397. Transform Your Life With Fellowship Fitness - Fun Friday
Jul 12, 2024
Chris Grainger
Unlock the secrets to aligning your health journey with your faith as we bring you an inspiring conversation with sustainable anti-diet coach, Zach Lloyd. Discover how to view your body as a temple of God and set health priorities that resonate with divine purpose. Zach shares practical advice on integrating biblical principles into your fitness regimen and highlights the transformative power of "fellowship fitness." Learn how group exercise can foster a sense of community, accountability, and motivation, making your fitness journey a spiritually enriching experience. Whether you're aiming to enhance your physical health, financial well-being, or personal relationships, this episode offers actionable insights to help you become the leader God intended you to be.
Join us for the Iron in Autumn Men's Retreat, October 18-20, 2024, at Abundant Blessings Farm in Stem, North Carolina. This is a men’s-only event, open to all men 18 and up. Whether you’re gathering around the bonfire, hiking through God’s creation, or engaging in group sports, every moment is crafted to foster deep connections and personal growth.
Unlock the secrets to aligning your health journey with your faith as we bring you an inspiring conversation with sustainable anti-diet coach, Zach Lloyd. Discover how to view your body as a temple of God and set health priorities that resonate with divine purpose. Zach shares practical advice on integrating biblical principles into your fitness regimen and highlights the transformative power of "fellowship fitness." Learn how group exercise can foster a sense of community, accountability, and motivation, making your fitness journey a spiritually enriching experience. Whether you're aiming to enhance your physical health, financial well-being, or personal relationships, this episode offers actionable insights to help you become the leader God intended you to be.
Join us for the Iron in Autumn Men's Retreat, October 18-20, 2024, at Abundant Blessings Farm in Stem, North Carolina. This is a men’s-only event, open to all men 18 and up. Whether you’re gathering around the bonfire, hiking through God’s creation, or engaging in group sports, every moment is crafted to foster deep connections and personal growth.
Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leaders God intends you to be. I'm your host, Chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, guys. Fun Friday time, let's get right into it. Okay. So the scripture of the week this week is in the book of 1 Corinthians 10, verse 31. It says so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Guys, go back to the spiritual kickoff episode If you want to have an idea of how you can simplify and apply that one verse to your life. That's what the SKL is all about. So that one came out on Monday. Just back right up in your podcast feed, listen to it and then come back here to this one. Okay, All right. So this is what it's all about, Because this week we've been focusing on health and we really to dive deep.
Chris Grainger:
I brought in a friend, Zach Lloyd, who is a sustainable anti-diet coach. I love all those words because I want something that's going to maintain and no one wants to be on a diet. We don't want to restrict things like we want. We like to have our freedom of our choices, but it all comes to moderation. And how do we, how can we make those good decisions for our health the right way? So Zach did a great job of just breaking down what does that mean for us? How does he go about that so far as setting priorities up? So when you start setting goals for your health, how can you set goals that better align to what God's calling you to do? Because if you just have a goal of to look good in a swimsuit, that's a pretty crappy goal. Okay, now get it.
Chris Grainger:
Maybe some of you guys that's something you're striving for. Make sure you tie something much deeper to that. I like having goals that are biblically based or feel like God's calling me to. You know what? I want to take care of my body, because I don't know if God's going to call me to do something hard that I need to step in to be able to serve with. Maybe if you had to run a mile for the Lord today for some reason, could you do it. I'm not saying he's going to call you to run a mile, but could you? I'm just saying we have to take intentional steps each and every day to take care of these temples that he's given us with. We only get this one right, we don't get to use another one Now. We get a glorified body. One day, hallelujah, we won't have to worry about this stuff, but right now we have to take care of these things. So I just really hope you guys enjoyed that, as I know that was a deep dive into some things from a physical fitness standpoint, but it's so important because when you ground the items of physical fitness into things like your faith and your virtues and your values, the thing that God's calling you to it gives you so much more opportunity for success. That's what I want to do. I want to set you guys up to be successful, All right, so now let's get into our tips.
Chris Grainger:
For our fun Friday episode, we always do a health, wealth and self tip and just for you new listeners out there, that health is how we take care of our minds and our bodies and build them up to be stronger. For a wealth tip, we want to take the better stewards of our finances and our careers, and we really focus on that word stewardship, okay, Because that's ultimately what we're doing. And for self, hey, we need to just be better husbands and dads. Let's just face it, we all can improve in that area. I don't know how good you're rocking it at home with your wife, with your kids. There's always room for improvement and that's what it's all about. All right, so now let's get into our health tip.
Chris Grainger:
We talked about this a little bit with Zach. But how about this? Fellowship fitness? Okay, Fellowship fitness. So group exercise. I'm telling you, this is going to make such a big difference for you, whether it's a small group or church group or a sports team or something like that, or just walking with friends. It will push you. It will push you to a better one. We know scripture tells us that. But it's not only going to push you from a physical standpoint, but it's going to build community and it's also going to build accountability. So if you can find people that you can work out with, that you can actually sit down and maybe you're lifting weights, maybe you're going for ruts, maybe you're going for hikes, maybe you're going for runs, maybe you're hitting the pool and swimming laps. That's going to push you, not in a bad way, but it's going to motivate you to stay committed, to stay going, to keep active right, I find when I've worked out with guys in the past, when I work out with people, I always seem to push myself harder, particularly around free weights.
