What does it mean to lead with integrity in a world that often challenges your values? Join us as we break down Philippians 2:14-15 and unpack how Christian men can live out their faith with patience, grace, and a solution-oriented mindset. Discover practical ways to navigate the pressures of a morally ambiguous culture without falling into the traps of complaining and arguing. We'll explore how embodying Christ-centered living can transform you into a visible, guiding light that positively influences others, especially in the workplace where ethical dilemmas are rampant.
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.
What does it mean to lead with integrity in a world that often challenges your values? Join us as we break down Philippians 2:14-15 and unpack how Christian men can live out their faith with patience, grace, and a solution-oriented mindset. Discover practical ways to navigate the pressures of a morally ambiguous culture without falling into the traps of complaining and arguing. We'll explore how embodying Christ-centered living can transform you into a visible, guiding light that positively influences others, especially in the workplace where ethical dilemmas are rampant.
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, spiritual kickoff time. I'm excited to be here with you, so let's get right into it.
Chris Grainger :
So our scripture this week is in the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Look at two verses, verses 14 and 15. It says do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God, without fault, in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe. What powerful words right there. What powerful words. So let's just think about how we can simplify and apply this to our life. Okay, first thing, we need to know where's the book of Philippians. Okay, we got to apply this to our life. Okay, and first thing, we need to know where's the book of Philippians. Okay, we got to know this stuff, guys. So this is New Testament. You'll get this in some of Paul's epistles here. So if you get to Ephesians, keep going. If you get to Colossians, back up, okay, it's pretty simple enough to see where that's at. And we need to see.
Chris Grainger :
Really, this week, we're going to talk about how can we honor God and live in the secular space at the same time? I know that's hard. It's so hard to honor God and live in the secular world. But look, this is the hardest challenge. This may be one of the hardest challenges we have in the Christian world, and there's so many things that are coming against us that's trying to throw us off. And, let's face it, in a world where faith takes the back seat to our personal ambitions and our drives and our self-promotion, all the things we care about ourselves, right, we need to think about how we, as Christian men, can stand out, not just for our achievements, but for what Christ has done for us and through us. And it comes down to our character. What do we choose to pursue versus what does the world say we should pursue? This is very difficult, guys, because the world's going to tell you, success looks like certain things, whereas God's Word following Christ may look differently. And Paul's Word to the Philippians right here is compelling. He's offering a challenge directly, and this is extremely difficult. Why? Because of sin nature in the world. It's coursing through our veins right now, this sin nature.
Chris Grainger :
Think about the last time you got cut off in traffic. Just being real for a second, who wanted, just like me, to throttle that person. Right, because most people let's just face it, there's terrible drivers out there, except us. So we're not terrible when we cut somebody off. Give me a break. We want that grace when we do something At the same time. When someone does something to us, oh, I can't believe they did it for us. I can't believe they did that to me. I'm telling you, fellas, we're called to a higher standard. I'm telling you, fellas, we're called to a higher standard and it's impossible to achieve if we try to leave this on our own. Because we need to embody this call that we see right here and we need to really influence the secular space with the light of Christ, because you have a greater opportunity to spread the goodness of the gospel in your secular environment, your workspace, than your pastor does. Let's just talk about it.
Chris Grainger :
Think about the scripture. It talks about stars shining bright right. And stars when do you see them? Well, you see them at night, because you have that contrast of the dark versus light and the star right. Think about Christian men. Right now You're called to be visible and guiding lights in society.
Chris Grainger :
Because he was encouraging, paul was the Apostle Paul, the Philippians, the people in Philippi, to live in such a way that their lives would really be a stark contrast with the often morally ambiguous culture around them. So he was trying to really say hey, you see, all this stuff's going over here. I don't want you to do that. You need to point people to Christ. Now it's time for some self-reflection.
Chris Grainger :
Think about this for a second. How are you shining amongst the rest of the world? Are you different? Or do you blend in? Because there's not much difference at all? I know this stuff is harsh. You're like chris, geez louise, this skl like you're. You're stepping on a lot of toes. I get it. There's a ton of truth in this. Now I want you to think about this for a second. How can you engage without grumbling or without disputing? Because we know the people that we want to grumble and dispute with. They're idiots. Right? If they would just get out of my way and just stop being a moron, I can help them. I get it. That's the way the world wants us to think and this can really disrupt us. Right? And if we could get this right, you can distinguish yourself as a Christian in any environment.
