know, we need to accepteveryone in love.
It's like I don't know aboutyou, but my Bible says I don't
think I came to come to astretch for peace.
Yeah, no, I came to bring asword that a sword that you know
that will then pit motheragainst you know, son, brother
against sister, like that's whathe really came to bring.
Was that truth?
(34:04):
Yeah, and when you are walkingin that authority You're gonna
be pissing people off Becausethey have demons inside of them
and darkness cannot be wherelight is.
So that is just a little bit ofin just encouragement to our
listeners that when you'refeeling that pushback, when
you're when you're gettingpitted against each other, don't
(34:24):
let the devil lie to you, toshut you up, to be like, oh, I'm
causing turmoil.
It's like no, no, no, no, youare doing exactly what you need
to be doing.
That's so good.
Guery Ulysse (34:35):
So good.
Aaron O'Connell (34:37):
What?
What would you say some of themajor success stories, or one or
two, that you've seen instudents life, without
mentioning them by yeah, by byany name?
But what are some things thatyou've seen in students lives?
Guery Ulysse (34:51):
Um, yeah, over a month ago I I was at Lake Worth
Middle School.
I had a student that I was.
I had a seventh grade classstudent that I never made, never
met before, walks in my classlike yo, I know you from young
and faith and all that right,and he was telling was like he
was something like he's beenwatching my videos and I guess
(35:12):
from his situation his parentswere fighting a lot at home On
the educator voice and all thatand he said he will watch my
videos.
Um, say to you know, just kindof help him in that situation, I
guess.
So I For me, hearing that, itjust felt unreal.
My man, you, you watch myvideos, you watch my stuff.
Like I don't, you know, Ididn't really believe it, you
(35:34):
know.
And then he was just telling memore into like, wow, like you
do watch my videos.
Because he was telling me, yeah, I remember that one episode
with that and now, wow, you dowatch my stuff.
So it was cool for that onebecause it was like man, like
you don't know who's listening,and there he is one of the many
kids that are that are listeningthat one view.
Sometimes we see views onInstagram like, oh, we got 30
(35:56):
likes and you don't even know.
You know, like bro, that thosecouple of kids that are tuning
into that are getting impacted,you know.
So that was like a big openerfor me and really just like
again, like the Just even what'sabout to happen inside these
schools.
Again, there's many storiesthat come out of that that I
don't even know having even seenyet There'd be living
(36:19):
testimonies that their Studentsare gonna be experiencing
freedom and they're experiencinglove and be getting out the pit
that they're in.
I just see God pulling peopleout of the pit at a school, you
know, getting them out the sideof the darkness, because you
know, I'm tired of just seeingJust generation living in
(36:39):
darkness.
I'm tired of it and it bothersand aches my heart and I'm like
it's time to bring light insidethese schools and do something
that has never been done before.
And what a well, the story thatI got man, uh yeah, that's what
really I'm actually gonna saythere's just a lot.
No, of course, of course,because it.
Aaron O'Connell (37:00):
You have such an impact that you don't even
see right now.
You know, you, you get, you'reencouraging so many people and
just wanted to just shift intothat next topic and I was just
wondering what are somestrategies that you use to make
the gospel relevant to yourstudents.
Like you know, that make itinteresting.
Guery Ulysse (37:20):
Yeah, that's.
That's a good question.
Um, so God has given me a giftand I now know my spiritual gift
since I was 14, so I'm able toreally relate and connect with
anyone that I encounter.
So I can meet you in a, in a,in the.
For the first time in your lifeI can meet you and you're just
drawn by me, like you're justdrawn by my presence.
(37:41):
So a lot of students are drawnby my presence just because of
my, my character, how I love,how I, how I speak.
There's drawing to that.
You know.
I have students that come andlike to my desk and they're just
like near my desk.
It's just wanting to talk withme.
I'm my dude, I can go sit atyour desk.
Don't come on my desk, I'm likeyou know.
But they come near me becauseI'm like man, you're cool, I
(38:02):
want to be around you.
So the strategy that I use isreally relatability.
You have to get on someone'slevel to and really hear from
them on what they're actuallydealing with, right.
So my first, my first approachis like I love you, right, like
that's.
Love is the greatest Commandthat we have as believers to
(38:24):
love on those that are lost.
You can't love on somebody.
If you don't love on somebody,sorry.
If you don't love on someoneyou don't, you can't expect to
reach them.
Aaron O'Connell (38:32):
I think I heard it's something like if people
don't feel valued, they won'tvalue what you have to say
exactly yeah, so it's correct.
Guery Ulysse (38:40):
So, constantly adding I think John Maxwell said
that but constantly addingvalue To the people that you
want to be able to reach andjust in general, like, adding
value to people is what they'regonna, that's what's gonna help
them see clearly Jesus, becausewe're called to do that.
So for me, in the content thatI that I Write for the show that
(39:05):
we come together it's not onlyme on that's writing it, but I
have ambassador.
Student leaders are on theplatform as well.
We are we.
We steward towards whatstudents are going through.
So I don't sugarcoat anythingBecause I did a date.
If the world's not sugarcoatingstuff with them, what makes you
think I'm gonna sugarcoat stuff?
Yeah, you know, I'm saying, ifthey're listening to rappers and
celebrities and how to livetheir life, and they're not
(39:25):
sugarcoating stuff, I'm notsugarcoating anything.
You that I'm gonna put truthand love with it.
So we kind of put that togetherwhere, okay, this is a
situation that's happening, thisis what's going on with our
generation.
This is what's happening.
We're gonna speak clearly tothat.
And again, I sit in theclassroom with students and
that's where I get some of mycontent from.
I Listened.
