As men of faith, we're called to wield the double-edged sword of leadership and compassion, stepping into the arena where courage meets conviction. Today's episode throws down the gauntlet, challenging you to live up to the Biblical mandate of standing firm against injustice, a lesson drawn vividly from Psalm 10:14. We tackle head-on the incredible journey of Abby Johnson in "Unplanned," capturing her transformation from Planned Parenthood director to pro-life advocate—a powerful testament to the change that can occur when truth shines on the shadows of our experiences. And from our own ranks, Jeremiah delivers a timely health tip that'll have you re-evaluating the hustle of 'busy' life for a more purposeful stride towards God's calling.
As men, we navigate different seasons, seeking guidance to conquer obstacles while remaining steadfast. Discipleship Masterminds is the environment where you not only receive invaluable insights to overcome challenges but also gain profound guidance on the path to becoming the leader God uniquely designed you to be.
As men of faith, we're called to wield the double-edged sword of leadership and compassion, stepping into the arena where courage meets conviction. Today's episode throws down the gauntlet, challenging you to live up to the Biblical mandate of standing firm against injustice, a lesson drawn vividly from Psalm 10:14. We tackle head-on the incredible journey of Abby Johnson in "Unplanned," capturing her transformation from Planned Parenthood director to pro-life advocate—a powerful testament to the change that can occur when truth shines on the shadows of our experiences. And from our own ranks, Jeremiah delivers a timely health tip that'll have you re-evaluating the hustle of 'busy' life for a more purposeful stride towards God's calling.
As men, we navigate different seasons, seeking guidance to conquer obstacles while remaining steadfast. Discipleship Masterminds is the environment where you not only receive invaluable insights to overcome challenges but also gain profound guidance on the path to becoming the leader God uniquely designed you to be.
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. Alright, guys, it's fun Friday time. I'm excited to have you here. So let's get right to it, alright.
Chris Grainger :
So the Book of Description this week is actually in the Book of Psalms I try to get ahead of myself right there. But Psalms, chapter 10, verse 14, it says but you, god, see the trouble with the afflicted. Do you consider the grief and take it in the hand? The victims commit themselves to you. You are the helper of the followers.
Chris Grainger :
So, guys, a lot of time on Wednesday's episode unpacking the idea of what we need to do as Christian men to fight against injustice. We have to take a stance. And we spent a lot of time unpacking Psalm 10. Really, just looking at that Psalm in depth, trying to give you some wisdom, some discernment, some insight on how you can simplify and apply that to your life, and I just thought it's very illuminating to me how, reading that Psalm, written by King David, you know, a couple thousand years ago, it could have been pinned this week. It was that applicable and that's how the Word of God is, it's living, it's breathing. It never turns back void. It's always helping us for learning and for for for reproof right here. So hopefully you take some time to read through Psalm 10 on your own. Go, listen to that episode for sure and then think about what God's calling you to do. What is he calling you to do? To take that stand against the injustice, because there's lots of ways we can learn, we can grow if we're willing to be obedient.
Chris Grainger :
And I normally do the book of the week later in episode. But I'm going to share the book of the week right now. Right now, because this book I read is called unplanned by Abby Johnson with Cindy Lambert, powerful book. Many of you guys may know this one already. Thank you to my brother, stephen, who brought this up to me and just love that dude, by the way, a member of our community, he's just an awesome man. But this book, it rocked me to the core. Now he told me there's a movie about it as well. I hadn't seen the movie.
Chris Grainger :
To be honest, the book was. It was moving and it talks about how Abby had a journey and she heard all the lies of what was going on in Planned Parenthood and abortions and things like that and she fell for it. She ended up being a director at Planned Parenthood and then, until the day now Michael spoiled the whole thing but where she was involved with a 3d abortion, some stuff. I've been inside the the room where they they do the scans plenty of times, so I've been an anatomy scans and all that stuff. Seeing your little baby on the ultrasound machine is incredible. And they had a 3d technology with the last couple. You can see their faces, you can see their hands and their feet and in this 3d form. And when I was reading what she said, how that 3d abortion Took place and how it rocked her to the core thousand tears. It's a powerful story. I'm moving from them To to to a coalition for life, the organization that's definitely pro-life, but it just it really hits. It hits right here, hits to the core.