Chris Grainger :
Imagine a workplace where you have cynicism going on or backbiting going on, all the stuff right, looking out for me, me, me, and yet you choose to respond with grace and patience. How would that look? Because these things don't go unnoticed, fellas. People notice this stuff and they choose to lean to people like you, who they know is going to respond with a calm, cool head, with patience, with grace, with understanding, versus the guy who's going to just kind of fire off in his mouth. How about in a meeting, the next meeting you're in, instead of talking about problems, problems, problems, problems, focus on solutions. Because if you focus on solutions and come in with a state of seeking the first understanding to help, it's going to invite respect and curiosity from others. And if you do this enough, over and over and over, questions are going to start coming to the surface and the people are going to start wanting to know what's different about this guy. What is it? And it's going to start wanting to know what's different about this guy. What is it? And it's going to naturally draw others to you. What is it? A desire to know what's setting you apart. And that's a great opportunity right there, just to show hey, here's what I know. God's doing this Since I surrendered my life to Christ. This is how God's doing it. I can't explain it, but here's how God's doing it Because, just to clarify, to be blameless and pure, this is a lot more than just avoiding doing bad stuff.
Chris Grainger :
This means we have to be actively pursuing good, making decisions that reflect integrity, transparency, being real. Stop being fake, right, this looks like not participating in unethical business practices, or you're trying to make an effort to be honest in all communications, even when that's hard, even when a lie would be so much easier. Be honest, because maybe you need to start getting some regular feedback from trusted friends and mentors who can give you that accountability that you need and advice from a Christian worldview. Maybe it means you actually say something instead of pretending that you didn't hear it or playing dumb, because if you have that conviction, it only works when you actually put it into practice.
Chris Grainger :
If you want to live that blameless life like Paul's talking about right here, against that crooked and depraved generation that we have, I want you to think about this. Think about why are you different? What drives you? Because this is going to help give you a natural segue into talking about your faith. It's going to give you opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with others. Not through some forced conversations like that, because that never works. Not through some forced conversations that never works, but through their genuine interest.
Chris Grainger :
When you pique the curiosity of the people that you're working with, they want to know what is different about this guy. Why does it seem he never gets loud or he never says cuss words or he's never flying off at the handle? That's going to really create some inquisitiveness. They're going to want to understand, okay, what it is about you. And then you know what. You start sharing some personal stories about how faith has transformed your life and how you now approach challenges a new way.
Chris Grainger :
Buddy, I'm here to tell you get ready, because no one can refute your testimony. Don't forget that. I know I say it all the time, but you have to because these things are important. No one can refute your testimony. God moves in different ways and people have gone against the Bible and say it's not true and all this and that for years and years and years, but no one can refute what God has done in your life. So just start thinking about that.
Chris Grainger :
Start thinking about how you can integrate this scripture into your life, how you can get into the word, how you need to start spending some time in prayer, how you need to be regularly meeting with fellow brothers in Christ in pursuit of being a disciple. It's not just about being a hey, I've surrendered, now you've got to follow him, and to follow him means you have to be a disciple. It's not just about being just a hey, I've surrendered, now you got to follow it, and to follow it means you have to be a disciple, because this call to shine like stars, fellas, this is not just about avoiding the darkness, but it's about dispelling the light, showing the light, and as Christian men, we have to embrace this. I mean this should be something that we take super serious every day and reflecting God's purity, his blamelessness, in every action and every decision that we take. Because, remember, you are an ambassador for Christ. You are, you are a royal priesthood. That's it. And bringing the light is your responsibility. Show that each and every day.
Chris Grainger :
And I want you to think of the last question I want you to think about, guys. Light is your responsibility. Show that each and every day. And I want you to think of the last question I want you to think about, guys, is how does the world identify you as a follower of Christ? Can the world identify you? Hey, yep, I can see that there's something about that, dude. If you're a follower, you're actively pursuing him. You can see it. You can see that fruit in others, right? Can they see it in you?
Chris Grainger :
Now, this spiritual kickoff. If this has done nothing but anger you today, I want to caution you before you send me that nasty message or email. Maybe it's not. Instead of anger, is it conviction? And if it's conviction, my question back to you now is are you going to be obedient and listen to the Holy Spirit? I pray you do. And you know what, if you still feel compelled to send me an email out of anger, go ahead, I'll take it. We get plenty of negative comments all the time anyway. But if it's conviction, you need encouragement. I want to talk to you about that as well.
Chris Grainger :
Now, if you're sitting here, you're hearing all this stuff going on that we're talking about, about conviction and following the Spirit, and you're like I'm not sure what they're talking about. Here's what it means, here's what it is. I want you to recognize if you've never surrendered your life to the Lordship of Christ. Today could be today, right, and don't put off tomorrow with something God's asked you to deal with right now. And it starts by understanding who we are.
