Welcome And Weekly Scripture

Chris Grainger 1:02

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, guys, meet episode time. Let's get into it. Okay. So the scripture of the week this week is John 1 5. John 1, chapter 5. Verse 5, brother. Chapter 1, verse 5. Jesus. Says the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Okay. So I took some time in our spiritual kickoff episode to unpack that at length. Go listen to it, guys. Hopefully you'll be very encouraged by that. Again, we do the spiritual kickoffs Monday through Friday. It's called the Daily SKO. So the Lion Within, thelionwithin.us is how you can get all those resources there. Okay. So we're going to be talking about this week depression. Okay. I think this is important. Okay. So this is actually one of our plans on the Bible app. So if you've read the plan on the Bible app, hey, just an audible version of that. But as we think about this, I want to just just make sure we're clear on something. Depression doesn't always look like sadness. Let's clear that up. For guys, man, here's how it can look exhaustion, uh, or irritability, isolation. Or even, how about this? Depression can look like obsession with work and achievement. Okay? Why? Because guys like to wear a mask. Because we want to hide the heaviness. We want um uh we we think that if we are silent and we don't reveal that it's strength, but here's the reality, fellas.

Depression In Men Often Hides

Chris Grainger 2:36

God sees the battles we fight, particularly the ones we're trying to fight in the dark, and there's hope available. Scripture doesn't deny the reality of despair, it doesn't, but it gives us a lifeline through it. It just does. And sometimes joy just feels out of reach. But Psalm 42 tells us, where why my soul are you downcast? Why are you so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him. I can tell you for me, depressing has shown up in my life in different ways. Well, it's kind of like an unwanted guest. You guys ever had those come over to your house? You know, the one that comes over to random times and usually lingers around too long, like, how in the world can I get this person out of here, right? And the world paints depression uh in a clear visualization. For instance, like when you think about commercials uh with for depression, they portray people sitting alone, visibly sad, and their heads are down. Um it's as if the diagnosis is easy to understand, and correction is just right around the corner. That's the way they portray these commercials, it drives me crazy, absolutely crazy. And what I find interesting is that for me, um feelings of sadness usually aren't the driver. That's usually not the big overwhelming piece. Usually for me, and I don't know about for you as a guy, but but depression really aligns more with numbness. And and the best way I know to describe numbness is a feeling of deep awareness that just sinks in, man. And it's almost like every bit of joy has just been sucked out of everything that I touch. Right? Like I can still smile when I'm depressed. I can, right?

Adam Rushing 4:32

I can even laugh. But inside, it's just nothing. There's no emotion, there's no conviction, it's just emptiness. And what's even more unsettling is that I often know that I'm numb. But here's the crazy part, it doesn't disturb me.

Chris Grainger 4:56

Like, unlike once you get sick, you catch a cold or stomach bug, what do you do? Uh you you you quickly get some rest, uh, medication. Maybe you need to go to the doctor. But when depression strikes, right, I don't have that sense of urgency to correct it like I do when I get sick. I just accept it as my reality. And then hopelessness starts to creep in. And joy feels like a distant memory that I just can't even recall what it's like. And it's in those seasons I've had to train myself to run to the one true source of hope. And the Psalms are great for this, especially King David and his raw words, because they remind me that I'm not alone, right? And I'm not the first piece of person to ever feel this way. And his honesty often feels like he's just reading my mail, bro. Like, come on, bro, what's going on here? Did a spare the questions of longing for God to break through? It just relates, man. It just relates. I hope it can relate for you. And maybe something is nudging you right now. And you're walking and you're listening to this podcast because you're not sure where to turn. And I just want to be straight up to you like this. I'm not a doctor, a shrink, a psychiatrist, none of that. I don't have a quick fix. Right? Just going listening to this is not going to magically erase depression or pain. But what I can promise you is this God's word can do some crazy things, and you are not alone. Your emotions are real, and God gave you those emotions for a reason. But they often point to something deeper that we need to bring before Him. And if we ignore it for too long, it only prolongs the struggle. And by just listening to this podcast, you've already shown courage, self-awareness. And don't mistake the power of taking this step, guys. It matters. Because right now, joy may feel completely out of reach. And if that's you, I'm so sorry that you're hurting. My encouragement is very simple. I'm a simple guy. I'm literally wearing a shirt that says simple might apply. My encouragement is simple. Lean in. Just keep leaning in. Keep going and opening God's word. Keep fighting. Even when numbness whispers that it ain't worth it. And as we continue to walk through this together, I pray that God reveals hope in ways that you've never considered.

