Welcome to The Line 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 your spiritual kickoff for the week. This is guess what? This is your last spiritual kickoff for 2025. Oh man, 2026 is just around the corner, guys. This is our New Year's week. Okay, so we're gonna be diving to talking about some new topics and some fun things, got some announcements and all that fun stuff, fellas. But let's get right into the word, okay? So scripture of the week this week is Isaiah 43. Looking at verses 18 and 19, it says, Do not call to mind the former things or consider the things of the past. Behold, I'm gonna do something new. Now it will spring up. Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness. Rivers in the desert. Fellas, love this scripture right here. Okay, so we're gonna unpack it. We're gonna see how we can simplify and apply this to our life because that's what the spiritual kickoff episodes are all about. And if you enjoy these every Monday when they come out, Monday through Friday, within the Lion Within Us, guess what? We do them live and it's all free. It's called the Daily Spiritual Kickoff. Head over to thelionwithin.us. Get started with that right now. All right, let's get into it. Where do we need to find Isaiah? Okay, well, last week we were in Isaiah's as well, so hopefully you remember. But it's in your Old Testament, okay? You get past your Psalms and your Proverbs, go past Song of Solomon, and boom, you hit Isaiah. And it's before Jeremiah. Okay, that's what's going to be just kind of give you a little reference point. Okay, so usually it's not too hard to find. About midway, really about midway, your Bible is where you're gonna land it. And I love the whole idea of God doing something new because when Isaiah spoke these words, God's people, they were in a tough spot, bro. Okay, they had to experience exile, rebellion, loss. Many have become trapped in regret, and they were looking backwards. They were not looking forwards, they were in a fixed mindset looking backwards, and through Isaiah, God was reminding them that the same God who parted the Red Sea and delivered them from Egypt wasn't finished. He was still working, and he was about to do something new. And this is not just a message for Israel, boys. This is a message for us too, right here, today, okay? Because this new year approaches, it's easy to get stuck replaying the past. You know, what didn't work, what you wish you'd have done different, or where you fell short. But God's saying, look, look, don't call to mind the former things. He's not telling you to ignore it, but stop living in it. Because yesterday's mistakes and victories, they can keep us from seeing the new things that he's grown right in front of us, right? So it's not just about the stuff where we fall down, even the stuff where we do great, that can keep us. We're just we're just stuck in that celebration mode. We can't see what God wants. When we walk in obedience, God's word shows us right here that he's gonna make a roadway in the wilderness. That means he's gonna meet us where we are and guide us step by step. See how that works? Even when it seems unclear, okay? So if you're like me, maybe you're a little slow and up to I definitely am, all right? And you need God to show you plainly where to go next. Guess what? He's gonna do that. He's gonna show you the next step. That's the beauty of this passage. Because the wilderness, think about the wilderness when you got into the woods, like it can be confusing. Like if it's easy to get turned around in the woods, it's easy to feel like you're isolated in the woods. You can very easily get, oh man, I'm not sure if I'm on the right path or not, right? Did we pass that tree already? You know what I'm saying? Yet right there, God is like, okay, even though you're in the wilderness, I'm gonna give you a road, right? And I'm gonna show you the path. It's gonna be a clear direction throughout all the chaos. And that river in the desert, check about think about this for a second. That's giving us a vision of life and refreshment when things are dry or impossible. Okay, so if you're looking at this next year and you're like, um, I don't know what to do, recognize this, bro. You don't have to map it out. Definitely not by yourself, because God is doing it with you. You just have to take the next step of obedience and trust that he's already paving the path. And look, at the end of the day, we ain't talking about something boring faith here. No, because a Christian life is not meant to be boring. The creator of the universe is always working, he's moving, he's shaping, he's refining, he's redeeming. And every season is an opportunity to see his creativity unfold in your life. So this is not something to dread. I know lots of people get worked up this time of year. It's not something to dread, it's something to anticipate. Because God is not waiting for your perfection. He just wants you to be part of it, bro. He just wants you to participate. So, right now, if you're walking in a season of fear or doubt and you're a little uncertain about 2026, you just don't know what God's calling you to, bro. Cling to the promise in Isaiah 43. He is doing something new. He's not recycling a bunch of old ideas, he's writing a new chapter in your story. And the blessings come, guys, simply when we start pursuing what he desires most. And that pursuit takes a couple things discernment and commitment. And it carries a hope that there's nothing in this