Chris Grainger :
We are made in the image of God. Remember God when he first formed man, he spoke all the stuff out right All the land, the heavens, the stars, the heavens, the stars, the earth, the sea, everything he spoke of. The animals Let there be, let there be, let there be. And it all came to life. When he made Adam the first man, he formed him with his hands which I first think that's just really cool and he breathed the breath, the rua, of life into Adam's nostrils. And at that moment Adam was face-to-face with his creator.
Chris Grainger :
Because we are made in the image of God, I want you to look in the mirror. You can do it right now, that's great. You can't, I understand. But next time you look in the mirror, look at your face and just tell yourself I am made in the image of God.
Chris Grainger :
And the evil one has done such a great job of distorting what we see in the mirror. So what do we see? We see our blemishes, we see our pimples, we see our fat, we see extra hair, whatever. All the things, the things that we think detract from our value. We see that detract from our value. We see that. I've had a long weight loss journey in my life, guys, and 13 years ago I was over 330 pounds. The crazy part is there's still times, right into this day, when I look in the mirror 130 pounds later, I still see that guy, even once.
Chris Grainger :
That's lies that we see you are made in the image of God, right, we need to recognize that. Now here's the thing we're made in His image, yet there's this thing called sin that has ruptured that relationship, that direct relationship with Him, because sin entered the world. And when sin entered the world, we're now set apart. So you have God, who is holy, and we who are not. We have this gap right, and we just need to just to know that there's nothing we can do to close this gap.
Chris Grainger :
I wish it was. I wish you could write a check and we're good to go. Or you could go listen to this, this sermon Okay, I'm good now I can go live my life. Or you know you can just. Maybe you just go to this weekend retreat and you leave this retreat and you're good now and you can just go on. It doesn't work that way. No, because we all fall short of the glory of God. Because, compared to our neighbor, compared to people on death row, yeah, we may be doing okay, right, but when we compare ourselves to a holy and righteous God, we're all going to fall short there. Maybe you're rocking it and you haven't sinned yet today. Okay, but you have sinned and God requires perfection. He requires that. You know what? None of us are perfect. So we have this problem. We have this gap Again. God's over here, we're over here. How do we close this gap? Well, we need a payment. We need a payment for that sin. We need something to cover that perfect blood. That's the only thing that covers sin is blood.
Chris Grainger :
Jesus came on the rescue mission, left heaven come down to be our Savior, born of a virgin, fulfilled all the prophe mission. Left heaven come down to be our Savior, born of a virgin, fulfilled all the prophecies. Did the teaching, showed us all the different ways, the miracles. And then he went to that cross to be the perfect payment for our sin. And what he did on that cross. It just blows my mind, when you just start sitting and think about it, how the perfect Lamb of God just went willingly, willingly, sacrificed himself for the entire world so that we could have salvation. They killed him on the cross. He didn't pass out or anything like that, don't be fooled. He died on the cross. They laid him in an empty tomb and they rolled that stone up.
Chris Grainger :
And you know what, if the story ends there where all the other religions stop right there, christianity does not, because the story doesn't stop, it keeps going. Three days later he rose. So we don't worship some dead guy in a tomb. No, we worship a living Savior. This is Jesus. And he rose. He came, he walked amongst us, he showed the disciples again, he taught them again. He had performed some more miracles. Then he ascended to heaven, where he sits right to the right hand of the Father. And there's been no other name under heaven that has been given to us by which we must be saved. Guys, it all comes down to the name of Jesus.
Chris Grainger :
So what you have to make a decision on, really what it comes down to, is if you've heard this truth now and you recognize that you know what you're made in the image of God. Yet there's this thing called sin that is separating. You've heard this truth now and you recognize that you know what you're made in the image of God, yet there's this thing called sin that is separating you from him, and that you needed something to pay that penalty for your sin, because you couldn't pay for yourself and you fully believe that Jesus is the son of God and he came to fulfill what you couldn't pay and to be the payment that satisfies for your sin. This is the most important decision you'll ever make. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to choose to surrender and follow him, or are you going to keep doing things your way? You have a choice. You can do it. You do not have to do this. There is no gun to anybody's head that says you have to surrender your life to Christ. Nope, you can have the yellow mentality and say, yeah, I'm just going to keep doing things my way for now. That's your right. I want to encourage you right here, though Lean in and do what God's calling you to do, because what the evil one wants you to do is keep walking in darkness. I get it.
