As a Christian man, do you often wonder how to navigate your leadership role with faith at the helm? Join me, Chris Granger, along with Pastor Cedric Brown, as we share stories and insights on walking in the divine purpose crafted for you. We kick off with Pastor Cedric's riveting transition from the NFL to the pulpit, a testament that underscores our core message: You are God's masterpiece, designed for extraordinary endeavors. Delving into the nourishing depths of scripture, we tackle the transformative power of the Bible in building mental resilience and the profound joy in giving generously. Our conversation also casts a spotlight on the pivotal roles we play as husbands and fathers, challenging societal norms that attempt to diminish these sacred duties.
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 a Christian man, do you often wonder how to navigate your leadership role with faith at the helm? Join me, Chris Granger, along with Pastor Cedric Brown, as we share stories and insights on walking in the divine purpose crafted for you. We kick off with Pastor Cedric's riveting transition from the NFL to the pulpit, a testament that underscores our core message: You are God's masterpiece, designed for extraordinary endeavors. Delving into the nourishing depths of scripture, we tackle the transformative power of the Bible in building mental resilience and the profound joy in giving generously. Our conversation also casts a spotlight on the pivotal roles we play as husbands and fathers, challenging societal norms that attempt to diminish these sacred duties.
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, it is fun Friday time. I'm excited to be here with you, looking forward to hanging out, having a good time.
Chris Grainger :
Before we get too far in it, let's share our scripture of the week. All right? So we're in the book of Ephesians this week, chapter 2, looking at just one verse, 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. So go back, check out the spiritual kickoff.
Chris Grainger :
We unpack this verse at length and, guys, we have to remember that each and every one of us, you may not feel that you're God's handiwork. You know what that is? A lie from the evil one. He wants you to think that you're no good. He wants you to think that you're no count. He wants you to think that you're worthless. Squash those lies, send them back to the gates of hell, where they belong. Release the power of the Holy Spirit and remember, doggone it. You are created just the way he wants you to. Whatever you think is a flaw or defect. Nope, that was purposely put there.
Chris Grainger :
I stumble on my words a lot. Guess what? I'm a podcaster because I'm going to use what he's given me for his work, for his glory, and I'm just going to lean into it every day. That's what it's all about, fellas. So I just pray that you're encouraged by that. I also pray that you're encouraged by Pastor Cedric Brown and his testimony from growing up in Compton to the NFL Well, actually, growing up in Compton to Washington State University playing Division I football, to the NFL playing for the Eagles, to being cut, to thinking that was his identity, to recognizing no, that's not my identity, to the success he had in the corporate America and then realizing, you know what? That's not my identity either. Everything that I am is about Christ being a son of the king and man. What a powerful story. And now, 18 years later, in the ministry, full time, I'm just blessed and honored to be able to have him on the show to share that. And, guys, it's about encouraging you as a Christian man, right now, where you are, right now, now where you are, I'm telling you God's doing some big stuff. You better get ready. You better just take a step every day in the path of doing what he's called you to do, all right.
Chris Grainger :
So, guys, let's get into our fun Friday tips For our new listeners. We do a health, a wealth and a self tip every week. Health tip is your mind and body. How do we have stronger minds and stronger bodies right? Wealth tip is about finances and our career. So how do we do good stewardship around that? And self-tip is how do we just be better husbands and dads? There's so much out there pushing back against us, particularly as we lead our families. What can we do to push back against that? Okay, so now for the health tip.
Chris Grainger :
Go on more mind with this one, and I want to share this even though I write devotions, don't just get stuck in topical devotions. Okay, they're great for seasons of life, they're great for trials. There's no replacement for just studying God's word for what it is. It's the ultimate source of truth and it's again. It can be easy to gravitate towards topics and while they can provide you value, man sometimes just sitting in the Gospels or in Psalms or in Proverbs or wherever he's leading you to Heck, I don't know, ruth, whatever, wherever he's leading you to, because his word has the power to illuminate any dark areas you may be struggling with period, and I know we write devotionals. I write a devotional every week but I try to really focus those more on the word itself, how we can apply that to our life. But you see something, and there's nothing wrong with marriage devotionals and parenting devotionals and stuff like that. I'm just saying, don't there, make sure you're putting time as well into just soaking in the gospel of John. How about? When was the last time you studied Romans? Have you ever just sat there and just you know what? Let's go through Genesis and learn some deeper truths about that. There's power in studying his word. It's going to strengthen your mind. It's going to get you more prepared mentally for the battles that are to come. So don't just put that off. I know it can be very tempting, if you're doing small groups and things like that, to just go from this topic, this topic, this topic. I'm telling you, slow down and every now and then, just open up a copy of God's word and pick a chapter, pick a book and just go there. All right, now your wealth tip.
