Chris Grainger: 1:10

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, fellas, it is fun Friday time. I'm excited to be here with you. I'm actually recording this on a Friday, so that makes it even better for me. How about that? So let's jump right into it.

Chris Grainger: 1:26

Our scripture of the week this week is in Philippians 2, verse 7. Okay, he says, but emptied himself by taking the form of a bondservant and being born in the likeness of men. So, guys, we took some time on our spiritual kickoff episode this week and we unpacked that one at length, really, just to try to dive into it deep. And the whole point of the spiritual kickoff again is to help you simplify and apply god's word to your life. Now, this one thing to have had knowledge is just know all these verses right, and I hope you do. It's another thing to apply it and start walking it out. If you need encouragement with applying god's word, we do the spiritual kickoff, monday through friday, within our line, within us community, and this is all for free. We've've completely opened that up, guys. So head over to thelionwithinus and start your daily spiritual kickoff experience today. Get started. I'd love to see you there. The cool part is, if you can join while I'm going live inside the platform, we can chat directly. And if you can't make it live, don't worry, we post all the video content right there for you. So it's literally exclusive the lion within us. We don't put that anywhere else, it's just for those guys. So head over and get started.

Chris Grainger: 2:40

Today Really had a lot of fun talking with Will Parker Anderson Great young man, three kids doing some great work in the Christian type of content creation arena. So super excited and pumped to have him on. Hopefully you guys enjoyed that one. It was a fun. I really liked that. We went down the AI conversation and started opening that up, because that's something that's Christian man. We need to know how to navigate that stuff. And look, I use AI for emails and for different. I use some AI to help with craft emails for a lion or to help with posts and stuff like that, and even to clean up some of my language that I'm writing with. So I'm working with it as well, trying to figure out what's the balance, what's the right way. Again, direct thought, reflection that needs to come from the person. I think AI, if anything, it potentially is harming us from our ability to critically think deeply, and that's what we had to be on awareness of and make sure that's not happening. Ok, so enjoy that conversation. We hope you guys did too.

Chris Grainger: 3:39

So for our fun, friday, we do a tips. We do a health, wealth and a self tip. So if you're new to the lion, the health really focuses on our mind and our body. How do we strengthen those? Wealth is around stewardship, around finances and careers. What do we need to do to improve that? And self is not just how do you look at yourself in the mirror. Self is no more husband, father. What do I need to do? What can we do to strengthen those areas of our life? Okay, so we're going to give a tip for you for each one of them.

Chris Grainger: 4:09

So, for the health tip is to consider fasting for a week from a comfort. Okay, now, that comfort may vary depending on who you are. It could be sugar. That would be one for me. That would be very difficult, right, I got a sweet tooth. It could be social media you just need to fast there, maybe just screen time. And the whole idea is to pick one area, one simple small area, and deny yourself, simply deny yourself, and in those moments when you're, when you're feeling the craving to, to, to indulge in whatever that item is, instead, replace it with time with god. Okay, because that discomfort maybe could be a way for you to reflect and to remind yourself of what christ did for you, right, and his humility and his self-denial. Because I certainly didn't want to go to the cross, but he did it. And again, just do it for a week. You don't have to be a hero. You don't want to go to the cross, but he did it. And again, just do it for a week. You don't have to be a hero. You don't have to do 40 days or anything like that. Just try for a week, see how it goes and see how that encourages you. Now, from a health standpoint, you may want to do something from an actual food or something like that. But fasting is not just that. It could be. I mentioned earlier, you know, social media, cell phone usage, whatever it may be, just screen time in general. Ok, I guess that's your health tip is fast from one comfort this week. Now the self, the wealth tip.

Chris Grainger: 5:43

Rather, let's think about our work standpoint. When we're at work, the tip itself is very simple. When we're at work, the tip itself is very simple Serve someone. And specifically in this way, I encourage you to find a way to elevate a colleague without trying to get any recognition for it. That's the caveat. That's the hard part, because when we do stuff, we want to be recognized for doing it. Yet in this challenge, I'm asking you to do it without the recognition. Maybe it's helping with the project, or maybe it's just simply giving them a word, or sticking with our theme of the week this week a note of encouragement. Or maybe you need to defer some credit. You know when that credit is coming your way, instead of just puffing your chest down like that's right. Maybe you say you know what Actually. So so was a, they really had a big impact on this. I'm telling you what you're doing in those moments is you're practicing quiet influence. You're quietly growing your influence by serving others, and that's just a beautiful way to to show your obedience to God, what he's calling you to do, and to walk it out serve someone at work, all right.

Chris Grainger: 7:04

Now the self tip this week. It's kind of weird one. Do the invisible chore OK? So think about how you serve your spouse and serve you know and lead it home. So think about how you serve your spouse and serve you know and lead at home. So pick a task at the house that no one wants to do or at least no one Apparently they claim blindness and lean into that. Now, it could be laundry, could be dishes. It could be plugging up that thing in the wall. When you hit a button, it cuts on and sucks up dirt. It's called a vacuum cleaner fellas. It could be plugging up that thing in the wall. When you hit a button, it cuts on and sucks up dirt. It's called a vacuum cleaner fellas. It could be running that right.

Chris Grainger: 7:41

And the whole idea is, if we're going to be the leaders of our home, we have to be the chief, serve the servers as well, okay, and that's just. It quite often starts in the small, little hidden things. Right, it doesn't have to be this big, grandiose type of thing that you're doing, but a small item, maybe it's for your spouse, but do that invisible chore and see how that just encourages people, particularly the ones that live in your home and look up to you and respect you, to see how that, how that sits with them. All right. So your three tips? Your health, wealth and self. That's your. Fast from one comfort. So that's your challenge. Fast from a comfort. Then go serve somebody at work, that's your second thing. And then do the invisible chore. If you can those three out for a week. Fellas, I'm telling you, it's just going to put you on so much of a better path, all right.

