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’s your spiritual kickoff of the week. I hope you’re excited. I hope you’re ready. Let’s dig in. So we’re gonna be in the book of Romans, okay?

Romans this week, chapter 12. Just gonna look at one verse, verse five. Okay. Now we’re gonna pull verse four in with. Which will focus on verse five primarily. So we who are many are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Okay? There’s your verse guys. Romans 12, five. So first of all be before we dig any deeper, what do we need to know?

We need to know where the book of Romans is. So you go to your gospels, Matthew, mark, Luke, and John. Then go through Ax. Once you get through Ax, you got to Romans. It’s one of the most referred to books in the Bible. Love Romans is so much to unpack there. The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Rome.

Lots of of interesting things to learn to grow and see how we can simplify and apply this to our, to our lives, guys, that’s what it’s all about. And you, like I mentioned, this usually goes along verse. And just to give some context here, let’s look at verse four together just so we can see how this all flows.

Cuz it’s all part of one sentence cuz verse five kind of picks up just the second half of a sentence. But the first part says, for just as we have been, have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function. Here’s where we pick up our verse. So we who our man are one body in Christ and invi in individually parts of one another.

And why are we focusing on this, this verse this week? Because we’re gonna talk about the importance of community. Okay? And when I started thinking about what’s a verse that I could really try to bring forth to, to, to, to show you guys and to try to, to help connect the dots on the importance of community, this verse came to mind.

Okay? Now, when you look at this closer in, in chapter 12, what’s actually going on? As Paul is referring to the church. To the church, now we need to remember as Christian men, and often this is forgotten. Who is the church? We are the church. We the, the people. The church is not a building. Let’s face it. A building could burn to the ground.

Right. And the church still exists too. Oftentimes we, we, we think in our minds that the church. Is this place we go and we’re just gonna go worship. We’re gonna go hear a sermon, and then we’re gonna go home. No, we are the church. And I love this analogy that Paul is breaking is, is, is showing us here, talking about being many members and a body.

So let’s look at that a little bit and, and I love probably the, the best teaching. Imagine that. The best teaching that I, that I, that I enjoy on this particular. Pastor Jobby, he, he has a, a really good story or analogy that, that just for me, it resonates. I’m just gonna share that. Cause you know, if I learn things from others, I wanna share it with you guys.

Imagine you left the church building and you walk out to the parking lot and you get ready against your car and you look down, there’s a tow, like just a big toe, a big nasty toe , right? So you look now you, you would literally, Something is wrong, right? We’re not just gonna see a toe in a parking lot, okay?

Why? Because a toe is not supposed to be alone by itself. What’s it? What’s it gonna do if it’s, if a toe’s just there, it’s gonna shrivel up and it’s gonna die. Right? It’s dead. Why? Because it’s disconnected from the body and it cannot survive. Okay? So, I mean, we have to remember this. So we can think that as guys, that we can go through this life.

We don’t need others. And remember the old saying, I got this. That runs through our heads all the time, guys, I totally get it right. It happens. We need to go back to to scripture and see what the Lord says. Cause the fact is we don’t got this. The fact is, if you’re just a severed toe out there from a Christianity standpoint, you’re not gonna survive.

You gotta have others. Ultimately, and, and the scripture here is that reminder. And for me, since we started up the, the, the lion within this community, I see it firsthand. I see it firsthand. Okay. And we all have the, the importance of a community, but also also the different gifts, different gifts that we have.

We got some guys that are just straight up prayer warriors. We got those encouragers. We have some guys that are first to speak in meetings. You know those guys, right? Do we have the ones that sit back and they ask the hard questions? That’s a shout out to my boy, Neil. If you’re listening, you know I’m talking about it.

But combined, we have a powerful group of mine, of of, of men and minds that are showing up day in, day out. They’re helping each other to grow. And when I think about this, the way Paul is breaking this down, I automatically go. First Corinthians 12 as well. Cause he talks about there in that scripture, and we’ll probably unpack that in a fir, in a, in a future spiritual kickoff.

But he talks about the body having different parts. You have eyes, you have ears, you have hands, foot, right? And all those individual parts serve a function in the body, right? And he calls for, for no. and without each other. They’re not effective. Cuz just thinking about it, if you had a hand, but you know, you, you didn’t have an arm.

Well that hands weight is, you can’t use it Right. Or without eyes to see where you go on the pickup or without ears to hear it. Just, it all ties together. Right. And without each other again, there’s, there’s, there’s no effective there. They can’t be effective. And each member. He needs to care for each other, right?

Each member of the body. So, and, and when you, when you study the scripture and you see what he’s trying to tell us here, you actually see that if one member hurts, we all hurt. Right? If one member, if one member is honored, we’re all honored. We all rejoice. Why? Cause we’re part of Christ’s body, we’re part of Christ’s body.

We had the same head, and following him drives our actions. Right? If you guys need to hear me on. You have a gift. You do. Or maybe you’re a foot , maybe you’re an ear, whatever, but you have a gift and and if we’re not using that gift to glorify him, we’re wasting it. But by yourself, by yourself, you’re gonna struggle.

