Welcome And Spiritual Kickoff

Chris Grainger 1:43

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, spiritual kickoff time. Let's get into it. Okay. So the scripture of the week this week is the Proverbs, the 28th one, the 19th verse. It says, one who works his land will have plenty of food. But one who follows empty pursuits will have plenty of poverty. So that's a good verse right there, boys. Let's see how we can simplify and apply this into our life. Okay. So look again, spiritual kickoff. We do them Monday through Friday at the Lion Within Us, guys. We call it the daily SKO, Daily Spiritual Kickoff. Get that acronym right. So look, it gives you access. So when we do the daily live, you can join that live. If you can't make them live, don't worry about it. We put those videos there. That content lives right there within our platform, guys. And it also gives you access to our prayer request space where we have a weekly prayer call and but also a forum. So you can just lay out your prayer requests. Just you just share those. And I guarantee you, when they are shared, these guys from all over the world are lifting them up, guys. So all that can be found at thelionwithin.us. Okay. So now before we get into unpacking this verse, we need to know first of all, where's Proverbs? We don't want to take this stuff for granted, right? So Proverbs, towards the middle of your Bible, you'll see you'll see the Psalms. You typically, if you just open up your Bible, you'll hit pretty close to Psalms. You just flip past that, you'll get to Proverbs. There's 31 of them. If you go too far, you get Ecclesiastes. Okay, so just back up a little bit. So that's where you're going to find it. It's in your Old Testament. And we see this whole idea of putting our hand to the plow. And I think it's so important for us to just take some time when we look to take verses like this and just take a step back and how can we apply it? And I've noticed with the lion, there's a pattern. We're talking with lots of dudes, and many are surprised by this where where they ended up, you know, the state of their lives. They're confused by maybe they're not progressing as far as they thought, or they're frustrated with their outcomes, or they're quick to look for an external explanation of why things just aren't working out. And sometimes the blame just lands on circumstances, or sometimes it lands on other people. Or sometimes you hear this all the time. Well, it's just it's just it's the it's the devil. It's the devil. But when you slow down and you actually look at it, the issue sometimes is far simpler. And quite frankly, it's it's far more uncomfortable. The work that they're supposed to do just ain't getting done. They just, they just they just they're not putting in the effort. And we have to stop blaming the enemy for what we refuse to own. Let's say that again. We got to stop blaming the enemy for what we refuse to own. Because this proverb is honest, boys. It doesn't leave any room for excuses or like spiritual gymnastics years. No, it's it says if you put in and you till that land, you're gonna have plenty. And if you don't, uh and you chase emptiness instead, well, you're gonna get exactly what you're gonna reap that. Nothing. And it says not Sunday, not theoretically, but inevitably it's gonna happen. And we're sometimes where it's way too quick to blame spiritual opposition when the primary issue is personal responsibility. Scripture doesn't deny that spiritual warfare is real. I get it. I fully believe that. But it also refuses to excuse laziness, passivity, or neglect. And many of the battles we face are not attacks, they're consequences, bro. And I know it firsthand. There was a season of my life where, quite frankly, I was just my health was in the toilet. I was 130 pounds overweight. And then I had an explanation for everything about why I was that way. It was stress, or it was genetics, or it was my schedule, or just why I was just too busy. Anything but the truth. The truth was I wasn't willing to put in the work. Right? I wasn't willing to put in the effort to change. I wasn't disciplined, I wasn't intentional, I wasn't being honest with myself. And nothing changed until I stopped rationalizing and started working. Right? And that matters. I had to stop trying to make rational the lies that were I was telling myself. And the at the end of the day, the field always tells us the truth. And that's why a proverb like this is so powerful. It uses this agricultural agricultural image that everybody can understand. Even if you're not a farmer, you can understand a field, right? What's growing? And you don't get a harvest in that field by accident. You just don't wake up shocked to find out your your field uh you ignored didn't produce crops. It doesn't work that way. What grows is a direct result of what? What you plant, the work you did, whether you tend it or not. And that that principle and this proverb applies just as clearly today as it did when it was written. You know, careers, health, leadership, faith, relationships all follow the same rule. If you don't put in the work, nothing magically is going to get better, right? And you can bet your bottom dial on that, guys. That's what how it works. And think about this from a practical standpoint, unless you guys listen to married or husbands, right? You're in a marriage. Marriages don't burn down overnight. I see this. I talk to so many guys that are married. And many describe their relationship as a dumpster fire, unfortunately, bro. It's just the way I don't know. The guys come in line, they're just hurting, right? And some of them wonder how they got there. But when you start peeling back layers of the onion, the reasons become obvious. You know, they're not leaning their homes, right? As scripture tells us. Um, many of these guys are just struggling with trust because of pornography or other sexual temptations. Or many don't know their wives because