Adam Rushing 7:30

And even here, even now, He is with you. So maybe ask yourself, when was the last time you felt joy? If it's been a long, long time, hey, let's keep unpacking this together.

Chris Grainger 7:49

We'll take our first break, guys. We'll be right back. 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

Husbands Support Group Invitation

Chris Grainger 8:50

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 Lion's 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. All right, now we want to talk about the lies of shame. Okay. Romans 8.1 talks about there's now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. That is, by the way, a staple verse. You got to memorize that one, fellas. It's one of the first verses that I that I tell guys to memorize, okay? And there's nothing worse than the feeling that you're no good. That you're not enough. And I find it interesting how quickly I forget the moments in my life that have gone well. While at the same time, every failure I've ever experienced, bud, is sitting on the issue on the bench right here on standby, yelling, put me in, coach. My natural tendency is to lean towards failures rather than remembering the countless times God has proven to me wrong otherwise. I'm just, I've seen it. I've lived it. I mean, after my first marriage ended, shame and condemnation began to take over. When

Shame Lies And Romans 8:1

Chris Grainger 10:13

I looked in the mirror, I saw a man who couldn't make it. I told myself that that failure of that marriage was only the beginning. And then other failures would soon follow. And it felt like a snowball rolling downhill, gathering size and speed and momentum, and just it was coming. And the longer I dwelled on that failure, the more areas it seemed to infect. Lies multiply. They just do. They would say you're a terrible father, you're not smart enough, you're never going to be healthy. Like on and on and on. And I'm going to tell you one thing, buddy, deep dives into negativity is dangerous. Because the weight of shame builds slowly, but it can crush us until we can feel and make us feel completely useless. Because that's what the evil one wants. He wants to sideline us, to convince us to take ourselves out the game. And for me, that's what happened for way too long. I believe there was no good in me. And shame gladly put me on the bench every chance it could. And that's the danger of giving shame too much headspace, fellas. Shame can actually make us obsolete. Let's be honest. When guys put themselves on the bench, everyone loses. Everyone loses. And it's happening at alarming rates today. And it demands corrective action. And that's why I'm so thankful for Paul in Romans with 8.1. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. No condemnation. Say it one more time. No condemnation, right? We have to recognize that to be true. Then if that is true, then nothing we've done or nothing we're doing, and nothing we'll ever do gets to define us. You have to believe this for yourself and your own testimony. The only one who gets to tell us who we are is Him, Christ. So instead of listening to the lies of the evil one, we got to redirect it. Because our worth is not tied to our performance or success or failure. It's rooted where we put our faith. So if the enemy is feeding you lies right now, guys, please, and you find yourself believing them more than you like, put like write Romans 1 8.1 down. I don't care what you got to do. Write it on a note card, a piece of paper, type it in your phone, make it your screensaver. I don't care what you got to do. Put it somewhere visible and memorize that stinking thing. It's not that many words. Therefore, now there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. It's like less, like 10 words or less, bro. Like you can do this. Speak it over and over and over. Pray it out loud. Just let it drown out those accusations. Therefore, now there's no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Therefore, now there's no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. You start saying the truth of God over your life, you're going to silence the evil one and you're going to reclaim God's truth. God's truth. There is no condemnation.

Adam Rushing 13:17

Because you're walking with Christ. So what lies about the identity about your identity do you believe the most? And how a shame sidelining you right now.

Chris Grainger 13:32

And look, if you don't have Romans 8:1, cement it as it is written in your life, I pray out of this whole podcast, that's your one takeaway. So get to work. We'll take a quick break. If you're like me, you don't need another book just sitting around collecting dust. What I enjoy is something to help guide me when my feet hit the ground in the mornings. And that is why we put together Unleashing the Lion Within. It has honest stories, scripture you can apply, and simple steps to help you lead at home, at work, and everywhere in between. So if you've been feeling stuck or scattered lately, you may find this resource encouraging. Read a few pages. Take one step and watch what God does with your obedience. Hey, and if reading's tough for you right now, no problem. The book is also available in Audible version. So you can listen on the go. So if this sounds interesting, check out thelion within.us slash book or search for unleashing the lion within directly on Amazon. So there's no pressure

