Courage Over Fear. 2 Timothy 1:7

Jamal never wanted to be a preacher. Growing up, he avoided the spotlight, content to run the soundboard at his small church. But after his pastor saw him praying over a hurting teen one Sunday, he approached him with a smile. “You know, Jamal, I think God has more for you.”

Sometimes your calling finds you when you’re just trying to serve quietly.

At first, he laughed it off. But over the next year, the thought wouldn’t leave him. Every devotion, every prayer, every quiet time seemed to point to one message: “Speak.” When his pastor asked him to give a short sermon for Youth Sunday, his stomach dropped. “I’m not ready,” he said. The pastor smiled gently. “No one ever is.”

The night before, Jamal barely slept. He stood in his bedroom practicing into the mirror, hands shaking so badly he could hardly hold his notes. “God, why me?” he whispered through tears. “I’m terrified.” He opened his Bible to 2 Timothy 1:7: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

That morning, he sat on the front pew, knees bouncing. His name was called. Every step to the pulpit felt heavy, like walking through wet cement. He stood behind the lectern, sweat rolling down his back, his mouth completely dry.

When he opened his mouth, nothing came out. The silence stretched. People shifted in their seats. Jamal closed his eyes and whispered, “God, help me.” A warmth flooded his chest. He took a deep breath and spoke the first line: “I am not here today because I am fearless. I am here because God gives courage over fear.”

Jamal learned courage over fear isn’t about confidence—it’s about obedience

As he continued, his voice steadied. Tears welled in the eyes of teenagers and elders alike. He shared about growing up with an absent father, his crippling fear of rejection, and how Jesus showed him a love that casts out fear.

After service, a teenage boy approached, eyes red from crying. “I thought I was the only one who felt like that,” he said. “Thank you for being real.”

Driving home that day, Jamal smiled through silent tears. He realized courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s moving forward despite it. God didn’t need his confidence. He only needed his yes.

Today, Jamal preaches regularly. Before every sermon, he prays the same prayer: “God, I can’t do this without You. Thank You that I don’t have to.”