everything else in the world has consumed every ounce of emotional energy that they have, but they just don't have anything else to give them. And I know this to be true. Great marriages don't just happen. Okay? That's why my buddy JD over uncovering intimacy, that's why I support him so much. I mean, me and my wife, we we talk to him every month as coaching because we want to have a great marriage. And it's not going to happen just by hoping it. No, it takes work, right? And we have to put in. You know, that strong marriage is cultivated through presence, through repentance, through humility, through pursuit, through consistency. But it always happens after the work. Meaning comes after the work. Because Proverbs, this proverb isn't just like a warning against laziness, fellas. It's contrasting meaningful labor with chasing what is empty. And scripture just shows us the pursuit, when we try to pursue the things of this world, it's never going to fully and finally satisfy us. It's not. And we either recognize that to be true or we're going to struggle. And we want you, particularly, guys, from the line within us, we want you to have lives that are fruitful. But we want you to chase the things of God, right? Because if you do that, that's not passive. That's a radical shift. But it requires effort, obedience, and daily surrender. And here's the reality that I've had to wrestle with. Both pursuits, either worldly pursuits or godly pursuits, both of them require work. Both of them require effort. So the question isn't whether you're going to put effort out. We know you are. The question is where you're going to put the effort in. And that is my call to you. That's just my encouragement. I'm trying to spur you. Put the effort where it matters. And then put your hand to the plow and do it. Because Jesus spoke about putting your hand to the plow and not looking back. And Proverbs tells us the same thing in very practical terms. Till the land that God has given you. Don't worry about somebody else's field. Don't worry about your neighbor's field or your buddy's field or your parents' field, your field. Till the land that God has given you. Tend what he has entrusted to you. And stop waiting for your outcomes that you haven't labored towards. Because you can't ignore this, guys. We can't ignore the call that God has placed on our life. The field is waiting for you. The work is very clear on what he wants you to do. And if you don't know, ask him. And the harvest, whether it's good or bad, it will come. You're going to reap something. My prayers that you reap things from him. And it's time to get out, do the work for his glory. So, fellas, the question of the week is this week is what intentional work is God calling you to begin today? I don't know what he's calling you to. I just know one thing. He's not calling you to sit, you know, just to sit on your hands and twiddle your thumbs and to outsource spiritual leadership to other people. Not calling you to that. So whatever that is, no matter how big or small, lean into it, guys. Lean into it. That's being the leader that he intends us to be. That's unleashing the line within. That also means you need to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. And if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you're not going to be able to hear the call of God because you stiff arm him. So we've got to stop stiff arming God. We have to invite him into our life and recognizing that God loves you so much. He made this beautiful world that we live in, and he made you and his image. And you may think that you're jacked up and you're flawed, and you got all this stuff, and man, you don't about my past and my history. And I got to get all these things right before I even think about coming to God. Bro, that's a lie that the world has sold you. And it is a lie straight from the pit of hell, and you better send it back to the gates of hell where it belongs. That is not from him. You don't have to get cleaned up to come to him. Just as you are right now, wherever you are, if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, today's the day. All you have to do is turn. Repent. Turn from the world, turn to him. Confess him as Lord and Savior of your life. Believe that he is the Messiah. Call out His name. It's the name above all names. It's the only name that's been given among men by which we must be saved. It's the way, the truth, the life. It's Jesus. If you don't have that personal relationship with Jesus, stop running from it. Like you're listening to the lion for some reason. I mean, it could be a multitude of things, right? Maybe someone just sent this podcast to you. Like, bro, this is a pretty good one. Listen to this. And you got to this point right here. Maybe this is why they sent this to you. Because maybe you're that guy that always is walking around with his chest post poked out saying, I got this. And bro, let me just tell you one thing. You ain't got this. At some point in your life, you're going to hit a wall. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Things happen. You're one phone call, one doctor's visit, one bad feeling in your body away from losing it all. We all are. Because this world is broken. The evil one is real. Sales don't behave the way that they should, right? Finances don't always work out. Relationships don't always work out. The only peace, the only consistence we have is God. And Jesus, the crazy part is, he wants a relationship with you. He's just tired of you. He just wants you to turn to him. And he's there. He's there right now. So if you're that guy, you're like, man, I think I need to make this for real and stop running, I'm glad. Because it ain't nothing that I've said, but something that the Holy Spirit is poking, He's prodding you right now to turn to Him, to fully surrender to Him, and to make Him Lord of your life. And that is my ultimate prayer is that you turn to Jesus right now. So if