Book Resource For Daily Guidance

Chris Grainger 14:44

here, just a resource that many guys are finding helpful. So grab the format that fits and take your next step. All right, guys, now we've got to talk about fighting numbness. Okay. Ezekiel 36 26 tells us, I'm going to give you a new heart and put you a new spirit in you. Some things we got to recognize, fellas, are worth fighting for. And I found it's often easier to get stirred, uh, to get stirred up defending others than it is to stand up and fight for myself. I'll fight for someone else all the time, but sometimes for myself, I won't I'll take a back seat. And I think about the time for me, the moment I became a father, there was no doubt in my mind that that that that little child of God that he placed under my care would receive my ultimate protection. I would willingly die for her without a second thought. And now for all four of them, like without a second thought. And it was like in an instant, the switch was flipped on. And that thing ain't gonna ever be cut off, buddy. You want to see the worst side of me? Like, start messing with my kids. I I'm telling you, it gets

Fighting Numbness With A New Heart

Chris Grainger 15:49

it gets to be nasty sometimes. And in fact, I sometimes catch myself looking for ways to protect or defend them, even when my intervention isn't needed necessary. And uh that realization hit me hard. Could it be that my eagerness to defend others is in some way a means of me avoiding my own battle with numbness? And when I'm honest, that same resolve I have for for protecting others pales when it comes to confronting my internal struggles. Because way too often I'll just accept numbness as it just is the way it is. But that resignation only makes sense when I see it, what it really is an attack from the evil one. Because if I were the enemy, a question that's worth asking, how would you take yourself out? And for me, like I would try to convince me and guys in general that that numbness and being numb is this acceptable, like it's normal, that it's permanent. Because if he can get us to embrace that, that that one little lie, he renders us obsolete. And that one realization was enough to awaken me. Guys, numbness is not from God. Ezekiel declares that God will give us a new heart and a new spirit, and his spirit is anything but numb, fellas. The spirit of God brings renewal, conviction, holy resolve, not numbness. So, but yeah, numbness can sideline us temporarily. Okay. But God delights in doing his greatest work when we feel the weakest. That means numbness doesn't have to be the end of your story. And if you find yourself in a season of depression right now, or emotional emptiness or numbness, my encouragement, bro, you have to keep fighting back. You are not designed to shuffle through life as a numb shadow of yourself. Just as you lay down your life for your children or your spouse, you also have to be willing to fight for your own heart. Never forget this, guys. The God who breathes life into dead places can breathe life into you. And when he does, your renewed heart doesn't just resist numbness, it becomes a weapon that terrifies the enemy. And that's worth getting excited about. So maybe I don't know where you've been feeling emotionally numb lately, but wrestle with that. And then when you have an answer, how can you invite God to breathe new life into that area?

Adam Rushing 18:36

There's hope there, fellas. There's hope. We'll take our last break. We'll be right back.

Chris Grainger 18:46

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

Support Group Reminder For Husbands

Chris Grainger 19:37

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 Lions Den community, and boom, you have instant access to the committed and occasionally confused support group. We'll see you inside the den. Fellows, at the end of the day, when it comes to depression, so much comes down to refocusing on what matters. And the Apostle Paul talks about in Philippians 4.8, you know, whatever's true, whatever's noble was good, honorable, all these things, right? Think about these things. And depression has a way of making me, maybe you can relate, uh, just feel fuzzy. Uh, it reminded me uh of when my eyesight began to change. Like all my life, bro, I had the greatest vision, greatest vision. I mean, I could see a gnat on an elephant, you know, 200 yards away. I mean, I'm I had good vision. And and it was just crazy. And sometime after blowing out around 41 candles on my birthday cake, like things shifted. And at first it was gradual. I started noticing that reading small letters became

Refocusing Thoughts Through Praise

Chris Grainger 21:04

a challenge. And I was like, what in the wild world sports is going on here? And and I did what most guys did. I just ignored it, pushed on, right? I just what I did, I avoided the small funds, I just accepted it, right? Uh and then I went in for that eye exam. I hadn't been doing an eye exam in probably a decade, and I realized how bad things are gotten. And when that doctor, you know how they start swapping out those lenses? There became a moment all of a sudden number one and number two, number two or number three, right? They're what are you doing, all that junk? Finally, there was a moment where boom. Oh, it's focused. And in that moment, I realized how distorted things have been. And I think looking back, part of it, the reason I pushed that off for so long is because I was just in denial. I knew I had vision problems, but if I admitted that, that was me admitting that was there's one more thing outside of my control. And that's something I couldn't deal with, man. And I was trying to avoid it at all costs. And here's the point with me sharing that with you. Sometimes we know we have a focus issue, and other times we're blind to it.

