May 28, 2025 • 24 mins
Ever feel like you're just going through the motions with your Bible reading? Three simple questions might completely transform your approach to Scripture. As Christian men, many of us have fallen into a pattern of checking boxes—reading chapters to complete them, praying because it's on our to-do list, and attending church because it's what we're "supposed to do." But Scripture isn't meant to be consumed passively; it's designed to be experienced actively.
Ready to stop drifting and lead with clarity, conviction, and brotherhood? Our Leadership Mastermind groups launch this July—just 7 men per group. Real discipleship. Real accountability. This isn’t for everyone—but if you’re ready to be sharpened, we want to hear from you. Step into the man God’s called you to be. Your next level starts now.
Apply here with our Leadership Mastermind Interest Form
We’re going live every weekday with our Daily Spiritual Kickoff—free and exclusive inside our community. Join us for a powerful Word, real encouragement, and practical ways to lead with faith at home and work.
No cost. No excuses. Just truth, brotherhood, and bold leadership.
It’s time to stop sitting on the sidelines.
Step into the fight and become the man God called you to be. Join a brotherhood built on truth, strength, and action. Visit thelionwithin.us right now and start leading with boldness and purpose. Iron sharpens iron — let’s go. 👉https://thelionwithin.us/
Try a Community Subscription Risk-Free for 30-Days.
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, The Lion Within Us has a place for you. Don’t worry—if you decide later that another path suits you better, adjusting is simple. 👉 https://thelionwithin.us/resources/community-subscriptions/
Get Free Daily Inspiration With Our Bible App Devotionals
Our devotionals dive deep into the pillars that define The Lion Within Us - health, wealth, and self. Whether you're seeking spiritual growth, financial wisdom, or personal development, these devotionals are tailor-made for you. Connect with The Lion Within Us on the Bible App. 👉 https://thelionwithin.us/bible/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chris Grainger (00:03):
Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast
serving Christian men who arehungry to be the leaders God
intends you to be.
I'm your host, chris Granger.
Let's jump in.
All right, fellas, it's yourmeat episode, so let's get right
into it, okay?
So scripture of the week thisweek is Romans 15, verse 4.
Love it anytime we get to go toRomans right.
It says for everything that waswritten in the past was written
to teach us so that, throughthe endurance taught in the
(00:23):
scriptures and the encouragementthey provide, we might have
hope.
Now, guys, go listen to thespiritual kickoff episode about
that verse, because scripture ishas such an important purpose
in our life.
It's not just a book to read.
No, no, no, no, no.
Teach, endure, encourage, teach, endure, encourage man how
(00:45):
about that?
And this?
The Bible is living, it'sbreathing, it's active and as
believers, we have an advantagewhen we read this because we
have the Holy Spirit guiding anddirecting us.
So, again, go listen to thatspiritual kickoff episode.
As a reminder we do those everyday, monday through Friday.
And as another, as a newreminder I don't know if you
(01:06):
heard about this or not on ourYouTube channel, we started
releasing once a week what wecall Bible Briefing for Men.
What we do for the BibleBriefing.
It's about three minutes.
They're super short guys, soit's not like you're investing a
lot of time.
We walk through what we're, butwe walk through, we're getting
(01:26):
ready to walk through here inthis episode of what happened in
the scripture.
So what?
What does it matter to us?
And then now, what do we dowith it?
So I think, as we go throughthis episode here, hopefully
it's going to give you a littlebit of encouragement for some
insights of how we do that.
But I would just ask you,subscribe to our YouTube channel
.
Just go subscribe to that.
(01:46):
They come out every week.
We try to get them out onThursdays, it just depends.
But that's the big thing is wereally want to put those out
each and every week, just to tryto take so much of what we're
putting out into anotherconsumable format that you may
be able to share with others.
Lots of the Bible briefings formen, quite frankly, come
(02:07):
directly from our Bible readingplans that are on the Bible app
from YouVersion.
So if you enjoy those, you knowas many people do we have a
wonderful following onYouVersion.
Check out the Bible briefingfor men.
You may enjoy that.
So today we're going to betalking about how, asking three
questions.
What if that could completelyrevolutionize how you study
(02:29):
God's word?
I'll tell you.
We're going to look at it here,fellas, and these are some
powerful insights.
They're going to change the waythat you look at scripture.
It's going to help us move frompassively reading to actively
applying it, and that's whatit's all about.
You know, the Lyle of Genesis isall about simplifying and
applying God's word, and PastorJoby gave me these three
(02:50):
questions.
I can't remember which time wemet, but he shared this model,
this framework, and I've lovedit so much.
So you know what?
Let's dig into it today.
So the first question is reallywhat happened?
Okay, what happened?
