B.A.S.I.C. Conversations

SPEAKER_02 0:00
Welcome to Basic Conversation. I'm your host, Brother Boston. I met this next guest at Christian Center Church here in South Bend, Indiana. And in the short time I've known him, less than a year, I've already seen why his story stops people in their tracks. Maurice Hall, aka Sir Genius, knows what it means to be in a dark place and find a way through. He's walked the road from incarceration to redemption, and he didn't just survive it, he let it shape him into something powerful. Today he's facilitating the way out. A group right here at Christian Center Church for formerly incarcerated men pouring back into others what was once poured into him. And if that wasn't enough, Sir Genius is also glorifying God through his own Christian rap music, writing and recording music that carries the same message his life does. That change is real, hope is alive, and God isn't finished with anybody. I'm honored to call him a friend. And I know that this conversation is gonna bless somebody today. Maurice Hall, welcome to Basic Conversations, bro.
SPEAKER_00 1:09
Man, thank you for having me. First and foremost, I'm honored to be on this uh podcast.
SPEAKER_02 1:14
Man, praise God.
SPEAKER_00 1:16
I'm I'm thankful what God's doing in your life because it shows that he's no respect to their persons because we have, you know, similar backgrounds, and um, it's just a blessing, you know. First and foremost, all glory to God.
SPEAKER_02 1:27
Yeah, praise God. Oh, bro, all of it. Everything. Uh if it weren't for uh the gift of life that he has given us, man, we would I personally I know I wouldn't be here. And you know, a lot of people that surround myself would have that same uh sort of testimony. Like, if God hasn't got me to where I am today, then uh the other path would have been, you know, jails, institutions, and death, as we hear in like A N N A.
SPEAKER_00 1:53
So yeah, for real.
SPEAKER_02 1:54
So let's uh let's uh let's get right to it, man. Like usually I try to like tap in about, you know, uh what you know my testimony is this, what I used to be like, and then what happened, and what is God doing now? What do I see uh finally now that I I am able to see a future? Um what does that look like? What are the hopes? So you take it.
SPEAKER_00 2:17
I always uh lead on my road to Damascus, basically, you know, as I was once like not a follower of Christ. You know, I've I've traveled different paths, practiced different things like Islam. At one point, I was like reading about that and trying to take that path. Gang life, you know, I was involved in it early. Just guess not knowing the truth, you know, or not wanting to believe the truth. Uh my life was filled with a lot of emotional hurt growing up. So that emotional hurt became my rebellion. You know, I lost my dad at age nine and my mom at 14. But for all that, went to prison, you know, served time. But for all that, though, God has called me, spoken to my heart and my mind, and prepared me for preaching the gospel or sharing the gospel, because I'm not no preacher, but I know the truth now and I want the world to know it, and the people that come in contact to know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. And with my gifts, I'm giving back to Him to utilize them for the glory of His kingdom and reach somebody that that can have similar backgrounds as me and yourself. Amen. That's prompt the class the way out. You know, that's why the brothers, we all share similar backgrounds, but we share the same God that's powerful than our backgrounds, that our our past could become a footnote, not the title of our story. Amen, bro.
SPEAKER_02 3:30
Yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah, and it's funny when when God gets involved, the most unlikely characters, bro, start hanging out. You know what I mean? And it's like it's such a trip when I was looking around the room last night. Even uh, even after breakfast this morning, bro, it was just like I'm like, man, God does, man. Either he got a sense of humor or something, like something something's going on with him, but he's got he's sure got a uh a crazy way of showing, like, watch what I can do. Because what he does is the impossible. Um, man, and it's it's just tremendous to me. Um, and I know you've been behind the wall, uh, and I have that same experience of being back behind the wall. And this time was different for me, is because I had I had the ability to really get intimate with God, man. I didn't have a cell phone distraction, social media distraction. Um you know, there was a lot uh a lot more time to really suck with the Lord and study his word and pray and meditate because a lot of times I might be praying out here, but the meditation part, man, that that can really fall by the wayside because uh too much going on. I start to put things over that, you know what I mean? Over that uh to me, it it is an obligation, it's something I need to be completely aware of. Uh-huh. What was that like for you? Like, did you know the Lord before you went to uh being incarcerated?
