Photos by Ralph Freso/ Slideshow/ Livestream
Comedian/podcaster and Scottsdale native George Janko injected humor during Monday’s Chapel at Global Credit Union Arena.
“Shame on you guys for cheating,” Janko told Grand Canyon University students, speaking at Chapel just a month after attending a GCU men’s basketball game.
“It's about integrity. I called you guys out right before you guys started praying. I said, ‘Hey, you can't bring the Lord (and get Him) involved.’ You guys won because you had Jesus on your team.”
That brought a mix of applause and cheers as Janko engaged students in a question-and-answer session that lasted for a majority of his 46-minute session.
One student, an aspiring screenwriter, believed God was bringing him into a very secular industry in Hollywood, where he sensed God called on him to make an impact where there’s “not a lot of Jesus there.”
“Did Jesus say that a light on the hill can't be hidden?” Janko responded. “And if it's a dark place like you just said, don't you think it needs some light?”
Janko told students they need to stop listening to suggestions that say the devil is running the earth.
“Hollywood is full of fake influencers who are influencing themselves,” Janko continued. “They're eating their own garbage. It’s the dog returning to his vomit, and you're scared of that? Go with your God. Grab the talent that He gave you, give it to Him, and He will raise you up. There's nothing for you to fear. There's only one thing you should fear, (and that) is the Lord.”
Janko didn’t skirt questions about his fallout with influencer/wrestler/entrepreneur Logan Paul, whom he once co-hosted a podcast with, while reaffirming his Christian faith that Paul had mocked.
“I got pushed out,” Janko said.
But he recalled a Hollywood line that his mother told him that resonated.
“She goes, “If God says ‘action,’ who can say ‘cut?’" Janko said. “We look at two roads and say, ‘OK, I have to go this way because I feel like the Lord is taking it this way. Oh, no, I have to go this way because the Lord will bless it here.’ “The truth is, the Lord is with you wherever you go.”
Janko followed up by telling a student to think of his business as a tree.
“What we're doing is we're looking at the leaves, we're looking at the fruits,” Janko said. “Remember who you are. I'm not going to spit on the ground and throw mud, but I want you to remember that you are from dirt. So I want you to remember this: If you're dirt, then what's the word of God? It's a seed. And if you would plant the seed into you, then fruit will grow out of you.
“Are you spending time with the Lord? Are you reading and knowing His truth, or are you focused on yours and your perspective and then only bringing up this material to help with your journey? What I'll promise you through this is, if you seek first the kingdom of God and all of its righteousness, the Lord will make you ready and prepare a lane for you."
Janko’s YouTube channel has more than 3 million subscribers, but he downplayed his popularity.
“Remember this,” Janko said. “Without the Lord, we're nothing. You can have all of your accomplishments, all of your dreams, all of your things. But if you have no Lord in you, it's empty, it's worthless. It's meaningless.”
One student, who was raised a Mormon, was baptized two weeks ago but was being tugged by family members and friends.
“The only way to separate that is by reading the Scriptures and falling in love with what Jesus had to say,” Janko said. “… The good news is the bigger the hole, the bigger He is going to fill that hole.”
The student said his household included a father and grandparents who moved in as Mormons, while his mother lost her faith at 16.
Janko asked to envision looking at his family behind a rock.
“Remember that if you push the rock, it symbolizes your faith,” Janko said. “It means you’re not depending on your heart right now. Not everything makes sense, and not everything is supposed to. If everything made sense, you wouldn’t need faith. Jesus is withholding wisdom from you so He can see how you deal with this situation. … Walk as if God has already walked into this place and healed the home.
“You know how I know it’s true? Because you’re a Christian. God planted you in that home. What I would do is silence the friends you know you shouldn’t be listening to, because we’re sheep (following the pack). And if you hang out with somebody long enough, you become like them. If you need to, right now, be alone with God. Read your Scripture. Look how many beautiful people will sit and read the Gospel with you.
"Have fun and enjoy the ride. It’s going to build you to be a better man than you are today. Jesus loves you. You will not be snatched away from Him.”
Next Chapel speaker: Pure Heart Church pastor Dan Steffen, 11 a.m. Feb. 23, Global Credit Union Arena (no Chapel on Feb. 16, Presidents Day)
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