And that starts it all.
So, from a scripture standpoint, if you like, luke, luke 1, 4
(03:10):
says so that you may know theexact truth about the things you
have been taught.
Okay, and that there's a jokein our house.
You know my wife loves hallmarkmovies and she knows the moment
when I recognize what channelis on.
She knows those snot commentsare getting ready to follow.
(03:31):
It starts with an innocentquestion hey, you want me to
tell you how this thing isgetting ready to end.
That's usually followed by aneye roll and a sigh.
I can clearly see that she'sunamused.
Then I always tell her.
I say, look, there's this younglady here.
I know she's from the big city,she's visiting her small town
(03:52):
where she grew up, and she'strying to find herself again.
But that young guy right therewho just popped up on the screen
I know he runs a hardware storebut it looks like he's a
multimillionaire based off thehome he lives in.
Really he's a multi-millionairebased off the home he lives in.
Really he's her lost love oflong ago and we're getting ready
to see a series of events thatresults.
That's also going to result ina scene of romantic joy, like
(04:14):
that's it.
And I'm always oh yeah, there'sprobably a dog.
So you know I'm picking on her.
It's coming from a place oflove and she reminds me that she
watches those movies for theadventures, the stories, not the
outcome.
And that really is interesting.
When she told me that, becausemost of the time I approach life
(04:37):
as a destination, you know likeI need to focus on what needs
to get done I got to check thebox.
I got to complete the task.
I got to achieve the box.
I got to complete the task, Igot to achieve the goal right.
But my wife reminds me to youknow what, sometimes you just
need to embrace the journey, andfrom a spiritual standpoint,
that really hit me, and maybethis is relatable to you,
(05:00):
because how often or easy is itto treat our faith as just a
series of steps right Versus anactual experience with God.
Think about it.
You read the Bible to finish achapter, you pray to check it
off the list, you go to churchbecause you're kind of supposed
to do that, right.
But what if the perspectiveshifted a little bit?
(05:23):
What if it had a little bit ofchange?
And that's why I'm bringing inthis first question here of what
happened.
If you take the time to askthat question, it forces you to
focus on the nuances and then,once you start shifting and
thinking about the nuances,suddenly the adventure becomes
(05:44):
richer.
Okay, this creates a naturalshift from treating scripture
with a set of expected outcomesand to like an intentional
practice of trying to understandfrom a greater and our
advantage, a spirit drivenperspective.
So maybe, I don't know, this iscrazy talk, maybe Hallmark
(06:06):
movies do have a lesson for us.
It's just, it's not about howit ends.
It's about the moments alongthe way.
Okay, because those momentsbring us into a deeper narrative
, and that's what scriptureshould do for us as we dive
deeper.
But it starts with that mindsetof what happened, you know,
because that creates anopportunity for us to see
(06:27):
scripture in a new light as webuild the foundation of truth
moving forward.
So, look, you know, some of youguys love history and love
looking back.
I totally get it.
That's a great approach.
Just to start, what happened?
Because that's going to changethe way we think about stuff
moving forward.
All right.
So, look, we're going to takeour first break, guys.
(06:48):
We'll come back and we'll talkabout the second question.
That's going to really amplifythe way that we study God's word
.
I've got something big to share.
We're making a major shiftbecause we know the battle is
real and it's time more men hadaccess to the support they need.
For too long, guys have beentrying to carry the weight alone
(07:09):
pressure at work, tension athome, wounds from the past in a
world that demands strength butoffers no place to rest.
We see it, We've lived it, andthat's exactly why we built our
community.
It's a stronghold, a placewhere warriors can find rest,
truth and a band of brothersstanding beside them.
And starting now, we're makingit easier than ever to step in.
(07:31):
We've lowered the barrier tojust $15.99 a month.
That means, for less than thecost of a drive-thru lunch, you
can join a brotherhood that'scentered on Christ and built for
growth.
Inside you'll find access toour daily spiritual kickoffs
every Monday through Friday, ourLion Lunches, our Bible Studies
, our Friday Forge Gatheringsall that and so much more.
(07:51):
Every man needs a stronghold,and you don't have to fight
alone.
If you've been waiting for theright time to jump in, this is
it.
Go to thelionwithinus and jointhe community and see for
yourself what happens when irontruly sharpens iron.
All right, fellas, welcome back.
So look now the next thing weneed to consider is so what?
(08:13):
So you got what happened, sowhat Now?
If you look at 2 Timothy, 3, 16and 17,.
It says All Scripture isGod-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correctingand training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God maybe equipped for every good work.
(08:34):
So now, if we believe that tobe true, when we study the Bible
we have to ask the question sowhat?
Because that question in itselfchallenges us to pause and
reflect on the relevance of whatwe just read.