Chris Grainger :
If you want some truth, you want some reality of what's going on with the evil one, read this. This book shows you how language and Twisting truths Are, how so many people trip up. They don't recognize it. As believers, we have to be on our toes. We have to have our eyes open, heads on a swivel and Locked into the truth. So now I know I normally do the book of the week later, I want to do this one earlier in this episode, just to get this out, to encourage you guys. Go check it out. Okay, we'll have a link again. Go to the to our book of the week page.
Chris Grainger :
At the Lionel Dennis, we have all the books we recommend and look if they're on that list. I have read them or am reading them. That's just. That's just the way it is. We don't just put stuff out just because every guest that comes on. I read the books, just part of it. Okay, all right, now let's get into our tips of the week. So for the Lionel Dennis, if you're new to the show On money, on Friday, for the fun Friday, we do a health, wealth and a self tip.
Chris Grainger :
So the health is about having better, stronger minds and bodies. Okay, wealth is having being better stewards of our finances in our careers. That's really what's about from a wealth, and self is being stronger husbands and dads Stepping into that. So here's what we'll start off with our health tip. And I want to start off by saying thank you to my brother, jeremiah, who gave me this tip. I absolutely just love Jeremiah. He's in our community as well. So that's there you go guys to, right there.
Chris Grainger :
Steven and Jeremiah I mentioned them in this one episode. This is what we do at the line, the line within us. We help each other, we encourage each other and we share ideas. And when they give me ideas, I ask him for their permission that we bring him to the show with. His tip was like Chris, don't be busy. Like that's easier.
Chris Grainger :
Said done, jeremiah, he said no need to understand what busy means, like okay was busy me, he says being under Satan's yoke. And I was like they're not a preach right there. That's true, being under Satan's yoke, busy, and this is where Satan wants to keep us so often, just busy, distracted. Here's the thing you could have your counter full of Like seemingly good things, but they're not what God's calling you to do. And when that happens, that busy will keep you from pursuing what he's called you to do. And that's how the evil one is winning these days. He is winning by this constant push of busy in our life and I want to encourage you don't fall for it. Recognize it for what it is and then remove that busy.
Chris Grainger :
You know, think about the yoke standpoint, right, thinking under his yoke, that means we're attached to Satan. You would never consider yourself attached to Satan I know you wouldn't. But when you're under his yoke sometimes we don't know. And an easy way to know if you're under his yoke, are you doing what God's calling you to do? And if, in that moment, the answer is no, whose yoke are you attached to? And I know this gets kind of under some skin. You may be thinking that's not very comforting, I get it. It's not supposed to comfort, it's supposed to convict. It's supposed to encourage you to recognize. Who are you yoke to? Are you yoke to King Jesus? Are you being obedient to what he's calling you to do each and every day? Or are you yoke to the evil one? I'm following in his ways, in his traps, and we know he just wants to still kill and destroy. That's it. But Jesus has come to give you life so you can have it abundantly, an abundant life. He loves you and I want to encourage you Don't be under Satan.
Chris Grainger :
Joke, if you have a lot of busy in your life right now. Take some time, step back all at your schedule and figure out what you need to do to move forward. Okay, now you will step this week. One on one stuff, guys, but it's so important we're not going to miss it. But it's about dividends. Think about my brother, andrew, the member of our community.
Chris Grainger :
Guys, big on dividends. They're just payments that a company makes to share profits with the stockholders. It's that simple, and there's one of the ways that investors can earn, you know, a return from investing in the stocks that they choose to. So dividends can be paid out in cash or they can come in the form of additional shares, and this type of dividend is known as a stock dividend, and dividend yield is the company's annual dividend divided by the stock price on whatever that certain date is right. So investors a lot of time use that dividend yield to accurately compare dividend stocks, and the dividend payout ratios are also important, because they they tell you how much of a company's income is put towards dividends versus reinvesting in the company. So that's just another another ratio to look at.
