Embark on a profound journey to uncover the bedrock of your true self and purpose. In the hustle of life's pursuits, it's easy to lose sight of what truly defines us. Together, we wade through the often-misunderstood waters of identity, finding solace in the truth that our worth is inherently rooted in our relationship with Christ. By embracing this divine connection, we shed the chains of worldly validation and step boldly into leadership roles crafted by God's intent. I share insights on adopting a mindful approach to leading, the courage to venture into the unknown with faith, and the beauty of God's blessings waiting on the other side of our obedience.
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.
Embark on a profound journey to uncover the bedrock of your true self and purpose. In the hustle of life's pursuits, it's easy to lose sight of what truly defines us. Together, we wade through the often-misunderstood waters of identity, finding solace in the truth that our worth is inherently rooted in our relationship with Christ. By embracing this divine connection, we shed the chains of worldly validation and step boldly into leadership roles crafted by God's intent. I share insights on adopting a mindful approach to leading, the courage to venture into the unknown with faith, and the beauty of God's blessings waiting on the other side of our obedience.
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. All right, guys, this is your spiritual kickoff episode. I'm excited to have you here. Let's get right into it.
Chris Grainger:
The book of the week, the scripture of the week this week, rather, is Ephesians. Ephesians, chapter two. Looking at one verse only this week, verse 10. It says For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. That's an interesting verse and we're going to unpack that. We're going to see how we can simplify and apply this one to our life. So, before we get any too far, where is the book of Ephesians? We need to know that right, and I'll be straight up.
Chris Grainger:
This is a harder one that you can find sometimes, but it's New Testament. It can be hard, but it's after Galatians and it's before Colossians. Okay, it's part of Paul's epistles, and this is a very powerful one that I go to all the time, and usually, when I go to Ephesians, I'm going to Ephesians 6. Because I'm talking about the spiritual armor of God. Okay, we've got the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness. You know what I'm talking about the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the feet of the gospel, the sword of the spirit. We're going to put on that armor and go to war.
Chris Grainger:
But now, today, we're going to look at a different part of this powerful epistle and it's going to really come down the question of the week. Let's go ahead and get that out what is your identity? What do you think that identity is? And this verse is going to challenge our thoughts on who our identity is and how we're going to answer that question. Because Ephesians it tells us right here that we're God's masterpiece. We are and we were created for good works, for good works. And this is a profound truth that we cannot run from and we need to think about it as we uncover some insights. It's really going to shape and it's going to empower us.
Chris Grainger:
When we start recognizing this to be true, I talk a lot in my teaching about salient truths. When we recognize a salient truth, it's a staple. We can put that in the ground and our first and foremost thing we need to start here today is that we need to recognize ourselves, you, as that masterpiece, because that's going to shift your perspective on how you lead, because your worth and your value does not come with what your LinkedIn profile says. It doesn't come with what your business card or things you've accomplished. No, your identity comes from Christ, not from these external measurements of success and recognition and accolades, because this truth, this is a foundational truth right here. This frees us from the pressure fellas, I'm telling you, you may have pressures to perform or conform to certain things. Nope, not if you follow Christ, because I'm going to do what he tells me to do, not what the world says. No way.
Chris Grainger:
And then Ephesians also tells us and it emphasizes rather, the purposeful nature of our existence Okay, we're not just aimlessly wandering through here. No, no, no, no, no, no. This is not some accident. No, you were called to walk with the good works that God has prepared for you and as a leader, particularly as a Christian leader, you need to start aligning your actions and your decisions to what God's will and His direction for your life, because it's going to challenge us, to seek His guidance in all aspects of our life, everything that we do from a leadership standpoint, if we seek his wisdom, his discernment, it's going to change everything. This begins at goal setting your values, your plans, your activities, your interaction with others, how you resolve conflicts. All this stuff is going to change as you start aligning your plans to his plans. Isn't that cool? And then, furthermore, this is going to. This verse right here in particular, really underscores the importance of a word I love intentionality. Intentionality, it also hits around mindfulness. And what does that mean in our leadership? Because he's already planned these good works for us to walk in. Okay, but it's up for us, up to us rather, to discern and pursue them diligently. And that takes commitment, that takes intentionality, that takes spending time with him, studying his, his Word, praying, talking to Him, listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. And then, guess what, once you know all these things, you can discern this, take action, take action.
