Illuminate Community Church pastor Jason Fritz spoke to students at Grand Canyon University’s Chapel service on Monday, focusing on the theme of overcoming fear through faith. The event took place at the Global Credit Union Arena.
Fritz used the biblical figure Moses as an example, highlighting how Moses faced dangers and insecurities from birth and struggled with a speech impediment. Despite these challenges, Moses placed his faith in God. “He throws a bunch of red flags, (saying) ‘God, use somebody else,’” Fritz told students. “I am not qualified to be the authoritative voice in the Nation of Israel.”
Fritz shared his own experiences with speech difficulties, noting that he never expected to preach at GCU multiple times. “If you were to tell me that I will be preaching Chapel at GCU for the fourth time, I would say you are insane,” he said. “The apostle Paul says that God chooses fools, the things that are unseen. God chooses all the time. God chooses unseen people in order for others to see Him.
“And this is why Moses is one of my heroes. And I’ll tell you this, God does not call you because you are ready. It’s because he is ready.”
Fritz explained that “faith is trust,” using stories from Moses’ life to illustrate his point. He described how Moses’ parents trusted in God’s sovereignty when they placed him in a basket near the Nile River as an infant to protect him from Pharaoh’s decree.
“By the way, that’s the meaning of the name Moses, ‘to be drawn out,’” Fritz said.
Citing Hebrews 11:24 and 11:28, Fritz described how Moses chose faith over comfort and acted according to God’s instructions during critical moments for his people. “Bottom line is, God speaks, Moses acts, and he experienced the pleasure of God on his life,” Fritz said.
When Moses doubted his ability to lead due to his lack of qualifications and public speaking skills, Fritz recounted how God responded by emphasizing His own power rather than Moses’ abilities: “It’s not about you. It’s about what I’m going to do through you.” According to Fritz, God provided signs—such as turning a staff into a serpent—to demonstrate His support for Moses.
Fritz also addressed how God helped Moses overcome his fear of public speaking by appointing Aaron as his spokesperson while assuring him guidance on what to say.
Reflecting on his personal journey with a lisp and avoidance of public speaking during school years, Fritz said: “I preached three services on Sunday… By the end of the third service, (the lisp) starts to come out… So I was constantly reminded of this impediment, and it was a struggle.”
Fritz concluded by encouraging students not to let insecurities hold them back from their calling: “… You are not here by accident. God has some calling on your life. I don’t know what it is… But there’s something in your life where you might be saying, ‘not me.’ You might be saying, ‘not now,’ and God is saying, ‘I hear the excuses, but you’re right where you need to be.’”
Grand Canyon University operates as a private Christian institution based in Phoenix, Arizona according to its official website. The university offers undergraduate and graduate programs across fields such as nursing, business and healthcare with flexible learning options both on campus and online as noted by its website. GCU emphasizes Christian values throughout its educational approach and supports students in realizing their potential.
The next Chapel speaker will be Josh Watt from North Mountain Redemption at 11 a.m., February 2 at Global Credit Union Arena.