SPEAKER_00 4:52
Or well, I was incarcerated several times, so I'll say this. I've known the the Lord basically since I was like six years old. Um, I have to give much credit to my grandmother, you know. But growing up, my dad died when I was nine. So at that point in time, like really anything authoritative couldn't really reach me. So I kind of like that point, I was just lost from age nine on, you know, trying to figure life out, why my life was the way it was with me not losing my dad to a train accident and then losing my mom. So spirituality and religion or anything with Jesus wasn't like a thing on my mind. It was just like, why is this happening to me? Why do why do I have to not have parents? And that same question became rebellion and anger. And um then I just started traveling down whatever made me feel better about me not having them, you know, whether it be drugs or alcohol. It was once basketball. Like, you know, I really love basketball. I played for my freshman team and um again got a new coach. He came in with the new rules which triggered the authoritative part of my life and made me rebel against him, and so I quit all of myself. I'll show you. And I just quit, which only hurt me. Later on in life, um, it was like I got out of prison in 2013 after serving an 11-year sentence. And uh my wife now, which was my high school sweetheart at one point, came back into my life and we started talking. And her parents are God-fearing people, you know. And I wasn't even allowed to go to the house as I've told the story because of at the time I was practicing Islam and, you know, my background. They were like, you know, we don't really want nothing to do with this guy. But it was like, well, if he comes to church, uh, I'll meet him. And so at the time we were attending attending uh Church of God on Island Road. So we went to church. It was October 27, 2014. Yeah, 2000, no, 2013, my mistake. And maybe a month after that, me and my wife both were at the altar giving our hearts to the Lord. So I gave my heart to Jesus, but I didn't give my full submission. I was still like one foot in. I go to church on Sunday, but I was still maybe drinking, smoking cigarettes, doing things of the world, being in places that I wasn't supposed to be, like clubs and bars or whatever. Um 2017, I went back to prison. I got pulled over for an OWI. And it really, I was incarcerated for three years on a violation. And then that three years is when I really started journaling and just like taking account of my life. Talking to God, of course, there, you know, being alike to other people unintentionally, not even knowing I was, just it's who I am. As a person, just being myself to those guys and guiding younger guys to come into incarceration on how to do their time without getting in trouble, you know. And there I had a purpose, but that wasn't God's purpose for me, you know, and I had garnished more respect in there than I had out here. But I had my wife on the other end waiting on me. And uh 2020, she had a heart attack, and I fully hit my knees, like like I just was so scared, you know. God, I don't, you know, I don't want you to take my wife. So by the grace of God, we get through that. I was released in 2020, and I just started listening more, started listening more to God. But of course, it's still somewhere the enemy has that foothold to get in. 2022. Yeah, 2022. Violation technical. I gave in, smoked some CBD, called myself not smoking marijuana, but I'm smoking, so I'm still minimizing the addiction part. Go back. And in that, so I would say 2022 really was my wits in of I'm done trying to play two sides of the fence. I'm all in for you, God. I give all the glory to you. My music started changing. I couldn't write unless the spirit moved me. And when it moved me, it moved it towards spiritual and religious music. It wasn't secular, it wasn't shoot them up, bang bang. Wasn't none of those things. He just started like manifesting my life out of me. And last year on Easter, I was asked to give my testimony. And giving it, it just what the spirit does, it freed me to be free in my truth.
SPEAKER_02 8:55
Is that the uh testimony at the church?
SPEAKER_00 8:58
Yeah, that was the one you spoke about on a previous episode without mentioning me.
SPEAKER_02 9:02
And that was so that's available on the is that available on the website?
SPEAKER_00 9:06
Uh on the CCC uh website. You can check it out on the get on uh ChristianCenter.org. Yeah, y'all heard that.
SPEAKER_02 9:13
I mean you're about you're hearing his testimony right now, but if you want to check it out, it's uh it's it's fire, it's fire.
SPEAKER_00 9:20
It's available. Yeah, it's available. You know, so now I'm just really focused on what God's doing now. Like I don't want to make this about my past because you could definitely get to know it or you know, refer to it to those, uh, the testimony. But now, like with God in my life, um, I went through the growth track at our church, the discovery you, develop you, lead you, which uh and got a Christian workers' license. And in the mission that's God's just directing me to take what the bad that happened to me and what the devil meant for evil and use it for good. So I once was like looking for a mentor or looking for a guy in the church to kind of help me on this path. And the Lord told me, why are you looking for somebody? You know, you have to consider yourself. You know, why not you, Morris? And you know how he talks to all of us different, but he talks to us all the same. There's no getting away from it. I was convicted, and I was convicted with the podcast, all glory to God podcast, um, to do the Lord's will with what he giving me. The opportunities, the gifts and talent to take them and use them for his kingdom. Amen. And that's where I'm at. If it ain't about Jesus, I don't really want nothing to do with it.