Chris Grainger:
You have to take a step of faith, you have to take a step of obedience, and you know what that path ahead may seem like. I don't know about this, I don't know about that man. That seems risky. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. No, sometimes it's hard, often it's hard. But that path, that step of faith, you never know how the blessing that God has prepared for you is on the other side of that step of obedience. You just have to take the step. You got to be willing to do it. Man, I know this could be scary, it could be.
Chris Grainger:
As a Christian, as a man, you want to know, you want to have this confidence, you want to have this assurance that the step that you're going to take is going to lead to something good. I'm just telling you, fellas, if you follow Christ, it will. It's just not always going to be easy. It will. It's just not always going to be easy. It's going to be challenging at times, and we just need to recognize that, fellas. And as we start applying the principle here of Ephesians 2, particularly this verse 10, and our leadership, we need to recognize one thing to be true is that our role is not merely to just be successful or to have all these different accolades out there. No, that's not our role. Our role is to faithfully steward the gifts and the opportunities that God has given us. That's it.
Chris Grainger:
So, whether you just find yourself leading your family right now or your workplace, maybe you have a big position at work where you lead lots of people. Maybe you're a leader at your now or your workplace. Maybe you have a big position at work where you lead lots of people. Maybe you're a leader at your church or your communities. Wherever you find yourself maybe you're coaching youth sports, like I am right now Wherever you find yourself leading remember you have the privilege and the responsibility to reflect God's love, his grace and His truth in all that we do.
Chris Grainger:
And that is one of the most difficult things I can tell you how to do, because that often means putting yourself out there. That means surrendering to something greater than you. That means doing things he's called you to do. It's not always going to be something that you want to do. Discipleship really look at that root word discipline. That ain't fun. It's not always going to be something that you want to do. Discipleship really look at that root word discipline. That ain't fun. It's tough. Sometimes you're going to get spanked because you're not doing stuff that you shouldn't be doing. That's what it's about. But if we recognize that we as leaders have that privilege, man, it's going to change the way we perceive stuff and how we pursue stuff.
Chris Grainger:
And we need to recognize also this Ephesians 2.10 right here. It really is a guiding light for us. We need that. We need that reminder of our identity as God's masterpiece, right? We need that reminder and we need to recognize that our purpose is in Him and we need to embrace this truth, fellas. So just embrace it. Walk in the good works that he has prepared for us. Take that stroll with him daily. Do the work that he's called you to do. Don't worry about the stuff that you feel like the world wants you to do. Just walk with him. Recognize your opportunity as a Christian man, to make a significant impact on your particular sphere of influence.
Chris Grainger:
Now, I don't know what your sphere of influence is. It may be small, it may be huge. Don't compare your sphere to other people's spheres. No, you just say okay, lord, with what you've given me, what you've trusted me with, right here, I'm going to steward this will. I'm going to honor you, I'm going to glorify you, I'm going to do all I can to point people to you and let them see that my identity is found in you. And as you do that, he may bless it where your sphere gets bigger. But guess what? He may not. It may stay the same, it may go smaller. But whatever he gives you, steward it. Well, just take the opportunity to steward that well. Well, chris, I can't do this at work because nobody reports to me. Who said anything about? Somebody had to report to you to be a leader. Let's clear that up right now. That's some junk. Lies right there from the evil.
Chris Grainger:
One Org chart has nothing to do with your effectiveness to lead. You can lead across an organizational chart. I can tell you that right now I've done it. You do that by loving, serving and having the right attitude around. How can you help people the most? You just focus on loving others. All the problems will start to really take care of themselves. But when you start replacing that love with pride, with envy, that's where we get in trouble.
Chris Grainger:
So I'm telling you, this is not that difficult, yet it's so hard if that makes any sense because we have to surrender. We have to surrender and we need to recognize that we're here. God has put us here for a reason to glorify Him, to build His kingdom. Then we need to trust. We need to lead with humility oh, that's tough. We need to lead with courage and then, as we do that, we should have unwavering faith, because your circumstances, they're going to change all around you. But you need to trust that he is going to fulfill his purposes through you as you seek to honor him in what you do and all things. Does that make sense? I really hope it does, because your identity, what defines your identity, is Christ, nothing else, nothing else. The evil one's going to try to lie and tell you that, nope, nope, what have you accomplished? What's your resume? Say that's your identity. Or flip it the other way hey, your identity is an addict, as a druggie, as an alcoholic, as someone addicted to porn, whatever it may be. That's a lie too.