Chris Grainger:
One, because you have a spot, you have someone there, so if you get into trouble they'll be able to kind of bail you out of that, right. Nothing like being underneath a bar and you can't get that bar up, right. But two, it's just going to. You never think about doing that next round until you have that buddy calls out hey, let's do one more, and I just. There's so much about that fellas. So we're built for community, we're built for fellowship. We're built to be together, not to be isolated. So when you can incorporate that into your fitness, I think you'll. You know, so far as trying to find joy in a way to work out, this is a great way to do it, okay. So that fellowship of fitness is such a big one.
Chris Grainger:
Now for your wealth tip. I want you to think about encouraging and equipping. Okay, this is talking specifically about the ministries out there that you are supporting. Now, just beyond financial support, how can you encourage and equip ministry leaders and missionaries out there doing this work with skills, knowledge and spiritual encouragement, as well as, for sure, the monetary support? But there's different ways. If you think about the old church, there are lots of ways, through direct and indirect aid that many people provided those people that were doing that work, to encourage them, to give them just hope. I know for me one of the ways is my guys know who.
Chris Grainger:
My favorite pastor is, Pastor Joby Martin. He's been on the show multiple times Every week. Every week I send him just an email of encouragement and it's simply just a way for me to be intentional about speaking positive things into his life Because I know as a pastor he's going up against the evil one on a daily basis and the more and more I guess notoriety that you get, the more chances that you're going to be under attack of the evil one. So I just you know what. It's a little simple prayer, but it's something I sent him because I just want him to know. You know what you are covered in. Prayer is right here, this one little guy in North Carolina. He's going to be lifting you up. That little bit of encouragement Now for you it may be sharing resources, training.
Chris Grainger:
If you have a skill set that could be important or helpful to someone that's going on a mission trip or someone going out into the field to serve others, maybe just your local community, give that training, and you know what. It could just be a matter of providing emotional and spiritual support, because you never know what these people when they're struggling up against. So, as you're thinking through the ministries, the types of things that you're involved with, find ways that you can encourage and equip, for sure with financial support, but also outside of that. Okay, I know for a fact, if you're listening to my voice, you have a spiritual gift. How are you stewarding that gift? Are you using it just for yourself and keeping it in your pocket, or are you going to use that gift to encourage and uplift others?
Chris Grainger:
For me, that looked like starting a podcast, starting a community doing leadership training, because God gave me a gift of teaching, a gift of relationships. That looked like starting a podcast, starting a community doing leadership training, Because God gave me a gift of teaching, a gift of relationships, just being able to connect with other people. Why would I want to keep that to myself? I want to use that to encourage, to uplift and to hopefully a little bit of inspiration. Notice that the Holy Spirit's doing all the work. I'm trying to walk in obedience.
Chris Grainger:
All right Now, self-tip what you think about this. Be a guardian of gratitude. Okay, Because I want you to think about your home. How is the culture of thankfulness in your home? Just think about that for a second. Are the people in your house? Are they giving thanks in all circumstances, the way it tells us in 1 Thessalonians? I can tell you for our house, not as often as it should.
Chris Grainger:
This is also not a once-and-done deal. You can't say look, say thank you, and they go on back and remember it. No, they have to see it. That's why I say encourage, Encourage that gratitude and you guard it. You be the guardian of it by exemplifying it, by leading it yourself, Because they're seeing those kids. There's more to talk than call right. They're going to see more than you'll ever preach at them. So let them see you being a person of gratitude. Let them see you being intentional about reaching out and sharing and expressing Thank you. You know showing kindness, Because when they see that, when they see that positive, when they see that you're being content, when they see that you're being generous man, it's going to impact them in such a meaningful way.
Chris Grainger:
Now for you guys out there who are married no kids yet you need to be showing this to your wife too. Don't take her for granted, boys. Don't take her for granted. Make sure that she knows every day how much you appreciate her, how much you love her, how thankful you are for the work that she does. Right, the stuff that she gets done. Don't be super.
Chris Grainger:
You know, Mr Critical Guy, I've fallen in this trap before too. You know my wife, she'll get certain things done and I'll have this critical eye of well, why didn't she do it this way? Why didn't she do that? I have to stop myself there. Just stop and say you know what? That's not what God's called me to do. I need to give her gratitude, I need to express that. She needs to hear me say the words thank you and I love you. So, guys, take that with you, put it in your back pocket and pull that thing out regular. Okay, All right.
Chris Grainger:
33 tips Health, wealth and self. That health be a fellowship fitness. Think about how you can do that. Wealth tip I want you to start encouraging and equipping others, beyond those financial support, to help these ministries grow. And that self tip really start leaning into the idea of gratitude and being thankful for the things that are in your life and expressing it to others.