Chris Grainger :
I want you to prioritize generous giving. I've talked about this a lot in the past, but it's effective. 2 Corinthians 9-7 tells us each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Now, think about that. It's a heart issue. Anytime you get to talk about money, I know directly, directly, whether it's myself or others. Whenever there's contention around money, it always ties back to the heart. It just does, because it's reflective of that. And generous giving reflects God's love, right? His generosity towards us. I'm just telling you it changes stuff and we need to recognize that everything we own is His. It's all about stewardship and this opens up, really, our hearts to joy and to the blessing that comes from giving.
Chris Grainger :
Because, I don't know about you, you hear it all saying it's better to give than receive. There's truth in that. I'd much rather be able to give and to serve someone else than anything I can receive, because I've already received the greatest gift ever Jesus salvation. That's it. So maybe you need to start being intentional about this.
Chris Grainger :
So I set a top-line budget item right now, something that comes before everything, not after. Everything's spent, right, because usually we get the budget, we get to look at upside down. All right, we spend, spend, spend what's left. Okay, maybe I'll give that to God. No, this should be the starting point, the starting point. Maybe you want to go with 10%, maybe you want to go with 15%, maybe you want to go with 20%. Whatever that number is, don't limit yourself. Just put there and stick to it and put it at the top and then look for areas that you can support Obviously your local church, your missions, charitable organizations, but places that align with your values. That's what it's all about. But prioritize that generous giving. I know, for us, we definitely tie to the church and things like that, but we're always looking for other opportunities.
Chris Grainger :
People who are struggling or people who suffer some type of loss, or whatever it may be, the widows, the orphans those are big needs as well that are out there. Be intentional about it and then put it first. Don't wait till the end. Well, tithing man, I can't believe the tithing. It's just it takes too much money away and you know it hurts and I'm like, yeah, it's supposed to, because if you're tithing and it's not, you don't feel that little pinch. You know what. You may not be given enough. I'm not going to get into gross versus net, none of that. And Lord, I can tell you, though, every time this comes up. It's always a heart issue, it just is. I'm not laughing because it's funny, I'm just laughing because it's always true. It's always true. Money is a heart issue. Money is not the root of all evil, nope, but the love of money is, so just be careful with it.
Chris Grainger :
That's why the lion, everything we talk about, is about stewardship, stewardship. How are we managing what God has blessed us? All right, self-tip Better husbands, better dads. I'm going to hit this right on the nose Boys make babies, men make fathers. They just do. Boys bake babies, men make fathers. Because I'm going to tell you what I'm tired of beating around the bush on this. The matter of fact is any boy, any dude, can get a girl pregnant. It doesn't take a whole lot there, right, but it has 0% impact on his effectiveness as a man and as a leader of that child. So if you want to be a man, if you want to be a leader, then recognize the power that you have if embraced of being a father.
Chris Grainger :
The true pandemic we have going on here, fellas, in the land we have, is really the family and fatherlessness. It starts with the head of the home. If I was the evil one, you know how I attack it. I start taking the dads out. Guess what he's winning. That's what's happening. We've got to course correct here. And how do you course correct?
Chris Grainger :
You show and you teach young men what it means to be a godly father. You disciple them, you spend time with them, you help them when they're struggling and instead of just saying I'll pray for you, you actually pray for them. Okay, and then how about this? Pull out your wallet and help them. Put some skin in the game. You see a young man out there struggling with his family. Pull out your wallet, help him out from time to time, because you never know how those little steps are going to encourage him to not turn to the bottle, not turn to the drugs, not turn to another woman, not turn to pornography, whatever it may be. But you're trying to start taking. We have to take the responsibility to teach the next generation about being a man, and it starts with you, with you and being a good father and being a strong, godly husband.
Chris Grainger :
I don't know what else you could do to make a bigger impact on the people around you than that right there. We just need to recognize guys. You are called to this. You cannot outsource being a father, you cannot outsource being a husband. It's not going to last, it's not going to work. It's not God's design. You know what you're thinking. I'm not good enough. I've made too many mistakes. I can't. You don't know what I've done. You know what I don't. I don't know what you've done. I don't know your history testimony. I'd love to hear it. But I can tell you one thing None of that stuff defines you. Christ does. Christ defines you. That's your identity. Right us. Christ defines you. That's your identity. This week we're talking about what identifies us. You better make sure you go along and believe it. That Christ does Not.