We can't just know whathappened, we need to know why it
(08:58):
matters.
Right?
Again, if you listen to thespiritual kickoff episode, you
heard me talk about our monthlybudget review.
Right, and I can't just look atwhat happened.
Right, because I need to get agood understanding.
That's pulling all the datatogether, but then I have to
move it to.
Sometimes it's a painful processof okay, so what?
(09:20):
Because this is where wediscern.
This is why we get a deepercontext.
This is how we increaseawareness and understanding.
It can make informedadjustments moving forward and
this is the hard part, I'm goingto be honest, guys and can make
informed adjustments movingforward and this is the hard
part, I'm going to be honest,guys.
Reflection when you'rereflecting with Scripture, this
is the hard part, because thatintentionality and effort.
(09:41):
Now you could try to skip itand go on, but if you do, you're
missing what could be taughtfrom the past experiences could
teach you for future decisions.
Ultimately, you're leavingyourself open for making the
same mistakes over and overagain.
Think about the definition ofinsanity doing the same thing
(10:02):
over and over, expectingdifferent results right?
So if we study Scripture.
It's so tempting to read simplyfor the sake of reading, okay,
because everybody's tired,everybody's busy and not put in
the work to think deeply aboutcontext.
And it's usually because, whattime restraints?
Let's just be real, you guys,our schedules are crazy busy.
(10:26):
Or second one, maybe this is,if you're brave enough to admit
this, folks are lazy, they won'tput in the effort.
And you know what I'm sharingthis transparency, because there
are days when I'm lazy I don'twant you to feel like you're
alone out there.
But when we force ourselves toask the question, so what?
(10:48):
It really pushes us to unlock adeeper level of engagement with
Scripture and it turns thatstandard routine into a
transformative experience.
I'm telling you, it's in thesemoments of reflection.
That's where God does the bigstuff.
(11:10):
He reveals the stuff.
When you really start studyingand thinking and asking and
inviting man, it's pretty cool,you know.
But it takes that level ofawareness to say you know, I'm
not just going to read the Bible, just read it, I really want to
understand it.
And over time it doesn't justenhance how you study the Bible,
(11:34):
it shapes how you live and walkit out and think about it and
respond.
I'm telling you, it's such abig deal, but you have to lean
into it, because if you do that,it's going to cultivate a habit
of spiritual growth and that'sgoing to help you encourage
others.
So the question isn't justabout what the text says, but
(11:58):
how God is using it to mold usinto who he's called us to be,
amanda.
That makes the effort worth itall.
Fellas, I'm telling you, it'ssuch a big deal.
Love that question of so what.
It highly encourages you.
So think about it.
What happened?
So what?
Now we're going to take ourlast break, guys.
We'll unpack the last question.
(12:19):
That's going to really take youto the next level.
We'll be right back.
We're making a big change thatI think you're really going to
enjoy.
I spent a lot of time thinkingabout our spiritual kickoffs and
, honestly, I love doing themeach week, so much so we started
doing them live every Mondaythrough Friday inside our
(12:42):
exclusive platform.
And here's the best part We'vedecided to give full access,
completely free, so now you canjoin our daily spiritual kickoff
space At no cost.
Every day, we go live To readthe word, to encourage each
other and find simple andpowerful ways To apply God's
(13:03):
truth To our lives.
You'll even have the chance toengage with me directly, and if
you missed a live stream, don'tworry, the videos are posted the
same day so you can catch upwhenever it works for you.
This is exclusive behind thescenes content that is not
available anywhere else, and nowwe've removed every excuse.
(13:24):
So if you're ready to getstarted, head over to
thelionwithinus and grab yourfree access today.
Let's grow together.
All right, guys, we're at ourthird question here.
We're just unpacking thesethree in this episode today.
So we talked about whathappened.
So what?
(13:45):
The last question Now?
What?
Now, what James 1 says?
Verse 22 says do not merelylisten to the word and so
deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
My favorite book of the Bible,if you guys know that by now, I
absolutely love the book ofJames, and if I look back over
(14:09):
certain areas of my life, Irecognize that, in general, the
fact of knowing what needed tobe done, okay, to course direct,
like I know what I need to do,what was, uh, that was easy
enough to figure out, okay.
So the hard part comes when weput the knowledge into action.
(14:30):
And I started thinking about myhealth journey, you know, and I
don't know, for some reason,god's sense of humor.
He put me together, he createdme in my mother's womb.
He left out metabolism andwillpower.
So I'm joking but maybe you canrelate.
(14:51):
But weight has been somethingI've battled my whole life and
it's like a never endingrollercoaster.