you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, let's go. What a great way to do it. If you're listening to this when this comes out, it's a Monday, the week's starting. Hey, I don't care if you're on a treadmill in a in a truck or walking down a road, you're in the right spot. You're exactly where God wants you to be to confess Him as Lord of your life. So let's pray. So, Father, that one listener, I don't know where they are or what they're doing right now, Lord. But you do, you know, and they are recognizing now that their way has not worked. They are recognizing now that they need you, that they don't have this. And Lord, they're calling on you, they're confessing you as Lord of their life. And at this moment, the Holy Spirit is is coming in, it's making a home. And the old person, they're no more. But we also know, Lord, that the evil one is not happy. He's gonna attack. There's gonna be pushback. And this this man or woman is gonna need support. So I pray you just rally believers around them to encourage them, to lift them up, to speak life into them, to help them as they begin their discipleship journey right now. And Lord, we just thank you for the free gift of salvation. We don't we can't buy it. There's nothing we can do to earn it. You freely give it to us, and we are so thankful for what you did, what you continue to do, and how you got and direct us. So, Lord, for this new believer, touch them in a meaningful way. For us, in your name we pray. Amen. All right, look. Just a second, accept it, Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Touchdown, let's go, okay? Shoot me an email, Chris at thelionwithin.us. Why do you want me to send you an email, Chris? Well, because I got some free resources I want to send you, okay? We want to help you out on your discipleship journey. Hey, it's you're in a battle. You need some help, and we're here to help you. That's the main reason, okay? So shoot me that email. I'd love to hear from you. Just tell me which podcast you listen to, just out of curiosity for me more than anything. And then we'll hook you up and get you connected with some free things that's gonna help you in your discipleship journey, okay? Other than that, guys, come back on Wednesday. I think you're gonna really enjoy this conversation on Wednesday. It's about cultivating spiritual growth and particularly uh the fruit of the spirit in our life and how we can get practical on this. Uh, this you guys know we're all about simplifying and applying God's words. This is what we do. So, guys, come back, check that out. We'd love to see you here on that one. Thelionwithin.us. Join the Lions Den. I'm just gonna, you know, I talk about the Daily SQ at the very beginning of every episode. But join them. If you made it to this point in the line, that means you're listening to the podcast all the way to the end. First of all, thank you. Join the Lions Den. If you're not in Alliance Den yet, like what are you waiting on? It's a great way to grow, first and foremost. It's gonna help you in your spiritual journey. Hands down, it's going to. Feedback has been through the roof. But also, it's a great way to support what we're doing. We're talking about a minimal investment that makes a big deal to help us do what God is calling us to do, fellas. So look, join the Lions Den, thelionwithin.us. You may even want to consider a mastermind. I don't know if you're gonna be a good fit for the mastermind. We're we're pretty strict on mastermind, guys, okay? On what we're looking for there. Put in an application. Just put in an application. We'll have a conversation about it, see if it makes sense, and we'll go from there, okay? All that's found at thhelionwithin.us. So don't forget to the thelionwithin.us. You can also open up the Bible app, check us out on the Bible app, just search for the Lion Within Us, go through some of our plans. The I'm Just a Guy series has been so well received. So check that out. I'm just a guy, maybe you're just a guy struggling with finances, you're just a guy struggling with pornography, I'm just a guy who fighting for my marriage, whatever it may be. The topics are out there. They're all five-day plans. You can knock them out in a week, boys, and go on with your day. All right. So we'll see you at the website, thelionwithin.us. Give us a rating review. That would be awesome. If you want to be a donor to the show, thelion within.us slash donate is how you can connect with us there and serve and come alongside. So, guys, have a great one. Get after it. We'll see you next time. Keep unleashing the lion within. Let's just say it out loud. Marriage is one of the greatest gifts that God can give a man, and one of the most consistent places where we can feel unsure of what we're doing. Even the strongest marriages have moments where you look at your wife and you think, you know what? I love you. I'm so committed to you. But right now, I have no idea what I should do next. And that's why we launched something new inside the lion within us community. It's our very first support group. And it's for husbands. And we're calling it committed and occasionally confused. This isn't just a place for men in crisis. Though if you're there, hey, you're welcome. This is for any man who refuses to coast and wants to take his marriage from good to great. So inside you'll find an active chat and a feed, honest conversations, and brotherhood that says, you're not alone. We've been there. Let's bring this to God and grow. And we're also doing a monthly couples night where your wife is invited because we're not letting the world set the agenda for our homes. Now, if you want access to this support group, it's very simple. Go to thelionwithin.us and join the Lions Den. Okay, that's thelionwithin.us. Start your 30 day free trial of the Lion's Den community, and boom, you have instant access to the committed and occasionally confused support group. We'll see you inside the den.