Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From gang life at age 11 to reaching millions on YouTube — Ruslan KD sits down with Greg Laurie to talk about the long road home.
Born in Azerbaijan, ethnically Armenian, and raised by a single mom in San Diego, Ruslan's story starts with a botched break-in, a cop next door, and a Black Baptist church that told an 11-year-old kid God would use him one day. They were right.
In this conversation:
How Ruslan finally surrendered to Christ at a Miles McPherson crusade
• The 3 pillars of biblical manhood: priest, provider, protector
• Why Gen Z is the most Jesus-curious generation — and what they need from boomers
• The difference between selfish ambition and godly ambition (from his new book)
• Why every pastor should have a podcast
• Financial literacy, communism vs. capitalism, and what the church keeps missing
• The verse Ruslan returns to when life gets loud
Whether you're a young man trying to figure out what a godly life looks like, or an older believer wondering how to reach the next generation — this one's worth your time.
Grab Ruslan's book Godly Ambition wherever books are sold.
Timestamps
00:22 Meet Ruslan: rapper, apologist, YouTuber
01:37 From Baku to a Vegas gang at age 11
04:24 Community service leads him to church
07:10 Wrestling with Jesus vs. Jehovah's Witnesses
09:54 Why the gospel finally clicked
14:14 What "godly ambition" actually means
18:33 The three pillars: priest, provider, protector
26:11 Communism, socialism, and taxing the rich
29:26 Gen Z: the walking paradox
36:39 Why open your home to a stranger
39:41 What's fueling the church growth boom
50:17 Teaching young people how to think
54:00 If you had 2 minutes with a million Gen Z kids
___________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for watching! Be sure to like and subscribe so you are notified as soon as a new video arrives.
Get exclusive content on the Harvest+ Streaming App, including Harvest Films, TV shows and hundreds of messages from Pastor Greg Laurie. Available on Apple iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google TV, and Samsung TV! Watch here: watch.harvest.org
To support the ministry of Pastor Greg Laurie and help us continue to reach people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, visit here harvest.org/donate
From gang life at age 11 to reaching millions on YouTube — Ruslan KD sits down with Greg Laurie to talk about the long road home.
Born in Azerbaijan, ethnically Armenian, and raised by a single mom in San Diego, Ruslan's story starts with a botched break-in, a cop next door, and a Black Baptist church that told an 11-year-old kid God would use him one day. They were right.
In this conversation:
How Ruslan finally surrendered to Christ at a Miles McPherson crusade
• The 3 pillars of biblical manhood: priest, provider, protector
• Why Gen Z is the most Jesus-curious generation — and what they need from boomers
• The difference between selfish ambition and godly ambition (from his new book)
• Why every pastor should have a podcast
• Financial literacy, communism vs. capitalism, and what the church keeps missing
• The verse Ruslan returns to when life gets loud
Whether you're a young man trying to figure out what a godly life looks like, or an older believer wondering how to reach the next generation — this one's worth your time.
Grab Ruslan's book Godly Ambition wherever books are sold.
Timestamps
00:22 Meet Ruslan: rapper, apologist, YouTuber
01:37 From Baku to a Vegas gang at age 11
04:24 Community service leads him to church
07:10 Wrestling with Jesus vs. Jehovah's Witnesses
09:54 Why the gospel finally clicked
14:14 What "godly ambition" actually means
18:33 The three pillars: priest, provider, protector
26:11 Communism, socialism, and taxing the rich
29:26 Gen Z: the walking paradox
36:39 Why open your home to a stranger
39:41 What's fueling the church growth boom
50:17 Teaching young people how to think
54:00 If you had 2 minutes with a million Gen Z kids
___________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for watching! Be sure to like and subscribe so you are notified as soon as a new video arrives.
Get exclusive content on the Harvest+ Streaming App, including Harvest Films, TV shows and hundreds of messages from Pastor Greg Laurie. Available on Apple iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google TV, and Samsung TV! Watch here: watch.harvest.org
To support the ministry of Pastor Greg Laurie and help us continue to reach people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, visit here harvest.org/donate