Chris Grainger: 8:40

So our book of the week this week actually came from one of our newest members of our community named Brent. He called this book Smarter, better, faster, and it's all about motivation and getting things done. He openly told me this is a secular book but there's some great things there. So he recommended that to me. I'm going to be trying to read it very soon, so I'm recommending it to you. So smarter, better, faster All right.

Chris Grainger: 9:05

Now for our dad jokes. We got two good ones this week for us. One of them is from our buddy, cameron, who's in our community. So thank you, cameron, for our dad joke. This is the one he submitted. In he says did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac? He kept himself up at night wondering if there is a dog. That's pretty good. Oh, camera's awesome, by the way. So really like that. One. Number two if April, if April showers bring Mayflowers, what do Mayflowers bring? And the answer there is simple Pilgrims. So there you go, fellas, number one and number two. Did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac? He kept himself up at night wondering if there was a dog? And number two if April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims? So let me know which one hits best? Fellas, number one, number two, one number two again.

Chris Grainger: 9:57

The whole point of a dad joke is to get an eye roll. So don't be going at this from like. They're terrible, chris. I know the whole point is they're supposed to be terrible, but if you get an eye roll, if you get a sigh, you know. If you get a smirk, you know you're on to something.

Chris Grainger: 10:10

Fellas, there you go and look, if you have a dad joke, you want jokes in at what we're going to do, we'll use it. We'll give you a shout out on the show and we'll also hook up with some free resources just for helping us out. How about that? So the question of the week, this week, fellas is all about are you being more focused on being seen than being faithful? And this is where we have to be super careful and super convicting. Look I, I want you to do stuff. I want you to do stuff for the glory of God, but it can't always be about the recognition, because sometimes we're going to do stuff and the recognition just ain't going to be there, and that should not be motivation to not do it. We still have to lean in and take those steps of obedience. Okay, so, fellas, thank you so much for listening and for hanging out.

Chris Grainger: 10:56

Thelionwithinus is where you can find all our resources. I mentioned several times about our leadership mastermind. Super pumped on that. I can't tell you the number of hours and dedication and just absolutely blood, sweat and tears we have poured into this. And now we're ready. We're so ready because I know, first of all, the most important thing God gave me this this is completely from God and I've seen it have an impact on men directly and impact their lives in a truly meaningful way.

Chris Grainger: 11:32

And I would encourage you head over to thelinewithinus and if you scroll down, you'll see the leadership mastermind there. Start your process, just shoot us. And if you scroll down, you'll see the leadership mastermind there. Start your process. Just shoot us your name, your email. We'll reach out.

Chris Grainger: 11:47

This is not something we're just out there just selling. That's not how this works. First of all, we want to see is this going to be right for you? So there's an assessment that you have to do and it's a very in-depth assessment and it's all online, but we want to just see hey, is this a good fit? So, again, thelinewithinus is where you find that, after your assessment, we'll reach out, we'll have a conversation and we're going to find out. Do we think the leadership mastermind is right for you, or maybe this isn't the right season? But you'll find out by heading over to your website and getting started.

Chris Grainger: 12:19

And also the community, the line within that us, our communities, right there. That's a great way for fellowship. We have our Bible studies, we have our line lunch, we have couples night, we have Friday forge all the things to encourage you in your walk, and we know you need, you have to have that encouragement. So we have it ready and it's all right there in the palm of your hands in the app that we have All right. So, guys, we'll see you next time. Thank you so much for hanging out. Hopefully we'll see you next week. If you would give us a rating and review, that helps big time. If you want to be a supporter of the show, go to the line within that US, click on that, donate and connect with us there. That would be wonderful to help us continue to build the items that we're building to serve others.

Chris Grainger: 12:57

And then the last thing is the Bible app. Since this week was all about writing, I spent a lot of time writing these devotions for the Bible app from YouVersion. They are great to work with. I absolutely love the team over at YouVersion and they're really doing a lot to promote the Lion Within us and our content. So if you haven't checked out any of our Bible studies or our devos yet, head over to thelinewithinus, click on that.

Chris Grainger: 13:21

Free resources Click on Bible plans and you can find ways to connect there directly. And, by the way, if we actually go through those plans inside the Bible app usually about two a month, so you'll see a calendar there. If you want to come through those and be part of that journey with us, we'd love to have you. So it's all that's right there at the lionwithinus, all right, have a great day. Jeez Louise, what was that? Have a great day, guys. Get after it and just keep unleashing the lion within. I've got something big to share.

Chris Grainger: 13:52

We're making a major shift because we know the battle was real and it's time more men had access to the support they need.

Chris Grainger: 13:59

For too long, guys have been trying to carry the weight alone pressure at work, tension at home, wounds from the past in a world that demands strength but offers no place to rest. We see it, we've lived it and that's exactly why we built our community. It's a stronghold, a place where warriors can find rest, truth and a band of brothers standing beside them. And starting now, we're making it easier than ever to step in. We've lowered the barrier to just $15.99 a month. That means, for less than the cost of a drive-thru lunch, you can join a brotherhood that's centered on Christ and built for growth. Inside you'll find access to our daily spiritual kickoffs every Monday through Friday, our Lion Lunches, our Bible studies, our Friday Forge gatherings all that and so much more. Every man needs a stronghold and you don't have to fight alone. If you've been waiting for the right time to jump in, this is it. Go to thelionwithinus and join the community and see for yourself what happens when iron truly sharpens iron.