Adam Rushing 22:14

Either way, regaining focus is essential.

Chris Grainger 22:19

Now, Paul, the Apostle Paul, gives us a list of what to what we should dwell on. Truth, nobility, purity. Right? All these good things to keep our thoughts fixed on what truly matters. But how do you do that with if depression is gripping so tight? I don't know, man. Something that's been useful for me, maybe it'll be for you, is praise. Just praise. The fact that you're still breathing tells you that God ain't done with you. I mean, you're you're up, you're on this side of the dirt. May not be great, but you're here. Because Paul. Is encouraging us to reframe our thoughts and seek a renewed perspective. Because we live in a hate-filled media-driven world. And it can feel impossible at times. Yeah, we got to remember, fellas, there is nothing impossible with God. So small little reframes like this, like thanking him for the little things, for you know, for coffee in the morning or for, you know, sunshine, uh, for a successful workout, like all these things slowly strip power from the enemy. Now, please hear me as we kind of get to the end of this podcast. I'm not saying that thinking good thoughts will magically improve everything in your life, right? That's worldly advice, man. But I am saying that dwelling on his goodness, man, that's going to start shifting moves and your thoughts from you focused to him focused. And I think that's what the secret sauce that the apostle Paul is pointing us to. If we start focusing our thoughts during our depression, uh, rather, if we try focusing our thoughts while we are depressed, it can sometimes feel like uh we're going to fight this raging forest fire with a little bit of squirk gun. And I get it. So what you can do, if this is where you're at, you're like, Chris, man, my depression is a whole lot bigger than just starting here. Like, okay, start small. Start small. Simply say thank you, God, over and over and over.

Adam Rushing 24:40

Just thank you, God. Thank you, God, thank you, God, thank you, God.

Chris Grainger 24:45

Because what you're doing right there in that little moment, you're shifting your posture to a posture of praise. Okay. And a posture of praise, quite frankly, from what I've experienced in my life, is when the Holy Spirit does his best work, man. That's when he does his best work. And if you've made it through the podcast this far, like maybe God's telling you a little bit more praise. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. And I want to say thank you for sticking with it. You're showing fortitude and resolve just by showing up and finishing this out.

Adam Rushing 25:24

Keep fighting, keep focusing, keep pressing on.

Chris Grainger 25:31

And think through who or what is shaping your thought life the most right now. If it's not God's word, remember what we talked about in the last in the last part.

Adam Rushing 25:44

There's no condemnation, so we're not condemning. Redirect it though. Redirect it. And where are you hiding your struggles instead of bringing them into the light?

Chris Grainger 25:58

And look, fellas, this this topic of depression, I don't take it lightly. I even kept my windows open. Normally I close off the studio when I record just to keep the right ambience, but I wanted to let some light in here. So if you're watching YouTube, this is probably a little bit brighter than you're than you're used to, but I feel like it was important with a topic like this to literally let some more light shine. And I don't take topics like this for granted. And I know there's lots of guys out there who struggle with it, even though you may not have ever put a word to it or called it what it really is. And that's you, again, I want you to reach out. I don't we don't put these podcasts out just to, you know, hope that certain download numbers we achieve. We put these podcasts out because I want to help serve Christian men be the leaders that God intends them to be. And there are too many Christian men walk around with their heads in the sand, broken, beat up, depressed.

Adam Rushing 27:02

And I'm sick of it. And I'm gonna do what I can to go to battle for the hearts that matter, the hearts of brothers in Christ.

Chris Grainger 27:13

And it'd be an honor to battle with you. So if there's anything I can do to support you, please reach out.