SPEAKER_02 10:26
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 10:27
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 10:28
That's how that's how I feel, man. If uh if I can, it doesn't matter if it's roofing, if it's painting, if it's editing, if I'm doing it for God's glory, bro, I'm not even working, as far as I'm concerned. It's like, yeah, if I get paid, that's cool. But to do anything now that's glorifying God, if it's got to do with building up the body or whatever, man, oh my goodness. I can't even, and to hear myself even say that, bro, like, you know what I mean? To even hear myself say, oh, for the glory of God, I would have mocked me so hard back in the day.
SPEAKER_00 11:02
Yeah, like oh, you're saved now. You don't, you know, yeah, you know it'll come with you know it would come with the devil's deception, though. It's the things to make you be discouraged and not believe the truth. And anyway he can get you to doubt, he's gonna get you to doubt with that that tactic. Yeah, he's very strategic. That's why we have to put on the full armor of God and walk in it. The brother uh Quincy said last night, like the moment I'm not glorifying God and something I'm doing, I've already messed up.
SPEAKER_02 11:31
Yeah, that was a powerful group last night, bro. Man, it was definitely powerful. Yeah, if anybody listening is in the self-end area, you're formerly incarcerated. Uh, you need a men's group. You want to try to tap in with people that understand where you've been and where you're coming from. I encourage you to tap in. Uh, there's many ways on this app, like on all of these uh platforms that I post this podcast on, you can comment and all of that, leave leave that, and I'll I'll point you in the right direction. But other than that, look up uh Christian Center Church in South Bend, Indiana. Uh download the app, you know, uh and register online too. Register online Christian Center CCC app. Fire, fire, Pastor Mark.
SPEAKER_00 12:09
The way out Friday, six o'clock.
SPEAKER_02 12:11
Yep, and Pastor Mark. And if uh you want to hear a good solid message, man, check out Pastor Mark. Um but back to it, like you have this. I see that you have a calling on your life, bro. I see it all over you. Um and you know, sometimes we'll know we have a calling and not quite know what that is, but we just know like and trying to like figure it out. And sometimes I believe that that can change, whatever that calling is from season to season. Um, have you come to that yet? Has God made it plain for you? Like, hey, this is exactly where I want you and what I want you to do. Is that what the way out is? Is that you dipping your toes in the water to see, like, hey, maybe this is what it is?
SPEAKER_00 12:55
That's that's a great question. Um, the Holy Spirit came over me before I actually knew it would be the way out about wanting to teach. You know, I can I do music or whatever, Eric, but I'm more like I know it's a teacher aspect because even when I'm not trying to teach, I'm still like got that teacher vibe, you know. And plus it's one of my spiritual gifts was teaching. So I I would say leaning to teaching the word of God would be what's what's been prompt on me. So right now I'm just letting the spirit lead me with the things I have going on, like the podcast. You know, I talk on there by whatever you know the spirit's on my heart about. You got a podcast? Yes. Uh you can check it out on YouTube. Uh it's it's uh called all glory to God. Amen. Um it's a visual, it's not an audio. So I'm I'm learning new new things. Like I didn't even know like the audio, how to, you know, do audio. But this right here is is really interesting, and I know it's all God because I didn't seek it out, and vice versa, you know. We just kind of like what YouTube you gotta like, I didn't know. And we've known each other prior to even know that so we know each other in the spirit, and this is just something God has given us platform to to basically put the devil under our feet. Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_02 14:12
Yeah, that's what he does, man. He'll he'll uh so to speak pull the pull the rug right out from under you before you know it, boy. He does things that one you don't see coming, but like it's not that you don't see it coming, but you'll never even it's something you won't even expect. It's like the rarest, you know, and then taking stumbling blocks, so frequently take stumbling blocks and just manifest them into a stepping stone in a way that's like like wait a minute, how'd you how'd you do that?
SPEAKER_01 14:52
And like take your misery and turn it into a ministry.