Chris Grainger :
Sin is fun, because if you're sinning and not having fun, you're doing it wrong, because sin typically you have a lot of fun tied to it. I'm telling you, walking with Christ is so much better. So much better. Is it going to be easy? No, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be better. You're going to have access to the rarest commodity on earth not gold or gems or diamonds or rubies Peace, peace. And it comes when you choose to make that moment, right now, that decision to follow him.
Chris Grainger :
So maybe your life's a dumpster fire. Things just have not been going right and maybe they haven't been going right for a while. You don't know what to do. You don't know where to turn. You're tired of just beating your head against the wall. You feel like the same thing definition of insanity. You're doing the same thing over and over and over and over. You're not getting any different results because you keep trying to pursue this. Maybe you have too much month and not enough money. Maybe you just can't figure out how to put the bottle down, can't figure out how to put the pills down, can't figure out how to reconcile your relationship with your wife or just how to stand up for others when you see the bad stuff happening and you just don't know what to say.
Chris Grainger :
Well, I can tell you one thing it starts with you. It's surrendering you and recognizing that you were created for so much more, and it begins at that moment that you choose to surrender your life to Christ. That's my prayer today. That's why, for every spiritual kickoff episode, every week, we share the gospel Because I want you to hear the good news, I want you to know the good news and I want you to take action and accept Christ. It's not because I've told you to, but because I love you, because God loves you so much more. So, if you're ready maybe you've got some tears going right now, you're thinking about some stuff that just hasn't been going right, but you're really ready to truly surrender your life to the Lord.
Chris Grainger :
Jesus Christ, let's just pray together. Let's just pray together right now and invite Him in. So, father, thank you for having good joy to us. We love you, we praise you, and just thank you for our listener right now, who's listening, who's having a tough time. I pray you just give them some peace, some encouragement and, as they choose to surrender their life to you, I just pray, lord, that you just wrap your arms around them, let them feel your presence, let them feel your love, let them know that they are not defined by their past, that there's no condemnation for those that choose to follow you. I just pray, god, you just do blessings to them, pray that we put some people in their path. That's going to help them, encourage them along the way and help them just to take those next steps of obedience, as they have made today the most important decision they'll ever make, and that's the decision to stand up, turn away from their sin and to follow you. So we love you, we praise you, we pray all this toward your will in Christ's name, amen. All right.
Chris Grainger :
So for you listeners out there, the ones who just accepted Christ as your Savior, I want to hear from you. Okay, send me an email at chris at thelionwithinus. Okay, that's chris at the lion within dot U S. Okay, that's Chris at the lion within dot U S. What I want to do is send you some free resources. You know we'll give you some Bible resources. Uh, some some of our 30 day resource guides to kind of get you, get you geared up. I also want to find out where you're located, cause see if we can help you get plugged into a local church that's going to be preaching the gospel weekend. Reach week. Going to be Preaching the Gospel Week In and Week Out to be a resource for you as well. And also, I just want to jump on the call and just say, hey, virtual high five, give you a fist bump and let's just see how we can help you grow on your discipleship journey. That's what you're on your discipleship journey right now, so welcome to the fold. We need many warriors and again, if you're one of those house cats out there, you may want to find another podcast, because we're looking for the lions, not the house cats. I'm so happy to have you here. Thank you for listening.
Chris Grainger :
Come back on Wednesday. We're going to have a really good episode where this guest is going to bring some more practical tips on how we can lean in and share our faith and honor God in the work that he's called us to. Hopefully, we'll be able to see you. Come check that out. Also, thelionwithinus is how you can connect with us directly. That's our website, where you have all of our resources from our community, where we're striving each and every day to serve these Christian brothers to be better leaders. We have our Summit Leadership Development, where we have programs that we put out to help leaders grow and strengthen their abilities to lead in a biblical framework, if you will. And then we have lots of other resources, like our devotions, connections to our YouTube channel, all the different podcasts and episodes and things like that. So go, check all that stuff out. We even broke stuff down, guys, by categories, so if you're dealing with finances or marriage or whatever it may be, we have some resources there for you as well to help you just lean in and hopefully encourage you along the way. Alright, so, have a great day, guys, get after it, come back on Wednesday for our meet episode that you're going to hopefully enjoy, and if you give us a rating and review, that would be amazing. And just thank you for spending time with us today. All right, get after it and look, 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 won't 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 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 get started. Your journey begins here. Visit thelinewithinus and I'll see you inside with them.