Chris Grainger:
To find those thoughts up, cast them out, release the power of the Holy Spirit and recognize you. You let's read this verse one more time. You are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do. I changed out the we into us to you. I did that purposely, because I want you to put yourself in this verse. That's who you are.
Chris Grainger:
Okay, now that starts by having Christ in the center of your life, and we recognize, when we put these episodes out every week, spiritual kickoffs. So not everybody has done that. Not everybody has surrendered their life to the Lordship of Christ, and I'm not foolish enough to think that everyone who listens to the Lion with Dennis is a Christian. I'd be crazy to think that you know, because it's just. Some people like to listen to Christian stuff just to pick on us for one, but some people are curious. If you're curious or if you have any questions about your salvation, I want to just share something that's so vitally important to me that we make this a priority every week, and that is God loves you.
Chris Grainger:
You are made just like we're talking about in the Scripture of the Week this week. You are made for so much and you are made in His image, and when he designed the world, he created everything. He created man in His image, and when he breathed the breath, the ruah of life into Adam and Adam sat up out of that dirt, he was face to face with his creator and he saw God. And it's just. That's a relationship. We have a relational God who loves us, who wants to be with us, who wants to spend time with us. That's it. And unfortunately that went great for about two pages in the Bible.
Chris Grainger:
Then sin entered the world, and a sin is nothing more than anything that separates us from God. And when sin entered, things were fractured and we have this gap now, this gap between a holy and righteous God and our sin nature, and we can't close it. We try to close it, we can't. We just can't, because we can't earn our way in. That's called workspace righteousness. You can't buy your way in. It doesn't matter how much money you have. No, there's nothing you can do to earn it. So what do you do? We had to have something to pay the penalty for our sin, something to pay the penalty for our sin. It was just what could that be, jesus? He came on a rescue mission for us, for you, for me, for the whole world.
Chris Grainger:
Left heaven, came, born of a virgin, fulfilled all the prophecies, did all the teachings showed us the parables, gave us insights into scripture that blew us away and then paid the ultimate penalty when he went to the cross for us to die on your behalf for our sins. The perfect payment, the spotless blood of the Lamb, the Lamb of God. They laid him in a tomb. They thought he was dead. I mean he was dead. They thought he was going to stay there. Rather, he ain't going to stay there. You can't keep Jesus in no tomb. They thought he was dead. I mean he was dead. They thought he was going to stay there. Rather, he ain't going to stay there. You can't keep Jesus in no tomb, because three days later he rose, he overcame death, so he didn't faint or go to sleep or anything on the cross. He died on the cross and then overcame death, and that when he came walking out the tomb.
Chris Grainger:
That's what I'm talking about and that's the Savior we have. Because we need a Savior, we do. We need to recognize. We don't need a coach, we need a Savior. Jesus overcame death, he sent it to the Father. He's in heaven right now. There's no other name other than heaven that's been given among men, by which we must be saved. He is the way, the truth, the life. There's no other way, fellas, he's it.
Chris Grainger:
So what you have to do, recognize what Christ did for you, how he came, he lived a perfect life, he died, he rose, he overcame, just for you. Recognize that sin nature you have. You can't close that gap on your own. It's as hard as you try, you can't do it. So you have to admit that you're a sinner. Just recognize man, yeah, I fall short of the glory of God. That's pretty easy to see, all right. So I admit that. Doggone it.
Chris Grainger:
I'm going to believe. I'm just going to believe. I'm going to have faith that Jesus is the Messiah, he's the Son of God. All the scriptures point to it, all the references point to it, and I will trust in what he said to be true. I'm going to believe that and I'm going to the point where I'm going to confess him as Lord and Savior of my life. I'm going to give it all to him. I'm just going to lay it down and say I'm following you. I don't know a lot, but I'm following you. And when you do that, the Holy Spirit's going to come and dwell you. You're going to have this moment where just that peace that passes all understanding is just going to flood over you, and then you'll be ready for the battle.