And each time I set on a pathto course correct roller coaster
and each time I set on a pathto course correct, the
information I needed to getstarted hadn't changed right.
You know, I know what I neededto do.
I know I needed to consume alot fewer calories, burn more,
you know, do more exercises,lift weights, all the stuff.
But it's like a 15 year periodand I finally recognized I was.
(15:14):
I was riding a roller coasterlong enough and it was time to
stop making excuses.
And that really helped me lockin on some clarity, to start
making better self-decisionsaround my diet and exercise.
But it challenged me to stopthinking that simply knowing
what to do was enough and thattrue change requires commitment
(15:37):
and action.
So how does this apply toreading God's Word?
I made the same connection withthat as studying the Bible,
because understanding whathappened and so what they're
crucial for spiritual growth,totally.
But I missed a connection forsuch a long time of reading
(15:59):
God's word and applying it.
That application it was easy todo on Sundays, but the rest are
weakness, there was a gap.
But forcing myself to think allright, my Bible's open to
Proverbs 24, 25 right now.
(16:19):
All right, if I read Proverbs25 and I get to what happened,
and so what, and I get throughthat, the next place I have to
go is now what, what do I dowith this?
What do I actually have to doto apply it?
And it's been a game changer.
And this Old Testament, newTestament, it doesn't matter.
(16:42):
This is impactful because itforces me to stop looking at
scripture as though I waslooking through it through
binoculars and all of a sudden Iput the binoculars down and I
pick up the mirror and man thatmirror mindset, fellas, that's a
big deal, because that movesyour internal narrative from
what's happening on a given bookchapter verse to how should I
(17:03):
respond to the world based onwhat he's revealing to me when
I'm studying the word Maybe saidanother way.
This now what mindset.
It helps you move past passiveconsumption to active
participation.
So from passive consumption,which most people do, to active
(17:26):
participation.
And James shows us that rightthere.
And James 1, because ourfoundation is only as strong as
the actions that we build uponit.
Knowing God's word is soimportant.
The Pharisees knew God's word,but without application it's
like building or shifting sand,fellas it's just missing.
(17:48):
Okay, so how do you live outthis now?
What mentality really starts byasking God look, please show me
the areas in my life that Ineed to realign or to adjust to
be in alignment with your truth,and then you can start taking
the little steps of obedienceright, no matter how small they
(18:09):
are, but just start taking thesteps.
It could be forgiveness orserving, or maybe need to
address some unhealthy habits,but if you take action that's
rooted in God's word, thattransforms your life, it has the
ability to do that and it'sgoing to transform those around
you.
So I mean, fellas, those threequestions.
(18:30):
No, it's a different type ofepisode today.
I know it's super short.
You know not our typical meatepisodes from the life within us
, but I just pray that youreflect on these three questions
and that they encourage you,they open new insights and to
simplify and apply God's word toyour journey, and I pray that
(18:52):
they help you step out in faithand that, as you learn and you
understand and you act and yougrow, that God keeps
strengthening you and I justI'll just say this it's been a
game changer for me and Iactually for me, I wrote it.
Where is it at right here foryou guys who are watching on
(19:13):
YouTube?
I keep this little, this littleindex card right here.
And what happened?
So what now?
What?
It's literally kind of like mybookmark in my Bible, because I
want to be reminded of that alot when I read it.
I don't want to take it forgranted.
I want to be reminded andchallenge myself and that's my
(19:35):
challenge to you.
And again, this three questionsis one of our YouVersion Bible
app devotions.
So if you want to go throughthis with others, I encourage
you to do that.
Go, take one of our Biblestudies, our plans, and invite
friends to do it with you.
You can do it directly on theapp.
By the way, I do this everymonth.
(19:55):
I do two per month as part ofthe Lion Within us.
So if you want to be a friendon the Bible app with me, go to
thelionwithinus slash Bible.
There's a link right there.
You can connect with medirectly on the Bible app and
then, when we do these everymonth we walk through these
plans.
The cool part about walkingthrough a Bible plan on the
Bible app you've never done thatwith a group there's a talk it
(20:23):
over part after you do your,about your devotion and your
scripture, and this is where youcan just add reflections, add
questions.
It's a really great way to justsee what's on other people's
hearts and to be encouraged.
So, look, if that sounds likesomething fun that you'd like to
try, go to thelinewithinusslash Bible.
Let's connect there.
So question of the week, fellas,is how does Scripture give you
(20:44):
hope in a tough season?
And if you're in a tough seasonright now, I just want you to
know I'm sorry.
I'm sorry you're going througha tough season, but I also know
that God's Word right, it willprovide you more comfort than
anything in this world.
Anything in this world.
So just keep leaning into theword.
Okay, that would be myencouragement to you.