world can compete with. Okay. So like your money, your your job, I mean, all the things you think to find you have pale in comparison with the hope we have in God. So I'm just my encouragement to use a step into this new year with confidence. Because the same God who led Israel through the wilderness that we're reading about right here in Isaiah 43, he's trading roadways where there weren't any. And he's making rivers where it felt dry. And he's doing something new. And we have to recognize that and be aware of it. Because if you're just in that stuck season of life, I just want to encourage you as well. Reach out to us at the line within us. We got guys that right now that would love to talk, encourage, support, uplift you in whatever your discipleship journey is looking like. 2026, I don't know what's got in your channel. I don't know what it has in store for me or the lion or my family. But I know one thing, we're just gonna follow God, whatever he's calling us to, whatever that next thing is, I'm gonna take that next step of obedience. And that's what you need to do as well. And it can be super hard. You gotta have some guys around you that are gonna be encouraging you and walking with you, and also give you some affirmations that, yeah, you're hearing what God's calling you. Like it just speaking those truths to you, God's word and to you, okay? And look, if you don't have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, like what are you waiting on? Like you're like, I don't know. Yeah, you're listening to the Lion, which is great. Thank you for listening. Lots of you guys are listening as just ask blown away by how many of you guys listen to the Lion. So you're listening to us, and we're talking about God's word, we're talking about applying God's word. But here's the thing: you can't just take the things that I'm trying to encourage you with and just go apply it without the Holy Spirit. It's gonna fall short at some point, okay? The only way this works to simplify and apply God's word is through the divine power of the Holy Spirit. And the only way you can be indwelt with the Holy Spirit is you have to submit your life to the Lordship of Christ. And the only way that's gonna happen is you have to truly understand the gospel. And that starts with understanding how God made us men in his image. That's the first thing he made with his hands. He spoke everything else, but he made man in his image. And then when he formed Adam with the dust of the ground, think about that. He took some dust, bro, and made a dude. Maybe that's why we're all dirty. I don't know. And he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, the rule of life. Then Adam was face to face with his creator, and it was awesome. It was absolutely incredible. Like we were made in the image of God. So, like when you look in a mirror right now, you see this jacked up flawed version of whatever you see. God's like, nope, he's made in my image. That's exactly the way I wanted him. That's exactly the way I was designed. This is perfect what I had in mind. That's the way God sees you. Okay. Now, there's a little bit of problem though, because it only went good in my Bible for like two pages. Okay. Because then after, you know, very early in Genesis, sin enters. And when sin entered the scene, guess what? That fractured the relationship between us and a holy and righteous God. Now we have this gap, bro. And this gap, we try to call, we try to close this gap on our own. We try to do good stuff and be good people and give money and help people and like go to church and read the Bible, all the stuff, right? Because if I could just be good enough, if I die, well not if when I die, if I get to heaven, I'll get in on my like a good, like I'm gonna show them all my Cub Scout badges, the good things I've done. Oh, come on in, brother. You you you really tried hard. It doesn't work that way. Oprah was wrong. There's not multiple paths to heaven. There's only one way. That's Jesus. So we can't work our way in, right? So we uh there's nothing I can do to coach you up to be a better version of you so that you can have a right standing before God. So if we can't do that, what do we need? We need somebody to come and do for us what we can't do for ourselves. That means we need a savior. That's where Jesus enters the scene. Like that's why he literally left heaven on that mission for us because he recognized they cannot do this. They can't overcome their sin. I'm gonna go pay the penalty for them because they can't do it on their own. He was born of a virgin, did all the prophecies, did all the teachings, did all the miracles, showed us, proved to us without a shadow of a doubt that he was Messiah. Then he went to the cross. And they nailed him to it, and he died. He didn't faint or go to sleep or pass out. He died on the cross. They laid him in a tomb, which is more like an Airbnb for Jesus. He just needed his three days, right? Because three days later, he overcame death. And that's the fundamental difference of what we celebrate and have hope with as Christians versus the rest of the world. We worship a living Savior. Bro, that's worth getting excited about. That's true, that's what we're getting super pumped up about. That's worth following. That he ascended to heaven. And it says right now, he is the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to Father except through him. There is no other name under heaven that's been given among men by which we