When I talk with them, I'm likeoh, we need to do a
(39:48):
conversation on that becausesomeone needs to.
Someone's dealing with that,you know that's awesome.
Aaron O'Connell (39:53):
And one thing that I've kind of noticed is you
need almost contextualize theBible in a way that is edible
for each generation, for eachculture, because the Bible was
made for Middle Eastern's,written by Middle Eastern's,
exactly, you know, for a MiddleEastern time.
So that's why a lot of peoplebeg oh well, what it takes away
(40:16):
women's rights.
It's like sorry, I don't knowabout you, but it actually did
the most progressive for awomen's rights for children.
So for all these different,things they were the most
progressive for give removingslaves, you know, like all of
that type of stuff.
But when it's written for thattime period in that area, of
course it's gonna mention it,you know, and but that's one
(40:37):
thing that I've noticed with atleast working with a younger
generation when I do have thatOpportunity is you need to bring
it into context with them.
Like, if you just go around andtalk to people saying you need
to be saved, they're gonna belike what do I need to be saved
from?
Yeah, you know it's like whatdo I need to be saved?
(40:57):
But if you can really dig downinto it, saved is actually the
Greek word of sozo, yeah, andthat can actually be Defined as
to be made whole.
Right, and when you can startlooking at it's like to be made
whole.
This new generation wants toknow about the present, the now,
because I feel bad, I amanxious, I am depressed, I don't
(41:22):
have x, y, z, I'm sad I have.
I'm going through all thisstuff and so instead of saying,
oh well, jesus Christ can saveyou exactly.
They're gonna be like what?
But if they can, if you can sitthere and be like, hey, he can
make you whole yeah he can.
When you give your life to him,he will remove those burdens.
Yeah, the now is what I see.
(41:44):
That will actually.
That will resonate with thestudents that much more of how
it benefits me now, because weknow this generation, even my
generation.
It's hard to Sacrifice the nowfor the later and that's what
that's what ChristianChristianity is all about Dying
to self picking up the crossdaily for the now, because it's
(42:05):
like a drop in the bucket of aneternal size bucket For the end.
And the end is near, you knowit's gonna come quickly, so we
need to make get that messageout but get, but contextualize
it in a way that is palpable forthe children and for the kids,
you know, for students.
Guery Ulysse (42:25):
Yeah, you're right again.
Relatability is where it's atand I'm telling you, once you
get, once you get relatable witha person, it's easier to have a
conversation with them.
Aaron O'Connell (42:34):
So that's so for sure, for sure.
Well, is there anything elsethat you would like to depart
with my Listeners, or you know,any final words, any message
that you just would like toencourage them with, or any
advice that you would like togive anyone?
Guery Ulysse (42:49):
man Hmm, as hard as it gets, keep going.
You know you're too close tothe door to give up now and a
lot of us are super close andwe're just throwing a towel.
And if you throw in a towelyou're not gonna see the promise
(43:11):
and we have to keep going, ashard as life gets.
You know, just cause you knowyou had a bad day, that doesn't
mean it's gonna be a bad week.
If you had a bad week, thatdoesn't mean it's gonna be a bad
month.
And we just have to reallyunderstand life happens.
You know things happen.
But to really find joy in Jesusevery single day, cause I'm
telling you, aaron, if I don'thave Jesus in certain areas,
(43:36):
well, fully in my life, I can'tdo what he's going to do.
I need him more now than ever,Because, with the doors that are
opening, the opportunities thatare happening, I'm like God, I
can't handle that without yourpresence and I'm nothing without
that.
So you just have to reallysubmit.
Submit to God.
You know everything it's aboutyou, your ministry is about you,
(43:56):
but it's about the people,about Jesus, and just keep going
, you know.
Aaron O'Connell (44:02):
Yeah, that obedience always will result in
more favor.
You may not see it now, butwhen you keep planting those
seeds, you will start bearingfruit in the right season.
Yeah, that's why when canpeople find you?
Guery Ulysse (44:20):
On social media, everything.
Yeah, so you guys can follow meon Young and Faith on Instagram
and we have a TikTok Young andFaith films Snapchat Young and
Faith same thing.
My person Instagram isGaryJUlyssi on Instagram as well
, and we're on YouTube again andyou guys can be able to tune
(44:41):
into all those things.
Aaron O'Connell (44:43):
Yep, and that's Young and Faith.
Y-o-u-n-g-i-n.
Faith, yeah, yeah, just makeand serve for all the listeners
out there because you never knowhow you know.
I say Y2 Fitness all the time.
They're like Y2, just numbertwo.
It's like no, no, no, no, I'mexplaining Y2.
Yeah, oh, okay, well, you know,thank you so much.
(45:04):
You mind if I close this out insome prayer?
Amen, let's do that.
Dear Heavenly Father, I justthank you so much for joining me
with Gary today and just forall the listeners that tuned in.
Lord, I pray that this podcastinspires anyone that is watching
to pour into the nextgeneration, lord, because
pastors the median age for apastor right now is around 60
(45:27):
plus years old and we are gonnaneed a new generation to replace
those pastors, lord, to beleaders.
So I pray that this inspiressomebody to just rise up and to
be a leader, lord, and to pourinto the younger generation, to
be able to instill thoseleadership qualities in them.
Lord, I just thank you just somuch for just giving us the
(45:50):
opportunity to speak through themedia, to have this technology
that multiple people can heareven though we're just in one
place.
Lord, bless this podcast, blessanyone that is listening, bless
Gary and young in faith andjust allow it to expand like
rapid fire.
And in all things, I pray inJesus' name, amen, amen.
Guery Ulysse (46:14):
Thank you so much, gary, for joining me.
Love you, bro, love you too,man.
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