SPEAKER_02 14:55
Yeah, man. And like how come like where that's where he shows me my lack of faith, my lack of trust, my inability to truly surrender. When I look back in hindsight, and I'm like, man, I remember I was stressing over that specific situation, and look what he did. And then later on, he does the same thing again, but yet I still go to that place of, ooh, I don't know, and doubting and worrying and being concerned. Um, and it's just you know, I I gotta reach a point where uh I realize it's just trickery from the enemy, bro, trying to distract us from living in the joy, like being present in that joy, regardless of what the season looks like. But um so so you're a rapper, huh? So let's uh yo, let us get a couple bars, bro. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00 15:51
Oh man.
SPEAKER_02 15:52
Talking about.
SPEAKER_00 15:55
I fell short of the glory, but it's not the end of my story. A lot of self-inventory asking the Lord to restore me. Help me walk in his light while I'm rocking his mic. Jesus gave me the word, now I gotta get him the bite. So the word I recite, you can call it preaching the gospel. But God gave me this gift when he blew his breath in my nostrils. Word to Paul the Apostle. I've been tested like Job. It got hot in the kitchen, but I kept on touching the stove. Put me back in position and watch them blesses and fold. He sent me out on the mission in the hope to saving the soul. So be yourself, love yourself, but don't lose yourself. In other words, don't sell yourself material wealth, my people. I think it's time we wised up. But in order to do that, we gotta rise up, my people. I think it's time we wised up. That's all glory to God.
SPEAKER_02 16:39
That is what I'm talking about.
SPEAKER_00 16:43
Yeah. You know, I uh I appreciate you even uh allowing me to not have anxiety or anxiousness, too, because the grace of God and the spirit of God uh by speaking to who I am as a person and allowing me to be that. You know, uh that's the most key with with uh your walk with Christ. And I say that to the listener. It's coming as yourself and not afraid to be your vulnerable true self and let God work you to who He wants you to be. Our thing is we want to know, you know, and that's well, what does that look like? What do I have to that's where your faith comes in? It's not worrying about what it looks like, just trusting that it's better than where you are.
SPEAKER_02 17:28
Yeah, and nobody can tell you what it looks like for you because yours is different, mine's different, everybody's is so unique and and and cut uh to our own specific calling. Whether that is to just walk and talk and be like Christ and sup with Christ just to carry on through life to be an example for somebody else to see. Uh sometimes that's all it is, man. And we can complicate that because we are we're hunger, we hunger for knowledge, we want to know the magic trick. Like, there's always like, yo, tell me how'd you do that? How'd you do that? Um, we can't just be content with what God's doing, man. We want to know more. And uh, which is great too. There's nothing wrong with like curiosity, and uh as soon as I said that, I heard curiosity kills a cat.
SPEAKER_00 18:27
Uh cliche saying, but true. Um, I would say through all things, through prayer and supplication, like if it's something you want to know, just take it to God and ask him. You know, ask, knock. You'll receive the answer. It may not be in the timing you want. Because and all those why me lord, why me lords when I was ten, you know, he's giving me a lot of answers to those whys, the different whys I asked why. Why not? Yeah. That's what I always get.
SPEAKER_02 18:58
Why not you?
SPEAKER_00 19:00
Why not you? You know, uh in the book of James it says can count it all, joy. You know. So we think that we'll live a life with no no bumps and no bruises and no, you know, this decisions to work through that are tough. But as long as we work through those decisions with God first, we'll work through those decisions. In our own strength, we cannot, because we will try to work out the problem and blame God for the problem, which is ultimately you not working the problem out. It's the problem working you out, it's the trickery that the enemy pulls. The first moment you go through hard hardship and you stop trusting God because you want out the hardship is the moment that the enemy gets another little notch, even though he's a defeated foe. But he wins little minor battles by us not staying in the spirit and responding according. You know, your your your grief, your your being poor in the spirit by the word of Jesus, you are blessed. You know, that was the beatitude. You are blessed by those things. And when you're grieving, just know that God has got something bigger to bless you. It may not happen right away, but you can trust and believe that that blessing is bigger than the hurt. And in our weakness, He is made strong. You know what I mean? Take this away from me. My power is perfect in your weakness. My grace is sufficient. And it it it is like even talking about things of the past or like thinking about them, like, man, I don't even really feel them no more because of his peace, his rest. It's like that didn't really even happen, you know, like when I carried it for years. Like if I started talking about it, it would automatically give up all these emotions like I was going through it right then and there. No, it's just it's a footnote. It's not the title of the book, it's just a small little print that had a let me ask you this, let me ask you this, bro.
