Chris Grainger: 1:38

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, this is a special episode, ok, and I'm going to be straight up. I don't have a lot of notes, I don't have a lot of prep work, I'm just going to speak to the heart for it to you in this episode. We'll see how it goes, because we have a big announcement and, again, if you listen to the Lion week in and week out, you know we have a spiritual kickoff. We have our meat episode, we have our fun Friday.

Chris Grainger: 2:07

This is a little bit different. I'm not going to be going through tips, I'm not going to be diving through and unpacking scripture to simplify and apply, and definitely not interviewing anybody today. But God laid something on my heart when we started the lion and we're at the point now to where it's really starting to take form and I'm so excited to share it with you and I'm just going to take a few minutes. So, again, if this is not your thing, just hit next. Don't worry about listening to this one, but if you're interested in seeing what we've built, what God has laid on my heart, what he's laid on the line within us and how we're trying to serve others. You may enjoy just hearing what we're, what we're ready to put forth.

Chris Grainger: 2:47

Ok, and this stemmed a lot from my personal journey. Ok, so I grew up, you know I got saved around 16 years old. There was not a lot of spiritual type of mentors that were teaching me and showing me the way. Again, my dad is my hero. I always go to him, but outside of him there were no other men. There were no other men that were speaking biblical truth into my life and therefore I drifted for a long time. And that's why starting a Lion has been such a journey, because I recognize I can't do this by myself and we shouldn't even attempt to do this thing called Christianity and a discipleship journey without others. And so for the last probably 18 months at the Lion Within Us, we've been trying some things and really working through how to serve guys in a truly meaningful way, not just surface level junk fellas I'm talking about how can we actually help those. And we tried some things. Quite frankly, some things just didn't work and some things we learned from, we learn from and when it comes down to the problem that we started identifying in me as well as the problem in others.

Chris Grainger: 4:04

A couple of things kept surfacing up. Guys were pretty isolated. They were feeling like they just they're by themselves a lot. They didn't have a lot of people to turn to. So much stuff, particularly from a church setting, felt very surface level. You know I'm not picking on churches, you know, I'm just saying it can be very surface. It can be hard to plug in at a truly intimate level there.

Chris Grainger: 4:27

A lot of guys feel confused. They didn't know how to do including me. I didn't know how to lead a Bible study with my family. I didn't know how to pray with my wife. You know, I thought the spiritual leader of my family was our children's pastor. Quite, the spiritual leader of my family was our children's pastor.

Chris Grainger: 4:41

Quite frankly, I mean for the longest time, and I think a lot of the feedback as well is so many guys are just passive when it comes to anything spiritual and that's just not what we're called to do. You know, because faith when you go to, if you go to a church setting, quite frankly, so many of the functions of the church are ran by women and nothing against women Because they stepped in and do because men weren't there to do it and they've done that and so many have done that. And to the point where guys are just we're just passive. There and I'm telling you, man, there was a gap, a massive gap that I recognized in me on who I was during the week versus who I was maybe on Sunday as soon as we leave church, right, and that shouldn't be. It shouldn't be that way, like if we are truly ambassadors for Christ, ambassadors on the clock all the time. And I started just really thinking about that and ruminating and praying and asking God and he said you know what? You need? A band of brothers. Because it says in Proverbs 27, 17,. Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another right. So if I don't have that band of brothers in my life that are sharpening me, then that's a gap and that leaves me susceptible to attacks from the evil one. So I had to do something.

Chris Grainger: 6:05

So again, 18 months ago, the Lord laid on my mind look, you got to get some groups together, you got to start formalizing some groups with some guys, start having these conversations so that you can have these, you know, be authentic, you can be compassionate, you can be transparent. You can talk about the stuff you're struggling with without any fear of condemnation, without any fear of if I tell you this area that I'm struggling with, you're going to run until whoever and it's going to get back and next thing you know it's just going to be circling all around. Can't have that Again with our platform at the Lion. God's like do it there. We did, and we started getting some groups. We called them mastermind groups. You can call them whatever you want discipleship groups, mastermind groups and we found out that the guys really leaned in and we played with it a little bit on trying to figure out the best way to get the mastermind groups executed, if you will.