So, guys, thank you so much forlistening, for hanging out today
(21:06):
.
Uh, look forward to seeing youon our fun friday episode.
Please come back for that.
We got health well self tips,we got our book of the week all
that fun stuff that we do forour fun fridays.
Guys, you.
You want to leave us a?
Leave us a rating and review.
That'd be great.
And again, the lion withinus.
Check out all our resources andthen head over to our YouTube
channel and don't forget thatBible briefing for men.
I'm so pumped on those.
(21:28):
Those videos.
It's a different style video.
It's definitely created forYouTube, but I think you may
enjoy them.
So if you're listening to this,just check out the YouTube
channel, hit that subscribebutton.
That'd be awesome, but I'd loveto get your feedback on those
Bible briefings from them andthey're a lot of fun to put
together and hopefully get a lotof encouragement out of them.
(21:48):
All right, have a great day.
I'll get it out of this.
Have a great day, guys.
Get after it and just keepunleashing the lion with it.
Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast
serving Christian men who arehungry to be the leaders God
intends you to be.
I'm your host, chris Granger.
Let's jump in.
All right, fellas, it's yourmeat episode, so let's get right
into it, okay?
So scripture of the week thisweek is Romans 15, verse 4.
Love it anytime we get to go toRomans right.
It says for everything that waswritten in the past was written
to teach us so that, throughthe endurance taught in the
(00:23):
scriptures and the encouragementthey provide, we might have
hope.
Now, guys, go listen to thespiritual kickoff episode about
that verse, because scripture ishas such an important purpose
in our life.
It's not just a book to read.
No, no, no, no, no.
Teach, endure, encourage, teach, endure, encourage man how
(00:45):
about that?
And this?
The Bible is living, it'sbreathing, it's active and as
believers, we have an advantagewhen we read this because we
have the Holy Spirit guiding anddirecting us.
So, again, go listen to thatspiritual kickoff episode.
As a reminder we do those everyday, monday through Friday.
And as another, as a newreminder I don't know if you
(01:06):
heard about this or not on ourYouTube channel, we started
releasing once a week what wecall Bible Briefing for Men.
What we do for the BibleBriefing.
It's about three minutes.
They're super short guys, soit's not like you're investing a
lot of time.
We walk through what we're, butwe walk through, we're getting
(01:26):
ready to walk through here inthis episode of what happened in
the scripture.
So what?
What does it matter to us?
And then now, what do we dowith it?
So I think, as we go throughthis episode here, hopefully
it's going to give you a littlebit of encouragement for some
insights of how we do that.
But I would just ask you,subscribe to our YouTube channel
.
Just go subscribe to that.
(01:46):
They come out every week.
We try to get them out onThursdays, it just depends.
But that's the big thing is wereally want to put those out
each and every week, just to tryto take so much of what we're
putting out into anotherconsumable format that you may
be able to share with others.
Lots of the Bible briefings formen, quite frankly, come
(02:07):
directly from our Bible readingplans that are on the Bible app
from YouVersion.
So if you enjoy those, you knowas many people do we have a
wonderful following onYouVersion.
Check out the Bible briefingfor men.
You may enjoy that.
So today we're going to betalking about how, asking three
questions.
What if that could completelyrevolutionize how you study
(02:29):
God's word?
I'll tell you.
We're going to look at it here,fellas, and these are some
powerful insights.
They're going to change the waythat you look at scripture.
It's going to help us move frompassively reading to actively
applying it, and that's whatit's all about.
You know, the Lyle of Genesis isall about simplifying and
applying God's word, and PastorJoby gave me these three
(02:50):
questions.
I can't remember which time wemet, but he shared this model,
this framework, and I've lovedit so much.
So you know what?
Let's dig into it today.
So the first question is reallywhat happened?
Okay, what happened?
And that starts it all.
So, from a scripture standpoint, if you like, luke, luke 1, 4
(03:10):
says so that you may know theexact truth about the things you
have been taught.
Okay, and that there's a jokein our house.
You know my wife loves hallmarkmovies and she knows the moment
when I recognize what channelis on.
She knows those snot commentsare getting ready to follow.
(03:31):
It starts with an innocentquestion hey, you want me to
tell you how this thing isgetting ready to end.
That's usually followed by aneye roll and a sigh.
I can clearly see that she'sunamused.
Then I always tell her.
I say, look, there's this younglady here.
I know she's from the big city,she's visiting her small town
(03:52):
where she grew up, and she'strying to find herself again.
But that young guy right therewho just popped up on the screen
I know he runs a hardware storebut it looks like he's a
multimillionaire based off thehome he lives in.
Really he's a multi-millionairebased off the home he lives in.
Really he's her lost love oflong ago and we're getting ready
to see a series of events thatresults.