SPEAKER_02 21:08
This is the question. Because we're I don't know how, but we're already 25 minutes in. That went, that is this has literally been the fastest uh recording so far. I'm not even joking. Uh but that felt like it's been 10 minutes, and I just looked. Uh but let me ask you this. So the the question is something you probably heard a million times, but really like think about this, man. If you could go back and say something to your younger self, what would you say?
SPEAKER_00 21:43
Trust God, it's gonna be alright. Trust God it's gonna be alright. Praise God. I would iterate it on because it's easier said than actually experienced but with the supernatural. You had like you said the time look how fast the time just went, right? No. That's because the spirit's moving. So we can't put a timing on God's timing. Just trusting. Yep. It's trusting. Yep. Um.
SPEAKER_02 22:13
Man, crazy. Uh so yeah, man, man. Well, I appreciate you, brother. Uh for coming on. Yeah, absolutely. And um, where can people find your music and all of that? Like, what's the at?
SPEAKER_00 22:32
Well, on all platforms, at Sir Genius, you know, on all platforms, whatever you listen to your music to on um the podcast is on YouTube. Okay. All glory to God Podcast. But you can find Sir Genius on all platforms. Album I D O C I Am a Disciple of Christ. Out now. Stream it. You like that play on words, y'all?
SPEAKER_02 22:55
I DOC?
SPEAKER_00 22:56
Yeah. Not Indiana Department of Corrections, but I am a disciple of Christ. Because what the devil meant for evil, God uses for good. And that's with all of us. Like, so if he's attacking you in any way, God's just preparing to take that and just hit the reverse car like Uno. You know, and give it right back to him because he's a defeated foe. And the world needs to know that the devil's a defeated foe, but it doesn't mean that he don't attack. He's trying.
SPEAKER_02 23:23
It's like uh we're stepping on his head, but he's still swinging his arm. Yeah, you know. Yeah, my brother, man, I appreciate you. You got anything you want to say to the people? Like I will I would like to say, man, if you think it's over, if you're struggling with anything, I don't care if it's mental health, uh, if you're thinking about ending your own life, if you know you've lost your job and your finances are in a uh shambles, like there is hope. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life for real. Like, he is the one who can redeem, restore, regenerate like all anything that's gone wrong that's gone south. You think it's over, it feels like it. I get it, I've been there. But I'm telling you, man, he can do things above and beyond any and all of our expectations, man. Facts.
SPEAKER_00 24:25
I would also like to say to the people, if you haven't found the local church, Christian Center Church on Ireland Road, is a great place to start your journey with Christ. It's welcoming, non-judgmental. It's it's the message is always on point. It's practical, it's spiritual, and it's Holy Spirit driven. Like that would be my the best guess to get in it, get in a church. And the Christian center church is definitely where I would lean you towards because you can really grow there and heal there. Me and my wife have healed there and grown. And so I can only speak for my own experiences. So that's what be my best. Get into a church. Amen.
SPEAKER_02 25:13
Yeah, definitely get find a church. Uh, you know, and just don't just go and leave. Man, fellowship. Uh get involved with the groups they're offering. Another thing, if you're in LA, check out my brothers at Truthbearer International Ministry. Uh, incredible church born inside of prison and now is out here in the free world. Uh have been there and done it, understand brokenness, understand uh redemption, all of this, man. So y'all don't give up. Whatever, whatever you got going on, it ain't too big for God.
SPEAKER_01 25:53
Hey Kev, yeah, but we we gonna need uh you to uh answer the questions.
SPEAKER_02 25:59
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 26:00
Or the week. Make sure you check in the uh chat.
SPEAKER_02 26:04
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 26:06
Know you're a busy man.
SPEAKER_00 26:08
But uh little it's a good thing. Shout out to my brothers in the way out, man. Yeah, and uh all my brothers, you know, it's love, man. I appreciate it, man. Thank you for the opportunity.
SPEAKER_02 26:18
Yeah, man. Thank you for coming on, bro, taking the time out of your day. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I'll see you tomorrow at church. And uh, yeah, we'll talk, my brother. Yes, sir. Y'all heard it here on Basic Conversations. I'm Brother Boston. Until next time.

B.A.S.I.C. Conversations

B.A.S.I.C. Conversations

IDOC: FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

Brother Boston