Chris Grainger: 7:01

And we found that what really worked well is when a small group of guys seven, eight guys come together and and we're trying to help one guy solve one item in his life, and it could be with his marriage, it could be with his finances, it could be struggling with pornography, it could be in his career. He's stuck at work, right, whatever it may be, or doesn't know how to be a spiritual leader of his home. You get where I'm going and we came up with a framework to help us, as Christian men help that guy in that moment, not from a secular worldview, but biblically. Let's approach him biblically. How can we serve that brother in this time of need? And I'm telling you, that thing took off. The guys absolutely loved it. Those meetings were incredible. And then we tried some other stuff and we learned that that just didn't work.

Chris Grainger: 7:56

So at the beginning of this year 2025, we said you know what? We're going all in, we're going to build this system so that this can serve guys in a truly meaningful way. And that's where we're at right now and that's what this episode is all about, because we are launching our leadership masterminds. And this is not something out there, that's, you know, some fly by night and just we're throwing something at the wall and hopefully that sticks. I'm telling you, guys, we have been working nonstop for the last six months, easily for the last six months, with a group of guys within the line, within us, and those guys have been meeting, quite frankly, almost weekly with us as we frame in and shape up the best way that we feel God is calling us to serve men and to bring them together. And those meetings have gone all over the place from pros and cons and don't do this, definitely do this. And how do we actually put the functionality together? And we've got the structure set up now. You know we have it set up where these groups are going to get together every other week. We have an entire system built. So when you come, if you're in what we call the hot seat, there is a very detailed set of instructions that the facilitator will work through.

Chris Grainger: 9:23

And the cool part about the way we're doing this we're leveraging data. Again, I'm an engineer. We've got a lot of smart guys that work with the line. Within us. We're leveraging data so that when you go through a mastermind session, it's just not, you know, wipe your hands off and go about your business. You're going to get the reminders, you're going to get the follow-ups, you're going to get the accountability, you're going to get the check-ins, because the work is done after the meeting. Let's just be real.

Chris Grainger: 9:52

You need to help identify what to do, but then, once we've identified that, then it's time to get to work, and that I'm telling you the system we've built is absolutely it's a God thing. I didn't build it straight up, so I'm not smart enough to build that, but it's a God thing when we look and see how it's going to serve and how it is serving people right now. And I'm telling you, fellas, it's, it's going to make an impact. And then, after you go through that issue, whatever it is and it could be something small or it could be something huge we're doing a one-on-one with that individual. I'm doing those right now with the guys that are going through the mastermind sessions directly, and then we have a great. Ultimately, what you're getting is a personal board of advisors that are coming alongside to help guide you. It's going to be there for you so it's not just like you come to this meeting every two weeks and you never talk to each other again. We've built the system so you guys can talk as often as you want, where you can throw stuff out. You don't have to wait for a designated time. And I'm telling you guys are leaning in and this is where those brotherhoods are going to really start forming. Guys are leaning in and this is where those brotherhoods are going to really start forming.

Chris Grainger: 10:57

I've also noticed that, because we do everything online, this is a digital solution, fellas, so these are all virtual meetings, so you don't have to drive and try to coordinate all the logistics. No, pull up your phone. Just pull up your phone or your computer, whatever works, and hop on the meeting. And a great part of that as well is there's a little bit of distance, typically between our members. We have members in Canada, united States, we have a member in Australia. They're all over, ok.

Chris Grainger: 11:24

And what I've noticed by running groups this way is that guys start opening up a whole lot quicker. Maybe it's because they can talk about items and they're not worried about running into you at the restaurant after church or to the grocery store later in the week. I don't know. I just know we're using this thing called technology and we're leveraging the heck out of it for good, and it's creating conversations that are truly going to move the needle and make an impact. So, again, we had that, that going on, and we're launching these again. We've been beta testing for 18 months, but now we're actually launching them officially. They're starting in july. So that's why this episode is coming out right now and this I'll be straight up. This is not for everyone, okay. You may not be ready for conversations like this, and to help us understand if you are.

Chris Grainger: 12:20

What we've built is a very comprehensive assessment. We call it a leadership assessment, but it's 80 questions. There's it's multiple choice, but there's also some text fields where you have to answer some questions directly because we want to see where you are in your personal discipleship journey and are you going to be a good fit? Are you coachable? Are the areas that you want to work on areas that we feel like we can serve? So I would encourage you if you're interested and you want to just learn more. We're not asking for any commitments or anything right now. What I'm asking for is for just go to thelinewithinus and then put in a slash mastermind. It's on the front page as well. If you scroll down, you'll see it and that'll take you to a webpage where you can actually click a link and you can start taking the assessment immediately. Or you can just fill out your name and your email and we'll reach out to you with details on how to get started.

