Chris Grainger: 1:01

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. Spiritual kickoff time. Let's get right into it, okay. So we're in the book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 20. Just one verse. It says we are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you, on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. Beautiful verse, guys, and we're going to be looking at this one little word this whole week Ambassador, it's a big word.

Chris Grainger: 1:36

Quite frankly, I didn't know a whole lot about the word until I started studying it. We're going to dig into it, we're going to see how we can simplify and apply this to our life. And again, the spiritual kickoff. That's what it's all about Simplify and apply God's word to our life. Understanding is one thing, application is really where the lion's all about, and, if you're here, we love to disciple leaders, so let's get right into it, okay? So first thing we need to know is where is the book of 2 Corinthians? That easy to find in your New Testament is after 1 Corinthians. I totally get that. Matthew, mark, luke and John Acts Romans, they get 1 and 2 Corinthians, and that's before you get to Galatians. So if you get to some of those epistles, just back up a little bit and that's where you're going to find it.

Chris Grainger: 2:15

So, ambassador, we don't hear that word a lot. Let's just be real. Outside of like a diplomatic circle, you don't hear people talk about ambassadors. That's not something that just comes out in my normal everyday speech. But when I look at the term itself, so it's really defined as like an accredited diplomat who is sent on behalf of someone else. So like usually you have an ambassador for another country representing another country to right, and it's like, when you think ambassadors, I always think about these formal ceremonies or like these high-level negotiations where we're sitting across tables and I'm representing the US and you're representing wherever, and we're going to have these conversations, we're going to figure something out.

Chris Grainger: 2:54

And it made me wonder why did the Apostle Paul choose this word specifically to describe us? Like there's a lot of words, I would have chose Paul, but ambassador. I don't know if that would have been one that I would have just pulled at and when I started thinking about it, studying it, ambassador really means a representation, because you're speaking on behalf of who they represent, and then that started getting a little bit clearer for me. Okay, so for me, maybe the responsibility I have is a bigger significance than I thought, because I'm not called just to represent myself, I'm called to represent Him Love, grace, truth, everything, no matter where I'm at.

Chris Grainger: 3:40

And it's easy to feel this, I guess, to lean into this idea of being an ambassador when you're in a supportive environment let's say you're at church and I know you guys think I pick on churches a lot. I'm sorry, they're easy to pick on. Let's just be real. Okay, when you're at church you can feel like living out your faith. It's just natural, it's so easy, it can be encouraged. I can find encouragement around every corner. It's natural, it's so easy, it can be encouraged, I can find encouragement around every corner.

Chris Grainger: 4:06

Paul, I think, very distinctly moves it past that. Right, we have to be challenged far beyond the comfortable situations we can find ourselves in, because at times an ambassador represents their country. You know, in some very difficult places Whether it's a place that's at peace, maybe it's conflict, and that ambassador has to. Just, they have to just lean into it. So, whether you're at home right now or working with your colleagues or going through everyday activities like the grocery store or sitting in traffic, wherever we are.

Chris Grainger: 4:42

Paul is saying through this that we're supposed to reflect Christ. And that's super interesting Because, as someone who grew up and then you start going to churches and listen to pastors and listen to sermons, it's easy to fall into the trap and I fell into this or that mindset that you know what being an ambassador for Christ is for the people who you know are called to the mission, to the ministry, like pastors, missionaries, worship leaders. Those are the ones that they're the ambassadors because they're full-time, quote-unquote ministry. And you know what I was doing right there? I was outsourcing it. Because when you start outsourcing it, that limits the reach of God's kingdom and it ignores the flat out truth that Paul's telling me right here that I'm called to be an ambassador, I'm called to be a representative, and that led to some thinking and I don't know if this resonates of starting to rationalize, some excuses Like I'm not equipped or I'm just going to support it financially. That's really where I'm at and I'm telling you, when you start trying to rationalize, we have to be careful because we start really what we're doing is we're trying to make rational lies and, man, that deception can cause us to step back and to stumble and we'll miss the incredible calling that God has placed on our life. So the truth is, the moment we accept Christ as our Savior, that moment you are commissioned as an ambassador Think about that for a second.

Chris Grainger: 6:14

That's crazy. That's crazy. That means you got to embrace it right. That means we have to embrace it in all aspects of life, not just part time. Not just part time or select people or special moments. No, this means we have to be. This is our identity now. It's a privilege, and that demands something of us. That demands something of us and I think, once we start thinking that way that demanding of something of us that challenges us to reflect him in our interactions with others Our response is when things go wrong at work and you get that email, you just want to throttle somebody.

Chris Grainger: 6:48

You know what I'm talking about. How are you going to respond then? Or how do you just treat strangers? Because the gospel is not just carried out in words. Please hear me this, hear me out here. The gospel is not just carried out in words. Please hear me this, hear me out here.