Chris Grainger:
Okay, so now for the book of the week, guys. There's just a simple book right here. It's called the Duty of Parents 17 Practical Ways to Successful Parenting, by author JC Ryle. This is an old, but goodie for sure, guys. I mean, this one's been around for a long, long time and I'm telling you, there's so much good truth in here, and what he does he walks through. I'm just going to share a couple of them here with you.
Chris Grainger:
He walks through how you need to train them in the way they should go With this thought your child's soul is most important. You should train them to acknowledge of the Bible. You should train them to a habit of prayer. You should train them to a habit of faith, to a habit of obedience, to a habit of always speaking truth, to remembering the power of sin, to remembering the promises of scripture, with continual prayer for blessing on all that you do. See, he's giving you practical advice here on how you train your children, and it's your call as a parent to do this.
Chris Grainger:
This is not outsourced to your pastor or your children's pastor or your youth pastor or any other outreach pastor. No, no, no, no. This is you. This is the duty of parents and as the father's listening. I want to speak some truth to you. Don't think you can outsource this, guys. No, you have to take the lead. You fathered this child or children. You have to lead them and this is our duty as parents to lead them.
Chris Grainger:
So if you want some practical advice, some practical tips, some things to consider, again, this thing is super thin. What is it like? Not even 50 pages, probably. This thing is so small, 48 pages. I'm so small, 48 pages. I'm telling you Big print, this could you could sit there while you sit down on the can and read this. I'm telling you, and you never know how. This type of thing is just a little spark, and if you read this with the praying for the Holy spirit to guide and direct you as you read it, you never know what he's going to show you working on being a better father. I'm not saying any of you guys are a bad father right now, but we all can be better. All right, that's what it's all about.
Chris Grainger:
So now let's check out our dad jokes. Dad joke number one this week, guys, is what do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear, of course. Okay, fellas, there you go. A gummy bear, Number two why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing. Ta-da-da. There you go. So let us know which one you like. Fellas, again, Our roles totally count when you have dad jokes and it's just. If you have a better dad joke I want to hear from you, okay. So, dad joke number one was what do you call a bear with no teeth? That's a gummy bear. And number two why did a tomato turn red? Because he saw the salad dressing. There you go. Fellas Again, support at thelinewiththemus.
Chris Grainger:
Send me a dad joke. If we use it, we'll give you a shout-out on the show. Try to send you some free swag to cook, just for saying thank you for taking the time to send it to us, and they're always good just to hear from people on these dad jokes that get them going. So hit us up with those fellas. And the question of the week this week we've talked about it all week is how do you find joy in fitness? And look, if you're one of these guys who wakes up and you go to the gym and you just don't like anything about it, maybe you need to consider the different types of workouts that you're doing, because you should be able to find some joy in taking care of the holy temple that you've been given. I just want to just encourage you to keep leaning into that idea. Keep trying to just striving to be better. You know what? Give yourself a little grace from time to time, because if every now and then some peanut M&Ms, that's okay, All right. So get after it. Have a great weekend. Come back next week for sure. If you would give us a rating and review, that would be huge. It helps so much. Whether you're listening on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, wherever you're listening to us this show at, we would definitely appreciate that. Subscribe to us on YouTube, Connect with us on social media platforms and all that stuff.
Chris Grainger:
And then it's thelionwithinus. That's thelionwithinus is our website. Go check out our free resources. Lots of devotions out there Probably close to 30 devotions on the YouVersion Bible app. Lots of ways we're trying to help serve and just be a light for so many guys out there. And then we have our live events. If you want to come to one of our live events, we've got lots of those things coming up.
Chris Grainger:
And finally, our community. Our community is where all the action happens. It's where our guys connect. We get together on a regular basis. So if you're missing that, if you're feeling a little bit isolated and alone, or you just want to look for some more resources for your men's group, check out our community. Okay, that's what it's all about. So, again, thelionwithinus is how you connect with us and get started. All right, so have a great weekend, fellas. Get after it, have a good one, Stay strong, Take care of that temple he's given you and you know what's coming right. Keep unleashing the lion within.
Chris Grainger:
If you're a man who's looking for greater spiritual guidance into how to become a better leader, finding resources that you can trust and then implement can be daunting. For me personally, I thought it was a lost cause and I decided to take the action, knowing that I wasn't alone. It was because of this wide gap that we created our line within this community, and the areas that we're helping Christian men grow are incredible. For instance, we built ways for guys to lean in and grow through fun events like our daily spiritual kickoff, where you get that much needed boost directly from God's word, Our Bible studies that always focus on how to discern and apply what we learn, and even our amazing form, where you can speak your mind without fear of getting shut down or judged by the extreme rules of modern day social media. On top of all that, we know that many men won't help overcoming issues and becoming stronger in many different areas. That's why we created several mastermind groups where the iron truly sharpens iron.
Chris Grainger:
Our community is about having a growth mindset, accountability, intentionality and transparency. In other words, just leave fake you at home and come to community just as you are. I fully believe what we feel. I see the impact it's making on men right now and I would love to have you check it out. So start your very own 30-day free trial today to see how we can help you be a better leader. So if you're ready to take that first step, head over to thelinewithinus and get started. Your journey begins here. Visit thelinewithinus and get started. Your journey begins here. Visit thelinewithdenus and I'll see you inside with Den.