Chris Grainger :
You do need to recognize, too, not all stocks pay dividends. That's important, though. So if you're interested in dividends, you need to search for those types of stocks, and the companies that increase their dividend payments year after year are usually less volatile than the broader market. It's just something to think about. And the steady income from dividends can help smooth out that stocks total return. So just a great way.
Chris Grainger :
My butt and I said Andrew, is big on dividend, big, big, big on dividends, so just wanted to cover that with you. If you've never considered that before, thought about that before, that's something worth looking at, particularly if you're into individual stocks and trying to understand how you can leverage dividends in your portfolio. And again, while we bring this up on the line with Dennis, because you got to be a good steward, got to be a good steward and sometimes guys call me to that and you're looking into stocks, you're trying to invest for the future it's a great way to think about. Okay, now your self tip this week I want to bring up, just encourage you to do this, make a project around the house and be the help, not the leader. And I'm like well, chris, you listen to the line with Dennis, I want you to tell us to be the leader God intends you being. Now you're telling me not to be a leader. Like I'm saying yes, hear me out.
Chris Grainger :
So I meant to our young, young man he's 15 now. I started this recently where usually a couple of weekends a month. He comes, hangs out for all day on Saturday and we just do stuff together. Now starting to let him do stuff more and more traditionally. He's watching me and he's my right hand man, he's helped me, he's passing me tools, we're doing stuff together, right? I try. At about I don't know. Six months ago we changed over for the first time and he watched me.
Chris Grainger :
Well, it came time for all change again. This time I flipped it on it. I said all right, here's what we're going to do today. We're going to change on that car. I have all the supplies and I'm your helper. What do you want me to do? He's like what do you mean? I'm like you're in charge. Like, what do we need to do?
Chris Grainger :
So we had to start off by, you know, getting the car up on, which I can't get underneath this car. So we had to roll it up on our, on our ramps. So we got it up on the ramps, we got up underneath the car. He's like well, I guess we got to take that plug out. And he pointed to the right plug. I'm like yeah, that's right. Yes, we do. He's like how are we going to do that? I said I don't know I'm your helper and I and every step. Well, I bet we got underneath that car 10 times because I want him to think this is what the next generation is missing the opportunity to think critically. Think Now, this is a simple old change, but it was allowed him to process that.
Chris Grainger :
We got underneath the car one time. He recognized he needed to have something to catch the oil with, like, yeah, that's a good idea. So we had to go find something. Got underneath the car and he realized he needed to have a filter wrench Yep, you need to do that. So I had to get out, got underneath the car, figure out where I need to have a rag to wipe the oil off my fingers Yep, you need to go get that. All these things he wasn't charged.
Chris Grainger :
The whole time that I was overseeing analysis helper, I was really just making sure he wasn't, you know, doing things terribly wrong. But at the end of the day, when that project was finished, he had a sense of accomplishment and pride because he led the way my dad used to do this with me. He would let me do stuff, try stuff. If I screwed up, he'd help me out. And this is how you learn. You have to let people. As a leader, you have to take the opportunity to let your children fail and try and learn. I do this with my girls as well, but this this one for this instance was the first one that came to mind.
Chris Grainger :
But pick a project. Help, not lead. That may be very convicting and very challenging for you, but I encourage you to lean into it, try it, see how you do and then submit email. I love to know what that project was, how it turned out, but I guarantee you one thing, as Christian man if you do this, you're going to grow your relationship with others to the ones that you're serving, particularly your kids. Maybe once it's your mentoring to just levels that you never thought existed. All right. So there's your three tips this week your health, wealth and self tip. That health tip is like don't be busy. For guys, busy is being under Satan's joke. Guard against that. I want you to consider what those dividends are and evaluate those for your portfolio. And then pick a project and help out. Don't lead it, help it All right. Now we've already got our book in a week.