Chris Grainger: 7:02

The gospel is not just carried out in words. The gospel is reflected in our daily actions and our attitudes. It's such a big deal. This means every day, every day, we have to pick up that cross and intentionally live out our faith. Because it's not about perfection. Fellas and there's so many dudes including me I wanted everything to be perfect, but it's not about perfection. It's about authenticity and commitment to following Christ, leaning in to the hard things, because it's an amazing privilege, an amazing privilege that we have to be chosen to represent the King of Kings, lord of Lords, to knowing that through us, god is making his appeal to the whole world. Think about that and I'm hoping that just going to drive you forward, no matter your circumstances or where you're from, like this, is an incredible gift and responsibility and I just pray. We lean into the idea of being an ambassador. Now we represent him well and as we fulfill the calling that he's put on our life boldly I mean, it should just be a bold calling, I'm just telling you. So this week we're going to unpack this idea of being an ambassador a little bit more on our meat episode.

Chris Grainger: 8:18

This will just give you a little taste of this one scripture here, because I want you to be thinking about the entire throughout this week. What does being an ambassador for Christ look like in your life? Because it doesn't matter what Chris says, let's just be real, zero. But what scripture says? And when you read it with the mirror, and all of a sudden you set the binoculars down, you pick a mirror up and you start saying, okay, what is Scripture trying to show me here in my life? That's when a rubber meets a road. That's being a disciple, and that's what we're here to help you with. Again, this line with Dennis is all about discipling leaders, and I'm telling you, if you like these types of reflections, if you like these types of insights, this is the type of stuff that we do all the time within our community. So check it out Before we wrap up. Look straight up.

Chris Grainger: 9:04

The most important part of spiritual kickoff episodes every week the most important part by far outside of my reflections and things the Holy Spirit has revealed to me instance, talking about ambassadors is to make sure that you understand who our Lord and Savior is and why we choose to follow him. Why do we pick up this book and believe it to be inerrant, to be infallible, to be perfect, to be living and breathing. Why do we choose that? Well, it's because we have something, as believers in Jesus Christ, that the rest of the world doesn't, and that's just peace of mind. And I want to share with you. If you're listening right now and you don't have that peace, you don't have that assurance that you are a blood-bought son or daughter of the King.

Chris Grainger: 9:47

I just want to share with you the best news I know, and I'm not naive enough to think that every listener to the Lion with Dennis is a Christian. Yes, high probability. But if you have doubts, please hear me just very clearly here. You are made in God's image. You Now, you may think that you're jacked up and you're flawed, and in some cases, like I told again, I'm jacked up and I'm flawed, but you know what. God made me this way and he made you. I'm jacked up and I'm flawed, but you know what. God made me this way and he made you.

Chris Grainger: 10:18

And at the very beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, and the sun and the moon and all the different everything, all the elements, all the earth, the water, the land, the animals, he spoke all those things Until, until he got to making man. Then he formed him with his hand and he breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. And Adam was face to face with his creator. And I just think that's such a beautiful picture of the God that we serve, that loves us so much, that intimate connection with man. We know we're separated from the rest of the world. We just are. He gives us these wonderful things like thoughts and ideas and opportunities and this beautiful thing called life. And Adam was right there, he was perfect, he was perfect in the garden. And then, ultimately, what happened? About a page and a half of my Bible maybe two in yours, depending on how big the font is sin entered the world and sin separated us from him. Adam Right, adam had to leave the garden. It got really hard for us All. The things just got difficult.

Chris Grainger: 11:23

And you don't have to look around hard right now to see we live in a broken world. We just do. That's the reality. So you can either complain about it or accept it and figure out okay, if that is the current accepted reality, this world is broken, what am I doing here? And then, what's going to happen when I leave here? How am I going to get out and see? When you start thinking about those types of questions, it really pulls at you. Okay, this world's broken, I get it and there's nothing I can do to get out of here. Let's just face it At some point mortality rate still hovers around 100% we're all going to die and you can't take anything with you. The only thing you can take with you is praises and people. Baby, that's it. So there's nothing I can do.

Chris Grainger: 12:12

So many guys do try to do it, don't get me wrong here. So many guys try to be a good person and just be generous and loving and encouraging and all this good stuff, right, just things that are good, go to church and read your Bible, all the stuff that's inherently good. The problem is we're trying to earn our salvation through those works and it just doesn't work that way. So all the good works are just, you know, they're good, but they're not earning any salvation. That's the difference. So what we need as men in particular, we need someone to come in and do for us what we can't do for ourselves. And that's the hard part of it all, because most guys don't want to admit we need anything. We don't need a coach to help us get better because we can't get good enough. We need a Savior to come in and do something for us that we can't do for ourselves.

Chris Grainger: 13:01

In comes Jesus On a rescue mission. He left heaven for us directly. He lived the perfect life. He fulfilled all the different types of miracles, the prophecies, everything. He did it all. He showed us how we too could have salvation by putting our trust in him. Then he went to the cross and he paid a penalty for our sin by dying, giving his life up freely for us. They laid him in a tomb, but he was just there three days. We're not mourning Jesus' death. No, we're celebrating a risen Savior, and that's the difference between Christianity and all the other religions of the world. Jesus rose, he lives and right now he is right here in our Father, and he is the way, the truth and the life.