Cuz Paul talks. We’re all part of one body. So you gotta be part of that body to utilize your gift. Now this further emphasizes the importance of a local church body. And I wanna re reiterate something here, guys. The lion within us, we are not your local church. What we are is a supple. For sure. You know, we we’re doing some great things.

Our community is great. We have a lot of growth. We can help you grow in Christ, but you have to be plugged in to a local church, okay? Don’t be that dead toe in the parking lot, and if you need help finding a local, Church, finding a gospel preaching church reach out to us. We have members in our community who connect people all over the country.

It’s crazy. We, we were in a meeting the other night and, uh, I can’t remember if it was a lion lunch or, or one of our Bible studies, but I think it actually was a Bible state. And there was a member in Arizona who’s going through a, a serious trial right now with, with, uh, his marriage. And he’s struggling to find a church.

So he basically, the church, the home church he was in. Things happen, you know how things happen guys, sometimes in churches and he was, he was struggling. So one of our members in Ohio actually personally knew a pastor and this members town in Arizona and was able to make the connected dots for ’em right there, right.

And, and when, when I start thinking about stuff like this, it’s mind blowing, but it speaks to the power of the Holy Spirit and how is one body in Christ? Well, we try to focus on serving each other how effective that can be. So think about it, right here he tells us, so we, who are many? Cuz we, there, there, there are lot of believers.

We’re all one body, individually, parts of one. Guys we’re made for community. Scripture is so clear on this and we’re trying to do it by yourself. You’re going against God’s design and, and when you tr when you go against God’s design, you’re just gonna struggle. It’s not gonna be fun. You’re going to constantly hit a hit up against a brick wall.

You’re going gonna get discouraged. And there’s so many things out there that are discouraging Christian. We need to find sources and communities so we can grow and encourage each other. Encourage. We have to do that, guys. And I don’t care what what you, what you’re saying to yourself about Chris, I don’t have any gifts.

You do. You have gifts, you have spiritual gifts. We all have one, Elise, some people have multiple, but you have gift. You just may not be able to see them, and I’m gonna tell you how you gonna see ’em. You’ll, you’ll see ’em quicker by far when you get around other believers. So if you’re trying to do this Christianity thing by yourself in a vacuum.

Well, Chris, I get up in the morning, I read my scripture, I listen to my worship music, I have my prayer time. You know what? That, that’s enough. I would challenge you. No, those things are great. For sure. For sure. They’re great. But them and them of themselves, that’s not enough. You’re gonna miss that opportunity to have true spiritual growth that only occurs by being around fellow believers.

Well, Chris, I go to my church and you know, I’m just, I don’t get anything out. Well, here’s the listen. Listen to me here buttercup. It ain’t about you. It’s not about you. It’s about our sovereign Lord that we’re worshiping. So the music may not be the best. So maybe the lesson doesn’t impact you directly.

It’s not about you. It’s about being obedient, being around the fellow believers, having that fellow. That’s what it’s about. Cause the trials are going to come, they will now. Those trials of life come if you, if you’re just plugged into the word by yourself, you’re just missing such a chance to grow and to help, to be served and to serve others.

When, I mean, when you just look through the scriptures, Jesus, he didn’t even roll along. What did he do? He got 12 boys to roll. Now he was their, he was their rabbi. He was their teacher. He was their Lord. Well, he didn’t do it alone. Could he have sure he’s God, do whatever he wanted? That’s not what he chose.

He chose to surround himself with others to pour into them and through that pouring in, look how they grew, right? They were right there with Christ. They were. Were they all, did they get it out right? Always the first time? No, , it’s very clear they didn’t happen, but he was committed Christ to being, to surrounding himself, right?

Because he knew the importance of serving others. So guys, this is so, it’s so much time right now. You gotta get off the sidelines, right? Because a day, it’s a day you can start unleashing so much. So much if you just get off the sidelines and lean in to Romans 12 is telling us right here, if you don’t have a community, reach out to us and look the lion within us community may not be what you need.

I’m just gonna be up upfront and honest with you guys. We’re not for everybody. We’re not, we, we challenge stuff pretty hard. We, we we’re constantly talking about the issues that that can be difficult to talk. And we’re trying to, to, to serve guys that want to grow. And that may not be you, right? Or maybe just the way we roll it, this doesn’t work.

That’s fine. Go find something else. Start with your local church, but it doesn’t stop there. Your local church can’t be the only place you plug in to grow spiritually. You wouldn’t go a week without eating food. If you wouldn’t, just imagine if the only time you got to eat was on Sunday morning when that sermon started.

That’s the only time you got to eat by about Tuesday or Wednesday, you’d be starving. Starving. So how do you, how do you satisfy that, that craving? Gotta feed, gotta eat? How do you, how do you do that? You get connected with the community of Christian. Could be local, could be something like the line within us.

It could be something completely different, but you connect and you grow together. So the question for you is your, is your community helping you grow? And if you say with Chris, I don’t even have a community, I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re in a great spot. Connect with us at the line within us.