Chris Grainger :
Now let's get into our dad jokes. Okay, dad joke number one says I used to hate facial hair, but then it grew on me. That's someone who's had facial hair for my whole life. That's a great that's. I love that joke, and my dad too. I've never seen my dad without a beard. Any of you guys out there like that before you never seen your dad without facial hair? My dad's always had a beard. Never wouldn't even know we'd look like without one. All right, number two it was so cold yesterday, my computer froze. It was my fault, though. I left too many windows open. I like both of them this week. I'll be honest, I like both of them. Number one I used to hate facial hair, but then it grew on me. I was. It was so cold yesterday, my computer froze. It was my fault, I left too many windows open. So let me know which one lands best.
Chris Grainger :
Fellas for sure, love to get your, your insight. And hey, you got a dad joke. Send it to support at the lion with that. Us will put that in our queue. We use your dad joke. We'll give you a shout out on show. How about that? Now?
Chris Grainger :
Question a week this week is where do you see that injustice happening? Where do you see that injustice at? And then, once you see it as the add on to that question. Yes, they'll have been doing this all week. We'll do that. We're called to take action.
Chris Grainger :
You can't be a Christian manager sitting on sidelines as my buddy Lonnie talks about. You can't just be a pew sitter. No, you got to do something. Shout out to Lonnie hey, that's three Lion members right there in this one episode, actually four. We got Jeremiah, we got Steven, we got Lonnie, we got Andrew. That's awesome. We got four. Shout outs to our guys, four of our guys within the Lion Within us community fellows.
Chris Grainger :
So again, head on over to Lion Within. We got US to get all our resources. Jump on our U version devotionals. We have a ton of them out there. We're cranking these U versions devotionals out every week. Fellas, head over and check out different all the resource section. Maybe you have one. Check out the Lion Within a swag. You want some shirts or hats and things like that. Maybe you just want to come over and be a donor and just support what we got going on. That'd be wonderful. Or check out the events. We have mission trips. We have live men's retreats happening all the time. We're here to serve, we're here to help. We're here to help you grow. We're here to help you connect. If you want us to do some speaking for your men's group, for your church, reach out to us. Go to our speaking page. We have all sorts of resources to help you, to help your groups continue to grow. That's what it's all about.
Chris Grainger :
So, fellas, this week I know it's been hitting the topic has been real, it's been in your face, it's been very direct. But I encourage you, don't run away from it. Don't run away from it. Lean into it. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you. If you see injustice happening and you recognize it for what it is, what are you going to do? Because we need to join God in seeking justice, and that includes justice for the ones that can't defend themselves. And that's my encouragement to you. I hope this week, if you think about that more, you lean into it and at the end of the day, you unleash the line with it. So get after it, fellas. Have a good one. We'll see you next week Again. Share this stuff out with others. That's a great way. Give us a rating and review. That would be big for sure and just talk to others about the line with us, the message that it does for you, the encouragement that it gives you and that's the biggest thing you could ever do to help us so appreciate you, get after it and keep unleashing the line with them.
Chris Grainger :
If you're a man who's looking for greater spiritual guidance into how to become a better leader, finding resources that you can trust and then implement can be daunting For me personally. I thought it was a lost cause and I decided to take action, knowing that I wasn't alone. It was because of this wide gap that we created our line within this community, and the areas that we're helping Christian men grow are incredible. For instance, we've built ways for guys to lean in and grow through fun events like our daily spiritual kickoff, where you get that much needed boost directly from God's word, our Bible studies that always focus on how to discern and apply what we learn, and even our amazing form where you can speak your mind without fear of getting shut down or judged by the extreme rules of modern day social media. On top of all that, we know that many men won't help overcoming issues and becoming stronger in many different areas. That's why we created several mastermind groups.
Chris Grainger :
Where their iron truly sharpens iron Our community is by having a gross mindset, accountability, intentionality and transparency. In other words, just leave Fakie at home and come to community just as you are. I fully believe what we've built. I see the impact it's making on men right now and I would love to have you check it out. So start your very own 30 day free trial today to see how we can help you be a better leader. So if you're ready to take that first step, head over to thelinewithinus and get started. Your journey begins here. Visit thelinewithinus and I'll see you inside the tent.