must be saved. Jesus is it. So what you have to do to uh to really get the the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is you have to admit, first of all, that you've got a problem. Like, bro, I I I'm I'm a sinner. That's hard for lots of guys to say that I'm a sinner in need of a savior. But once you say it, bro, it's it's very freeing. And then after you remit your sinner in need of a savior, I guess the second thing is you've got to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Like, truly believe that Christ is Lord. And once you recognize that to be true, then we have to confess him as Lord and Savior of our life. And that's it. That's it's it's not complicated, but it does challenge you. Because that means you're gonna have put Jesus in front of everything of your life of your bedroom, of your computer, of work, your marriage, your kids. He leads it all. And when you surrender to that, he becomes Lord, it's gonna change things, man. It's just gonna change things. It's gonna be so much better. It's not gonna be easy. Like there's the the attacks are still gonna come. This is not like a get out of of you know life's trials and tribulations card that you can just use because now I'm a Christian. No, that doesn't work that way. But it's definitely a lot better walking with him. So if you've never done that, now's the time to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. So, Father, for that one listener, they know they're hearing me right now. They know they need to take that step of obedience. I pray you hear their prayer as they confess you as Lord and Savior of their life. Also know that the evil one's gonna go into attack mode right now because he is not happy. So I pray to hedge the protection around them. And Lord, I pray you put people in their life that are gonna walk alongside them as they begin this discipleship journey. We love you so much, God. We praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. So look, if you just accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, touchdown, let's stink and go. Send me an email, though. I'd love to hear from you. Chris at, and that's C-H-R-I-S at the LionWithin.us. Okay. I'm gonna send you some free sources. I got some things, I got lots of stuff we put together, but I got some things from some scriptures that will help you get started. I'd also love just to connect with you on a call just to give you some encouragement, to pray over you and help you think through, okay, what is the next step God's calling you to? Like you need to get find a church. What does that look like? What do you, you know, what are some things to consider when you look for a church? All that fun stuff, fellas. Main thing is just pray with you and just give you that high five, all right? Love to hear from you, okay? So look, New Year's episode will be a little bit different. I'm gonna share some things this week that's gonna be that reflecting back on 2025 and then looking forward to 2026. So lots of things happening, lots of things moving, and uh, hopefully you're gonna enjoy that. Okay. So, question of the week this week is how do you stop clinging to the past this new year? You know, we all have to think about that, right? We can't just cling on to the things of the past. We gotta be moving forward, we've got to be advancing, have that growth mindset, all the stuff we talk about at the lion each and every day, right? So that's the main thing I want to have you to think about. All right. So hopefully we'll see you next time. Thelionwithin.us starts your daily spiritual kickoff, start your community experience, start, you know, put in an application for a leadership mastermind. That's your three steps. Open the Bible app, follow the lion within us on the Bible app. Have tons and tons and tons of reading plans there, fellas. So hang with us there, connect with us, let us know how we can serve you, okay? All right, have a great day. We'll see you next time. Happy New Year again. Just keep on leashing the lion within. Trying to find genuine resources to help grow spiritually can feel overwhelming. At least it was for me. For the longest time, the support that I was looking for didn't exist. And I knew I wasn't alone. And at the same time, God was leading me to take action. That's why we built the line within us community, which is simply a place for Christian men to grow together in an honest, practical way that's always rooted in God's word. We've made it simple. We have our daily spiritual kickoff for that little boost to get you going. We have Bible studies focusing on discerning truth and applying it. And we have a private forum where you can speak freely amongst other guys who listen. And then we have things like Friday Forge, Couples Night, where we cut tackle the hard items that guys are craving to talk about. But most face settings just refuse to explore these areas. So our community is about a growth mindset, intentionality and transparency. Simply put, leave the mask at the door and come as you are. No perfect resume, just a willing heart and a desire to lead. I believe in what we built. Simply because I've seen God use it to strengthen so many men. And I'd be honored to walk alongside you. So if you're ready, visit the LionWithin.us to explore the community. Start your free trial. Look around and see how this could help you lead with clarity and courage. So your journey begins right here at the lionwithin.us. I look forward to seeing you inside the den.