Chris Grainger :
Some lie that you're telling yourself, and when it's quiet, that you're no good, that you're addicted to pornography, that you can't stop spending money, that you can't stop eating, that you're too dumb to get a good job. Whatever the lie you're telling you, just stop it. Recognize right here you're a man. You're meant to lead To dog on it. Boys make babies, men make fathers. Time to step up and be one. All right, so let's get into it. Fellas, right here. Those are your three tips Health, wealth, self, that health. Don't get stuck in topical devotions Sometimes. Just study God's word. Wealth tip. Prioritize that. Generous giving fellas. I'm telling you, you better make it a priority. It should be the first thing in your budget. Self tip Boys make babies, men make fathers. You need to recognize this. Speaking of men man, you got this.
Chris Grainger :
This is one of Pastor Cedric Bale's books. He sent me three of them. He's got another one here. Act Like a man. Woman, can you Help Me? He loves me. He sent me several of his books. I'm just telling you, go check it out. We're going to put this one as our book of the week. Man, you got this. This is a great little resource right here for you guys. Very easy read, also makes a good devotional if you want to work through some things with your men's group. It uses heavy, heavy scripture. Guys, again, it's not going to be a replacement for studying the book of James with your men's group, but if you are looking for a resource or something like that, check out some of the stuff, because the discussion questions are really solid. Ok, all right, guys, so that I kind of want to share that with that one, with you as well.
Chris Grainger :
Let's get over to our dad jokes, all right. So now dad joke number one I got mugged by six dwarfs yesterday, not happy. That is so bad. That's number one, though. Number two how do you have a party in space? You plan it. That's it, I mean, you plan it. So it's pretty simple. So, anyway, fellas, number one I got mugged by six dwarfs yesterday, not happy. Number two how do you have a party in space? You plan it. So let me know which one you like. Remember, eyebrows totally count. If you get that little smile from your wife, you know you hit it down. All okay. So if you have a dad joke, you need to use this one Support at thelinewithdanus. Just put dad joke in the subject. We'll use it. We'll give you some free swag as well for helping us out.
Chris Grainger :
Okay, all right, check out the question of the week, fellas, what defines your identity? That simple. What defines your identity If it's anything besides Christ, I'm telling you your LinkedIn, your profile, your resume, your marriage, your kids, none of that stuff defines you. Christ does, as a son of the king. So I just implore you, if you're thinking, if you have any of these thoughts about these things that are defining you, that are not him, just man, cast that stuff out. I just I beg you, seek some counsel, get around some other godly men that are going to help remind you who you are and whose you are. That's the most important thing I can share with you. So, fellas, hopefully you're enjoying this stuff. Hopefully you enjoy the fun Friday episodes. I have a lot of fun putting these together.
Chris Grainger :
Share it out with others. You know that's how we spread the ministry, that's how we. This is how we do it. Share it. So share this out. Share out Pastor Cedric Brown's episode. Share out the spiritual kickoffs. Then go to thelinewiththenus. Go there, and I'm just going to be straight up Join the community. We give it a month for free. Try it out. If you don't like it, bounce out. No harm, no foul.
Chris Grainger :
We put a lot of effort into this to serve Christian men, to help you be the leader God intends you to be, and if you don't take the opportunity to check it out, you'll never know if it can serve you, if it can help you, because you may go through that season, that trial, where you just need some counsel. We are here for you, okay. So go check that out TheLionWithinus. Check out all our stuff for the community. Check out the information we have for our Summit Leadership Development Program.
Chris Grainger :
Guys, we have so much out there that we're building that we're trying to equip you with. We have our live events, we have a mission trip coming up as well Tons and tons of ways to connect with us. If you want me to come just for speaking for your men's group, our speaking page has the different topics. There's lots of ways we can help, fellas. Just lean into it. See how that would serve you well, guys. Thank you just so much for listening, so hopefully you'll see you back here next week for some more episodes. Good Lord willing, and I just really appreciate you again, guys, thank you just from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to listen to the line within us, for the encouragement that you give us.
Chris Grainger :
Check us out on YouTube. I need some soldiers on YouTube. To be honest, our YouTube channel is getting a lot of traction, which is great. We need some soldiers out there willing to stand and defray with me. There's a lot of hate, there's a lot of just evil, if you will, that's coming to our channel from people who I don't know why they're coming to our channel. But I know one thing we're going to keep pushing the truth. We're going to keep sharing the gospel. We're going to keep making a whole lot about Jesus day in and day out, and we just know, you know what, if it helps one person, one person come to know him, man, it's all worth it. So you can follow us there, that'd be great. Subscribe to the channel Again, the lionwithanus. We have links to all that stuff on the website. Okay, guys, all right, guys, get after it. Have a great day. Thank you so much for your time and remember, keep unleashing the lion 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 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 the 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'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 with them.