Chris Grainger: 13:50

If you're struggling with peace right now, or just any type of comfort in your life, I just want to offer you up. The author and perfecter of life is waiting for you, and if you're hearing my voice and you've never surrendered your life to Christ, you're here for a reason, and I don't know what it is. Maybe you're questioning a lot of stuff. Maybe it's. Maybe you're questioning a lot of stuff. Maybe you just somehow you got you just popped up and it looked interesting. You didn't know it was a Christian thing, but you're here for some reason.

Chris Grainger: 14:18

I just want to encourage you. There's an opportunity waiting for you right now to do work with God that you don't want to put off because many people put it off and they just I'll get to that later. You know, like YOLO, I'm going to do my thing and hopefully I get to the end. That's going to be good enough. I'm like, bro, that's terrible, terrible advice, completely terrible. You're missing so much joy and peace that God has for you right now. So that's you. I just encourage you to admit that you are a sinner. Just recognize, call it out, bro. Just call it out and recognize that you need a savior and that savior is Jesus. So turn from that sinful way, repent, but put your trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and confess Him as Lord, lord, over your entire life, and if you do that, the peace that passes all understanding is just going to come. You'll have the Holy Spirit to indwell. And I'm just telling you it's not going to be. It's not that things are going to be like super easy and things are so much better. It's still going to be hard, but it's going to be better Because you'll have the Holy Spirit guiding and directing you, and then you have the promise of eternal life waiting.

Chris Grainger: 15:24

So let's pray together. If you have never received Christ as your Savior and you just want somebody to pray with you, we do this every week on Align With Dennis. I'm going to pray with you right now and hopefully there's one person who's surrendering their life to Christ. Lord, let's pray, lord. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Every time we get to do an SKO and just take these few minutes just to share the good news of the gospel, we never know who's going to hear it, lord, but the cool part is you do and that's the great part you know and you can do far more than anything I could ever do with a podcast. I just pray that that one listener they're in a tough time right now they recognize they've gone too long running from you. They're ready to just surrender and just cling to you. God, I just pray you be with them, let them feel your presence. I just pray you put some people in their life. That's going to encourage them, and I'm so thankful that they made this bold decision right here today. We pray everything according to your will in Christ's name. Amen, all right.

Chris Grainger: 16:24

So look, if you just surrender your life to your Lordship of Christ, I want to hear from you. Send me an email, chris at thelinewithinus. I'm going to send you some free resources, all our Bible studies, some different downloadables and things like that Also want to help you get plugged into a good Bible-believing, gospel preaching church to make sure you're hearing the real truth as you move forward. So you have to be careful. Lots of wolves out there. So, chris at thelinewithinus, come back on Wednesday. Guys, we're going to have to really unpack this idea of being an ambassador even more and try to give you some insights, some reflections there. Hopefully that's going to be encouraging to you. And then also the lionwithinus that's thelionwithinus.

Chris Grainger: 16:59

Go check the website out. We have lots of ways you can connect with us, free resources as well, from our weekly roar to the different things we do with our YouVersion Bible studies. Guys, we have lots and lots and lots of resources out there ready at your disposal. And then for the guys that are ready to lean in and actually start being a disciple, to lean into the whole idea of being a disciple for leadership, the Lion Within Us community. That's what it's all about, guys.

Chris Grainger: 17:24

We have great, great ways to get started with this. We have ways that you can sponsor others, ways you can donate to the show. All of it's great ways to get started with us. We have ways that you can sponsor others, ways you can donate to the show. All of it's right there on the main website. So please, please, please, go check it out. Let us know what you think about it. Find some resources, find some tools, find some ways we can help. We have an assessment there that you can. All this stuff is free. Just hop on, take a Christian leadership assessment and see how you stack up. So, christian Leadership Assessment and see how you stack up. So, guys, have a great day. Thank you so much for listening. Give us a rating or a view, if you don't mind, and I will see you next time. Keep unleashing the lion within.

Chris Grainger: 18:05

I don't know about you, but I used to find Mondays really rough.

Chris Grainger: 18:09

I would find myself trying to reset for work, trying to get my bearing on the family calendar, trying to find time for my own spiritual growth and development, and often I found myself overwhelmed or just flatly ignoring aspects of my life that I know are meaningful to me.

Chris Grainger: 18:23

What I learned was that if I had immediate access to important and impactful spiritual topics and reflections to start my week well, after the allure of a Sunday sermon has passed, I would set my whole week up to be more meaningful and for the opportunity to make a true impact. If you think that getting such a boost would help your week to get started on the right foot, we would love for you to sign up for the Weekly Roar, which is our newsletter that is produced by the lion within us. Each week, we'll deliver a powerful reflection and practical steps to help you apply scripture with clarity and purpose, all being rooted in light and truth. So in just a few minutes, we hope to arm you with insights for living out biblical leadership with confidence and strength, and maybe even have a little extra bounce in your step. If that sounds useful, head over to the lion within. Dot us slash roar to sign up today. That's the lion within. Dot us slash ROA O A R to get your weekly roar today.