That's also going to result ina scene of romantic joy, like
(04:14):
that's it.
And I'm always oh yeah, there'sprobably a dog.
So you know I'm picking on her.
It's coming from a place oflove and she reminds me that she
watches those movies for theadventures, the stories, not the
outcome.
And that really is interesting.
When she told me that, becausemost of the time I approach life
(04:37):
as a destination, you know likeI need to focus on what needs
to get done I got to check thebox.
I got to complete the task.
I got to achieve the box.
I got to complete the task, Igot to achieve the goal right.
But my wife reminds me to youknow what, sometimes you just
need to embrace the journey, andfrom a spiritual standpoint,
that really hit me, and maybethis is relatable to you,
(05:00):
because how often or easy is itto treat our faith as just a
series of steps right Versus anactual experience with God.
Think about it.
You read the Bible to finish achapter, you pray to check it
off the list, you go to churchbecause you're kind of supposed
to do that, right.
But what if the perspectiveshifted a little bit?
(05:23):
What if it had a little bit ofchange?
And that's why I'm bringing inthis first question here of what
happened.
If you take the time to askthat question, it forces you to
focus on the nuances and then,once you start shifting and
thinking about the nuances,suddenly the adventure becomes
(05:44):
richer.
Okay, this creates a naturalshift from treating scripture
with a set of expected outcomesand to like an intentional
practice of trying to understandfrom a greater and our
advantage, a spirit drivenperspective.
So maybe, I don't know, this iscrazy talk, maybe Hallmark
(06:06):
movies do have a lesson for us.
It's just, it's not about howit ends.
It's about the moments alongthe way.
Okay, because those momentsbring us into a deeper narrative
, and that's what scriptureshould do for us as we dive
deeper.
But it starts with that mindsetof what happened, you know,
because that creates anopportunity for us to see
(06:27):
scripture in a new light as webuild the foundation of truth
moving forward.
So, look, you know, some of youguys love history and love
looking back.
I totally get it.
That's a great approach.
Just to start, what happened?
Because that's going to changethe way we think about stuff
moving forward.
All right.
So, look, we're going to takeour first break, guys.
(06:48):
We'll come back and we'll talkabout the second question.
That's going to really amplifythe way that we study God's word
.
I've got something big to share.
We're making a major shiftbecause we know the battle is
real and it's time more men hadaccess to the support they need.
For too long, guys have beentrying to carry the weight alone
(07:09):
pressure at work, tension athome, wounds from the past in a
world that demands strength butoffers no place to rest.
We see it, We've lived it, andthat's exactly why we built our
community.
It's a stronghold, a placewhere warriors can find rest,
truth and a band of brothersstanding beside them.
And starting now, we're makingit easier than ever to step in.
(07:31):
We've lowered the barrier tojust $15.99 a month.
That means, for less than thecost of a drive-thru lunch, you
can join a brotherhood that'scentered on Christ and built for
growth.
Inside you'll find access toour daily spiritual kickoffs
every Monday through Friday, ourLion Lunches, our Bible Studies
, our Friday Forge Gatheringsall that and so much more.
(07:51):
Every man needs a stronghold,and you don't have to fight
alone.
If you've been waiting for theright time to jump in, this is
it.
Go to thelionwithinus and jointhe community and see for
yourself what happens when irontruly sharpens iron.
All right, fellas, welcome back.
So look now the next thing weneed to consider is so what?
(08:13):
So you got what happened, sowhat Now?
If you look at 2 Timothy, 3, 16and 17,.
It says All Scripture isGod-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correctingand training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God maybe equipped for every good work.
(08:34):
So now, if we believe that tobe true, when we study the Bible
we have to ask the question sowhat?
Because that question in itselfchallenges us to pause and
reflect on the relevance of whatwe just read.
We can't just know whathappened, we need to know why it
(08:58):
matters.
Right?
Again, if you listen to thespiritual kickoff episode, you
heard me talk about our monthlybudget review.
Right, and I can't just look atwhat happened.
Right, because I need to get agood understanding.
That's pulling all the datatogether, but then I have to
move it to.
Sometimes it's a painful processof okay, so what?
(09:20):
Because this is where wediscern.
This is why we get a deepercontext.
This is how we increaseawareness and understanding.
It can make informedadjustments moving forward and
this is the hard part, I'm goingto be honest, guys and can make
informed adjustments movingforward and this is the hard
part, I'm going to be honest,guys.
Reflection when you'rereflecting with Scripture, this
is the hard part, because thatintentionality and effort.
(09:41):
Now you could try to skip itand go on, but if you do, you're
missing what could be taughtfrom the past experiences could
teach you for future decisions.