Chris Grainger:
Yes, you are in a battle, and I don't want to preach some type of prosperity gospel message here. I'm not saying you accept Christ, it's going to get easier, nope. But I will tell you this without a shadow of a doubt when you accept Christ, it does get better. It's just better, not easier. But when you walk with him, there's something about it. So I'm praying. If you are at that point right now, to where you're ready to accept him as Lord and Savior, you're ready to just give him your life. Let's pray together. You don't have to be in a church or a pew or something like that. You can be on the treadmill. You can be ready to accept Christ right now.
Chris Grainger:
So, father, whoever's listening right now, for that one listener who's ready to accept you as their Lord and Savior. I pray, lord and Father, that you hear their prayer. You feel their tears right now. You feel their heart as they recognize that they can't do this, that they need you, they need you to save them. So I pray, god, that you just hear their prayers and I also pray, father, after this, that you put people in their paths. That's going to help encourage them along their walk. That's going to build them up. That's going to help them. That's going to show them the errors of the ways. It's going to help teach them. It's going to help them just grow closer to you. I pray a hedge of protection around them as well for the attacks. Just be with them right now. Just be with them and feel them. Let them feel your love. I'm so thankful for you, lord. I love you. I praise you. Gracious, I love you so much. In your name, I pray Amen. Now, if you just accepted Christ as your Savior. Amen and amen.
Chris Grainger:
I want you to email me too, because I'm going to send you a bunch of stuff to help get you equipped and get you ready. I get you ready, but get you started on your discipleship journey. So, chris at thelionwithinus, send me an email. I'd love to send this stuff to you. I have 10 scriptures to fight like a lion. I have some stuff around stewardship. I have lots of resources that we can blog and things like that we can point you to, and I'd love to just hop on a call and say hi and just pray with you, encourage you. Also, we have some members in our community that are plugged into churches all over the country. I'd love to try to get you plugged into a church if you need help with that. I just want to be a resource. That's all. Just a resource for you. Nothing fancy other than just trying to be intentional around discipleship and helping others get going.
Chris Grainger:
Okay, all right, fellas, so check it out. Leave us a rating and review if you're listening on whatever podcast device that you're listening on, whether it's iTunes or Apple or Pandora, spotify we're all over all of them. So just leave us a rating and review. That would really really help. Wherever you're listening, particularly if you're on Apple. That tends to help big time.
Chris Grainger:
On Apple, go to the LionWithinus. We have lots of our resources there on the LionWithinus, so far as the devotions, the different types of ways to join the community, all the videos around the community, as well as the masterminds, the summit, leadership, development, all the stuff that we've built to help Christian leaders be the men that God's called you to be. Tony Fells, it's all right there on thelinewithinus. Also, check us out on the socials. You know Facebook, linkedin, but the big one that we spend most of the time on. Well, we have Instagram as well, but YouTube. Follow us on YouTube. That would help big time. Youtube channel we put usually about two short videos a week a day, rather about 14 a week. It's crazy. Then we have our podcast out there as well. So if you want to watch the podcast instead of listening, we have those options as well.
Chris Grainger:
Okay, so, fellas, thank you guys so much. Come back on Wednesday. You're going to really launch this conversation. I was able to tap into the NFL this week, so we have a former NFL football player came shared his testimony. It's incredible. It's awesome Not for all. Yes, obviously for the stuff he did in the NFL, but the stuff outside of that Now, he's been obedient to Christ and it's just. It was an encouragement to me. Absolutely loved the conversation and I think you guys are going to enjoy this one too, okay.
Chris Grainger:
So, again, thelionwithinus is where you find all our resources, all the stuff that you can connect with us support at the lionwithinus or my email, whatever works for you to get connected with us Lots of ways. On our website too, we have a 30-day free course to get you kind of plugged in, to unleash you to Lion Within. We have a seven-day series that kind of gets you started on ethical business decisions. So all that stuff, fellas, that and much, much more is at thelionwithinus, all right. So, guys, have a great day. Thank you so much for your support. Keep unleashing the lion within.
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 the 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 want help overcoming issues and becoming stronger in many different areas. That's why we created several mastermind groups, where the iron truly sharpens iron.
Chris Grainger:
Our community is about having a growth mindset, accountability, intentionality and transparency. In other words, just leave fake you at home and come to community just as you are. I fully believe what we feel. 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 with them.