Chris Grainger: 13:17

But the groups we're starting off with two groups. We're starting small. Again, big things often have small beginnings. We're starting with two groups. The group sizes we're capping them at seven plus a facilitator. So, guys, this is not where you're going to come in. You're going to be surrounded by 30 people and you're never going to be heard. That's not how this works, and these guys again meet every other week and as we grow interest, we'll add groups and hopefully we'll add more groups and we're just excited to see how this is going to serve guys in a meaningful way.

Chris Grainger: 13:48

Now, for the month of june, we've also done a like a on a founder's initial type of offer where we're offering some pretty substantial savings for guys that lock in this month. So there is that caveat. And I also want to mention one thing the financial component. Yes, there, there, there is a, there is a, a, a cost associated with this, because we put a lot of work. This is, this is essentially the system that's going to serve guys in a, in a meaningful way, but we've built it in such a way that you could present this to your employer as leadership development and we had the forms and instructions on how to help you do that, how to help you have that conversation, because it's not a big investment at all from an employer standpoint.

Chris Grainger: 14:34

Okay, and those employers, if you're sharing up things at home, if you're sharing up things with your finances, if you're focusing on how you can improve as a leader at work, I'm telling you all these things okay, from a biblical counsel standpoint are going to impact the man that you are when you show up to whatever job you have. Whether you're in the C-suite or you're in the mechanic shop, it doesn't matter. Whatever job you find yourself in, you want the best. We're bringing excellence to the workplace. Right? The mastermind is going to help you with that. So you're going to find that employers are going to get behind this. They're going to be able to serve this Many of the guys.

Chris Grainger: 15:14

Right now, the way they've set it up, it's as expensive as a business expense for professional development. So it's a very easy way to do that. So we have multiple ways. You can look at it Again. This could be just a personal expense and you put it as your monthly budget expense. And you put it as your monthly budget. That's great. Or potentially, you can take this to an employer. So let's at least have the conversation so we can figure out what's best for you. Okay, so fellas again, the lion withinus slash. Mastermind is how you learn more. To see what we're doing. Again, we're launching in July.

Chris Grainger: 15:44

Right now, there is a ton of work going in place where we have guys who are working through, having conversations with guys just learning, just trying to see how we can serve. At the end of day, we ain't selling anything and I've told all the guys we're not selling anything. It's all about serving. Here's what we've built. Here's how we help.

Chris Grainger: 16:05

If you feel like you're struggling in these areas and you need some support and you don't currently have it, we'd like for you to check it out and let's talk about it. And if it doesn't align, I will be the first person to say you know what? This is not going to be a good fit, and that's okay. We can't serve everybody, but the ones that we can, the ones that God puts on our hearts, that out and shows us, we're going all in and I'm telling you I've had more fire for the lion within us over the last six months since God gave me the vision of starting the lion, you know, almost four years ago now. It's just clear. This is what he's calling it and I think I'm encouraged by the guys, by the feedback, by the, the work we've put in to study the, the reps, quite frankly, to get this figured out.

Chris Grainger: 16:57

So if you don't have that strong men's group, that strong bounded brothers that you can actually speak truth to, that are going on. That you can bring up if you're struggling with pornography. That you can bring up when you're you don't have enough money to make the end of the month end right. When you can bring up when you and your wife are just not on the same page and you don't know if you're ever going to be on the same page ever again. You don't have those guys you can talk to about those things with intimately. You're missing out.

Chris Grainger: 17:26

And the last thing I want to encourage you to think about is this Every one of us has a story. Every one of us has a testimony. Every one of us has gone through trials. Don't waste them.

Chris Grainger: 17:40

Now, why do I say that? Because I've gone through a lot of trials. I mean I'm very open and candid on the podcast. I've gone through a divorce. I've gone through, you know, significant weight loss where I was obese. I mean it was not healthy, it was bad guys. You know 330 pounds blood pressure medicine all this in my 20s. I've lost a child. I've had to go through that grieving process. I've gone through, you know, the financial recognition of oh my gosh, like we are completely upside down and we're bleeding every month. What are we going to do, going through, taking a step of obedience, and God says you know what you need to lead the subdivision and go to a farm and just like, not no clue how to do a run a farm. So I've gone through these experiences and what good would it be if I just kept them in my back pocket.