I wanna help you and look straight. It may not be our community, but I want to at least try to help you find some resources that serve you on your journey. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what it’s all about. Now, if you’ve never surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ on every spiritual kickoff, I give you that opportunity, and that’s right now and, and the gospel simple.

It’s very, Sin separates us from God. When sin entered the world, there was a divide, and we cannot get the God right? We are separated from him. However, however, there is a path to salvation that’s due to the lordship of Jesus Christ. So what? What happened? Jesus, he came from heaven, took on all these flesh shoots that we walk around with fully, God fully.

Complete, completely God divine. He paid the penalty for our sin, the ultimate penalty at Calvary. However, he did not stay dead. Three days later he robes. He overcame death, then he ascended and he says right there at the right hand of the Father, and it says, no one gets to heaven except through him.

Christ is the. So what do you have to do? You have to admit it’s your sinner. Just admit it that I am a sinner in need of a savior period. You have to believe that Jesus is the son of God. I mean, fully believe, and I just, you know, hey, sounds like he did some cool stuff. No, believe he’s a son of guy and what he did on that cross, some.

Count it for you. It did. And you have to, once you get that in your heart, you have to confess. And it’s not, it’s not. When you say confess, pour it out. I truly, with all my being, believe that you are Lord, Lord. Not just a, A teacher, a rabbi, but Lord. And what you confess of is Lord the holy. Come, take over your heart.

You’ll have a whole new heart. You’re a new creature here. You’re, you’re walking now with him and the Holy Spirit is gonna guide you. He’ll give you those eyes to see, to do the work he’s called you to do. So if that’s you, now you just accepted Christ. Welcome. Welcome my brother. Send me an email support at the lion within us and here’s what I’m gonna do.

I wanna send you some free, some resources to hook you up to get you ready cuz you are getting ready to enter a serious battle. You are already in it. You didn’t know it. You are in the battle now. The blinders are off. Cool part is there is armor, which is great for. And we have a weapon. So you’re not going in this completely, you know, uh, unarmed, we have what it takes.

We have the equipment, we have the tools, we have the teaching. We just gotta lean in. So we’re here to help you do that. Alright guys, there’s your spiritual kickoff. Now, if you enjoyed the spiritual kickoffs, seriously, Monday through Friday. Every morning we have one of these in our community. We, I go live, we unpack scripture.

So far we’ve gone through the Book of Luke. We have gone through, uh, acts completely the book of Acts Ruth. We, we’ve taken a look at, uh, second John, and we’re working through Song of Solomon. That’s, we, we, we we’re so. Days that we just able to sit and go through scripture together and grow, and it’s just a great way to get your day started.

So if you ha, if you enjoy this, that’s within, that’s in our community. Again, the line within us for that, if you would consider sharing this with others, share it out. Give us a rating, five stars, write a review, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Guys, I started trying to do some new things on Facebook and I.

To really try to, to serve in a different way, to try to get some insights from the show, some insights from guests, some things that I’ve learned along the way. So it’s not just about promoting the lion, but it’s about helping you grow in Christ. That’s what it’s about. So check us out over there as well, guys.

So come back on Wednesday, we’ll have a special conversation or, or episode on Wednesday rather. I’m gonna unpack the idea of. And what does that look like? What things you should be looking for when you’re looking at a community, how you can show up and bring value and then things you need to be on the guard of guys.

We have to be on the lookout cause I get it. Satan’s out there, he’s piling around. We need to be prepared and be ready to be able to recognize when that false teaching, when that’s out there, we have to be able to turn, turn away. So come back on Wednesday, guys. Looking forward to unpacking that with you for sure.

Thank you again for taking the time with us here. There’s so many podcasts you could be listening to, but the fact is you take the time to listen to the line within us. It means the world to me. Can’t, can’t, can’t say thank you enough. So looking forward to seeing you guys next time. Again, the line within.us.

Connect with us there. In the meantime, don’t forget, unleash the Lion within.

What if you could connect with other Christian men, grow in your faith, have resources to help you be the leader God intends you to be. Have live events where you can ask questions and get in the moment answers and be connected to guys 24 7 when you need ’em the most. Does it sound too good to be true?

What’s not? That is what we’ve built within the lion within us. Telling you guys, this is an unbelievable opportu. Jump in, check us out. We have weekly events that are happening all the time. We have lion lunches. We have our Bible study. We have boot camps that are happening. We have, uh, ask me anything events every month where you get a chance to ask questions directly from guests.

From the show. Guys, it’s access that you cannot get anywhere else. This community is growing. It’s getting bigger and bigger, and it’s being, it’s growing closer together as it grows as. It’s amazing to see how these guys lean in, support, serve, love, encourage, challenge each other on a daily basis. So guys, if you want a chance just to check it out, hop over to the lion within.us.

Get a 30 day free trial. Just see what it’s like and you may find what you’ve been looking for. That encouragement, that support, that brotherhood is right here at the click of your finger. I’ll see. Inside the den.