Ultimately, you're leavingyourself open for making the
same mistakes over and overagain.
Think about the definition ofinsanity doing the same thing
(10:02):
over and over, expectingdifferent results right?
So if we study Scripture.
It's so tempting to read simplyfor the sake of reading, okay,
because everybody's tired,everybody's busy and not put in
the work to think deeply aboutcontext.
And it's usually because, whattime restraints?
Let's just be real, you guys,our schedules are crazy busy.
(10:26):
Or second one, maybe this is,if you're brave enough to admit
this, folks are lazy, they won'tput in the effort.
And you know what I'm sharingthis transparency, because there
are days when I'm lazy I don'twant you to feel like you're
alone out there.
But when we force ourselves toask the question, so what?
(10:48):
It really pushes us to unlock adeeper level of engagement with
Scripture and it turns thatstandard routine into a
transformative experience.
I'm telling you, it's in thesemoments of reflection.
That's where God does the bigstuff.
(11:10):
He reveals the stuff.
When you really start studyingand thinking and asking and
inviting man, it's pretty cool,you know.
But it takes that level ofawareness to say you know, I'm
not just going to read the Bible, just read it, I really want to
understand it.
And over time it doesn't justenhance how you study the Bible,
(11:34):
it shapes how you live and walkit out and think about it and
respond.
I'm telling you, it's such abig deal, but you have to lean
into it, because if you do that,it's going to cultivate a habit
of spiritual growth and that'sgoing to help you encourage
others.
So the question isn't justabout what the text says, but
(11:58):
how God is using it to mold usinto who he's called us to be,
amanda.
That makes the effort worth itall.
Fellas, I'm telling you, it'ssuch a big deal.
Love that question of so what.
It highly encourages you.
So think about it.
What happened?
So what?
Now we're going to take ourlast break, guys.
We'll unpack the last question.
(12:19):
That's going to really take youto the next level.
We'll be right back.
We're making a big change thatI think you're really going to
enjoy.
I spent a lot of time thinkingabout our spiritual kickoffs and
, honestly, I love doing themeach week, so much so we started
doing them live every Mondaythrough Friday inside our
(12:42):
exclusive platform.
And here's the best part We'vedecided to give full access,
completely free, so now you canjoin our daily spiritual kickoff
space At no cost.
Every day, we go live To readthe word, to encourage each
other and find simple andpowerful ways To apply God's
(13:03):
truth To our lives.
You'll even have the chance toengage with me directly, and if
you missed a live stream, don'tworry, the videos are posted the
same day so you can catch upwhenever it works for you.
This is exclusive behind thescenes content that is not
available anywhere else, and nowwe've removed every excuse.
(13:24):
So if you're ready to getstarted, head over to
thelionwithinus and grab yourfree access today.
Let's grow together.
All right, guys, we're at ourthird question here.
We're just unpacking thesethree in this episode today.
So we talked about whathappened.
So what?
(13:45):
The last question Now?
What?
Now, what James 1 says?
Verse 22 says do not merelylisten to the word and so
deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
My favorite book of the Bible,if you guys know that by now, I
absolutely love the book ofJames, and if I look back over
(14:09):
certain areas of my life, Irecognize that, in general, the
fact of knowing what needed tobe done, okay, to course direct,
like I know what I need to do,what was, uh, that was easy
enough to figure out, okay.
So the hard part comes when weput the knowledge into action.
(14:30):
And I started thinking about myhealth journey, you know, and I
don't know, for some reason,god's sense of humor.
He put me together, he createdme in my mother's womb.
He left out metabolism andwillpower.
So I'm joking but maybe you canrelate.
(14:51):
But weight has been somethingI've battled my whole life and
it's like a never endingrollercoaster.
And each time I set on a pathto course correct roller coaster
and each time I set on a pathto course correct, the
information I needed to getstarted hadn't changed right.
You know, I know what I neededto do.
I know I needed to consume alot fewer calories, burn more,
you know, do more exercises,lift weights, all the stuff.
But it's like a 15 year periodand I finally recognized I was.
(15:14):
I was riding a roller coasterlong enough and it was time to
stop making excuses.
And that really helped me lockin on some clarity, to start
making better self-decisionsaround my diet and exercise.
But it challenged me to stopthinking that simply knowing
what to do was enough and thattrue change requires commitment
(15:37):
and action.
So how does this apply toreading God's Word?
I made the same connection withthat as studying the Bible,
because understanding whathappened and so what they're
crucial for spiritual growth,totally.
But I missed a connection forsuch a long time of reading
(15:59):
God's word and applying it.
That application it was easy todo on Sundays, but the rest are
weakness, there was a gap.
But forcing myself to think allright, my Bible's open to
Proverbs 24, 25 right now.