Chris Grainger: 18:35

So when you start thinking about the mastermind, don't think about it. I encourage you, not just from a selfish standpoint Now I know that's how we're going to do it Like, what am I going to get from this? Totally get it. But think also what can you offer someone else? If you've gone through that financial hurdle, if you've overcome pornography, if you've gone through that divorce, or if you've been knocked down a few times at work and finally figured out how to climb the corporate ladder, god's way you may be put in a room and an opportunity for a man who's really struggling for you to not only share your experiences but to share biblical wisdom to him in the moment that he needs it the most. And I'm telling you, fellas, there's nothing more critical in this whole thing we call the human experiment, if you will, of us coming together and serving each other, and what a truly meaningful way, as you're coming at it with God's word. You're coming at it from your testimony on what God has done in your life and no one can refute your testimony, guys. So I'm telling you, it's just an amazing opportunity at your feet to be served for sure, but also to serve others and to not just keep those life experiences in your back pocket never to be used.

Chris Grainger: 19:56

So, hopefully, this, that's it Again. There's no big push. I'm not. There's not a big you know. Act now, do this. I'm not going to do that. I'm simply going to ask you to go to the line within that US and put that slash mastermind. Or if you just go to the main page and scroll down, you'll see leadership mastermind on the right hand side, right next to our community. Click on that. It takes you to the information page and you can learn more from there. How about that? So, guys, I highly encourage you to do it If you have any questions. Also, I just want you to make this clear when you go through that assessment and you get to the end, you'll find my scheduler there, because I will.

Chris Grainger: 20:36

Any man, any man that goes through and does that assessment, I'm committing I want to at least have a conversation with you. I want to hear more about your story. I'm obviously going to see a lot of information that you're going to share, and it's going to be 100 percent pride that we're not sharing this stuff out. By the way, we keep all the data. We own the data. We own the databases. It's not anywhere that we're putting this anywhere else. You don't have to worry about it being released from that standpoint. But I want to have a conversation with you, so maybe it'd just be a fun way for us to chat as well, but I promise you we're going to make that happen. We're going to talk and we're going to find out if this is right for you and if so, we'll get you plugged into the right group. How about that? All right, guys, I really appreciate it. That's all we have for this episode. Again, the Lion Within dot. Us slash mastermind. We'll make sure that that is in the show notes as well, so that for this particular episode, if you're listening, you should just be able to click on that link, go directly to that page and check it out If you know guys that you think would be interested, because, look, we can do groups with guys that you know if you desire that, we can, we can.

Chris Grainger: 21:42

We are very flexible on how we can build this. Share this out with other guys. Okay, maybe you got guys all over, you got buddies all over the country. You've never been able to figure it out. This could be the solution to get you guys plugged back in, to get you leaning in. So share it with others out there, particularly the Christian men in your life that you think are ready to lean in and to do what God's called them to do.

Chris Grainger: 22:04

So I'm excited, I'm pumped up, I'm tired because we have been thrashing. So I would ask it just for prayers as we launch this, as we cause. I guarantee the last thing that you want, wants, is for us to go out there and bring Christian men together, meaningful way to have some conversations and some engagement, some true iron, iron, sharpening, iron moments. He does not want that, but that's okay. That's okay, and I can tell you the band of brothers that we have assembled that are going to be leading the charge. I can tell you the band of brothers that we have assembled that are going to be leading the charge. I'm just honored to know them, I'm just honored to have them in my life and the fact that you'll be able to sit down in a room and have these guys pour into you and hear where you're at, and truly hear where you're at, and speak life and encouragement to you. It's the most excited I've ever been guys, so I'm honored for them.

Chris Grainger: 22:55

God has done some great things to bring people in my path, to get the lion to this point. For my mentors, I got two in particular I'm thinking of right now. I can't even begin to say what you guys mean to me and just the wise counsel has gotten us to this point. So again, thelionwithinus, that's it, fellas. Thank you so much for listening to me, and just the wise counsel has gotten us to this point. So again, the lion within that us. That's it, fellas. Thank you so much for listening. If you have any questions, please and again, my email, chris, at the lion within that us, send me an email directly. I want to be completely as available and as transparent as possible and, hopefully, to hear from you and look forward to talking to you about our new leadership mastermind. All right, get after it, fellas. Thank you so much. Keep unleashing the lion within. I've got something big to share.

Chris Grainger: 23:40

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: 23:47

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.