Reach Out And Get Connected

Chris Grainger 27:20

Just reach out. I guess I've given out my email so many times. I'll do one more time. You can do support at thelinewithin.us or Chris at the linewithin.us, either one, we'll get you an answer. We will reach out. This will not fall into a void. I promise you that. The biggest thing you could do is jump into the daily spiritual kickoff. That's a free way. The ultimate thing you could do is join the lion stand. Because then we can walk with you on a regular basis. Or maybe you need to get some brothers in Christ on a regular basis, leadership mastermind. Guys, whatever it looks like, whatever it looks like, we just want to be here for you. We want to walk with you. We want to encourage you. We want to be a resource that you turn to because we believe this is a resource that matters. The work we're doing matters. What God is doing through us matters. And you matter. You matter. Never let anyone tell you different. So thank you for listening, for hanging out. But we'll have our member spotlight coming up in our next episode. Guys, I know I say it all the time, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for listening to the show. If you would give us a rating and review, that would just be awesome and helpful. Pick up a copy of our book, Unleashing the Lion within. You can go to Amazon. If you don't like reading, we'll get an audible version. So there's literally an audio version. You can just get that and hopefully you'll be encouraged by it. You'll recognize the voice because I read every chapter. Okay, so go check that out. Uh open the Bible app up, guys. We're on the Bible app. I'm constantly doing work with the Bible app. At the time of this recording, I'm getting ready to record another guided scripture for the Bible app. Just blessed and honored. So blessed and honored to be connected with such a wonderful group of people. And um you guys seem to like the writing, and that gives me the encouragement to keep going. And fellas, like writing, writing uh Bible plans and recording podcasts and retreats and all the events and the stuff that we do, the speaking, it's hard. I'm not even gonna sit here and lie, it's hard. The spiritual warfare that comes with it, like after we just I'm recording this right after our mentor treat. And the spiritual warfare our family has faced in the four days after the mentor treat, it's been intense. I was talking to my wife this morning, actually. She's just like, of course, of course. You see you we just did something pretty pretty massive for God. And the evil one, he's not happy. He's pushing back.

Adam Rushing 30:14

And we have a couple options. We can retreat or we can press on. I'm choosing to press on. Because what Jesus did for me. I can't retreat. And I know it's inviting more and more tax. And it makes no sense to the world. We're not living for the world. We're living for him. And I pray you are too.

Chris Grainger 30:51

So I thank you for listening, for hanging out. And for in any way, if there's things we can do. If you find a little encouragement from what the lion does for you, let us know. There are some days, guys, where the work and the negativity just weighs on me. You have no idea how a kind comment, a kind email, just a reach out completely can reframe the day. And I'm not begging it for it for me. I am begging you to do this for someone else. You never know how just you reaching out, letting someone know that you're thinking about them could be what you what they need in that moment to pull them out the pit. So please consider that. I pray you do. So thanks for hanging out, guys. Thanks, thank you, thank you, thank you for hanging out for spending time with us. We hope to see you next time. Again, that rating and review would be big if you if you would be us so kind to do that. And now again, reach out. We can serve anyway, reach out. If you like what we're doing and you want to support the lion, the lionwithin.us slash donate is a great way to do that. If you don't want to donate, that's fine. Just keep consuming and hopefully we'll keep walking with you. All right, fellas. We'll see you next time. Thank you again. Have a great day. You know it's coming, right? Keep unleashing the lion within. If there's one habit that can change your home, it's this when a husband prays with his wife. Not because it's a magic formula, but because it recenters your marriage under God's authority and care. And let's be honest, a lot of guys want to do it, but most don't know how to start without it feeling awkward. Maybe you've tried it before and it felt forced, or maybe you've never tried it because you don't even know what to say. Or maybe you're thinking, man, I'm not a pastor, I'm just a guy. And that's why we created this guide. It's our how to pray with your wife. Simple guide. It's biblical, it's practical, and it's designed to help you start praying with your wife in a way that actually feels natural. So it's a five-section guide, and it gives you a simple framework to get started. Okay, it makes sure everything is grounded in scripture, and it also has a powerful PDF that you can pull up whenever you need, especially when things get off,

Simple Guide To Pray Together

Chris Grainger 33:22

because they're gonna get off. That's normal. So this is all about reclaiming your marriage and reclaiming the spiritual leadership reigns of your home. Because praying with your wife is one of the strongest ways to fight for unity, to build trust, and to right the ship when life starts to pull you off a course. So if you're ready, get access today at thelionwithin.us slash guides. That's thelionwithin.uslash guides. And start unleashing the lion within at home by leading your marriage through prayer.