(16:19):
All right, if I read Proverbs25 and I get to what happened,
and so what, and I get throughthat, the next place I have to
go is now what, what do I dowith this?
What do I actually have to doto apply it?
And it's been a game changer.
And this Old Testament, newTestament, it doesn't matter.
(16:42):
This is impactful because itforces me to stop looking at
scripture as though I waslooking through it through
binoculars and all of a sudden Iput the binoculars down and I
pick up the mirror and man thatmirror mindset, fellas, that's a
big deal, because that movesyour internal narrative from
what's happening on a given bookchapter verse to how should I
(17:03):
respond to the world based onwhat he's revealing to me when
I'm studying the word Maybe saidanother way.
This now what mindset.
It helps you move past passiveconsumption to active
participation.
So from passive consumption,which most people do, to active
(17:26):
participation.
And James shows us that rightthere.
And James 1, because ourfoundation is only as strong as
the actions that we build uponit.
Knowing God's word is soimportant.
The Pharisees knew God's word,but without application it's
like building or shifting sand,fellas it's just missing.
(17:48):
Okay, so how do you live outthis now?
What mentality really starts byasking God look, please show me
the areas in my life that Ineed to realign or to adjust to
be in alignment with your truth,and then you can start taking
the little steps of obedienceright, no matter how small they
(18:09):
are, but just start taking thesteps.
It could be forgiveness orserving, or maybe need to
address some unhealthy habits,but if you take action that's
rooted in God's word, thattransforms your life, it has the
ability to do that and it'sgoing to transform those around
you.
So I mean, fellas, those threequestions.
(18:30):
No, it's a different type ofepisode today.
I know it's super short.
You know not our typical meatepisodes from the life within us
, but I just pray that youreflect on these three questions
and that they encourage you,they open new insights and to
simplify and apply God's word toyour journey, and I pray that
(18:52):
they help you step out in faithand that, as you learn and you
understand and you act and yougrow, that God keeps
strengthening you and I justI'll just say this it's been a
game changer for me and Iactually for me, I wrote it.
Where is it at right here foryou guys who are watching on
(19:13):
YouTube?
I keep this little, this littleindex card right here.
And what happened?
So what now?
What?
It's literally kind of like mybookmark in my Bible, because I
want to be reminded of that alot when I read it.
I don't want to take it forgranted.
I want to be reminded andchallenge myself and that's my
(19:35):
challenge to you.
And again, this three questionsis one of our YouVersion Bible
app devotions.
So if you want to go throughthis with others, I encourage
you to do that.
Go, take one of our Biblestudies, our plans, and invite
friends to do it with you.
You can do it directly on theapp.
By the way, I do this everymonth.
(19:55):
I do two per month as part ofthe Lion Within us.
So if you want to be a friendon the Bible app with me, go to
thelionwithinus slash Bible.
There's a link right there.
You can connect with medirectly on the Bible app and
then, when we do these everymonth we walk through these
plans.
The cool part about walkingthrough a Bible plan on the
Bible app you've never done thatwith a group there's a talk it
(20:23):
over part after you do your,about your devotion and your
scripture, and this is where youcan just add reflections, add
questions.
It's a really great way to justsee what's on other people's
hearts and to be encouraged.
So, look, if that sounds likesomething fun that you'd like to
try, go to thelinewithinusslash Bible.
Let's connect there.
So question of the week, fellas,is how does Scripture give you
(20:44):
hope in a tough season?
And if you're in a tough seasonright now, I just want you to
know I'm sorry.
I'm sorry you're going througha tough season, but I also know
that God's Word right, it willprovide you more comfort than
anything in this world.
Anything in this world.
So just keep leaning into theword.
Okay, that would be myencouragement to you.
So, guys, thank you so much forlistening, for hanging out today
(21:06):
.
Uh, look forward to seeing youon our fun friday episode.
Please come back for that.
We got health well self tips,we got our book of the week all
that fun stuff that we do forour fun fridays.
Guys, you.
You want to leave us a?
Leave us a rating and review.
That'd be great.
And again, the lion withinus.
Check out all our resources andthen head over to our YouTube
channel and don't forget thatBible briefing for men.
I'm so pumped on those.
(21:28):
Those videos.
It's a different style video.
It's definitely created forYouTube, but I think you may
enjoy them.
So if you're listening to this,just check out the YouTube
channel, hit that subscribebutton.
That'd be awesome, but I'd loveto get your feedback on those
Bible briefings from them andthey're a lot of fun to put
together and hopefully get a lotof encouragement out of them.
(21:48):
All right, have a great day.
I'll get it out of this.
Have a great day, guys.
Get after it and just keepunleashing the lion with it.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com