August 22, 2025 • 13 mins
The battle for life demands more than passive agreement—it requires Christian men to actively champion abundance for the vulnerable. Roland Warren's powerful personal story of facing abortion pressure in college serves as a stark reminder of how quickly our culture defaults to destruction rather than support. As he shares in his book "The Alternative to Abortion: Why We Must Be Pro-Abundant Life," there are no surprise babies, only surprise parents who need our compassionate guidance and practical help.
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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, fun Fridaytime.
Let's get into it, okay?
So Scripture of the Week thisweek my favorite book of the
Bible, james 1st, chapter 27th,that's 2-7, that's the verse it
says.
Religion that God, our Father,accepts as pure and faultless is
(00:25):
this to look after orphans andwidows and their distress, and
to keep oneself from beingpolluted by the world.
Love that verse, guys.
Again, took some time to unpackthat in our spiritual kickoff
episode.
So go back in your podcast feedNot the last one, but the one
before that always comes out onMonday and guys hopefully get a
(00:49):
chance to soak in on that,because that is really about
simplifying and applying God'sword into our life.
And again, monday throughFriday, we do this completely
free, but it's completelyexclusive within the Lion Within
Us community.
So head over to thelionwithinus, start for free for your daily
spiritual kickoff.
(01:09):
Maybe you want to actually jointhe community and you can even
level up and take part and seeif you'll be a good fit for our
leadership mastermind.
Again, it's not for everybody,but that's something that you're
interested in.
We have a great assessmentthere that kind of gives us an
indicator of how serious you are.
Then we'll have a conversationand we'll see if you're a good
fit.
All right, our lastconversation from World War.
(01:30):
I was really great, loved it.
The Alternative to Abortion whywe Must Be Pro-Abundant Life
when I saw the subtitle of thebook I'm like, yep, we're going
to talk about this one.
John 1010, the thief comes tosteal, kill, destroy.
But I've come that you may havelife and have it abundantly.
Fellas, that is what it's allabout.
So he took some time to unpackwhat that meant and the great
part was he has a personal storyto go with it, because I don't
(01:50):
know about you, but it's great.
It's cool that you get thetheory and all the science
behind it and all this stuffright.
But when it gets personal, itjust hits harder, it just hits
harder, it just hits harder.
And I'm so appreciative that heshared some of his personal
journey as well as, again, hiswife.
(02:11):
They were boyfriend andgirlfriend at the time in
college.
They get pregnant.
She goes to the nurse and outof her mouth the first thing the
nurse says well, you got totake an abortion right, like
we're going to take care of this, and it's just.
It shows you how, how quickly aslope it can be when we head
down that path of destructionand the evil one steal, kill,
(02:33):
destroy this culture of death.
It's out there and as Christian, particularly Christian men, we
got to start taking a stance.
So I'm so appreciative for him,him for the work that he's
doing to help others see thatthere is a healthy alternative
to abortion.
Again, there are no surprisebabies, boys Lots of surprise
parents for sure, but nosurprise babies.
(02:53):
And we just need to do all wecan as Christian men to support
the moms and the families, thefamily unit that is going
through this.
All right, all right For a funFriday.
We always do a health, wealthand a self tip.
Again, a health is your mindand your body.
How do we strengthen that?
Wealth is around stewardship ofyour finances and your career.
And self is about, hey,leveling up as a husband and a
(03:15):
father, okay.
So for the health tip, this weekwe want to be super intentional
about guarding our mind aroundnumbness.
Okay, because we have to fightoff the slow drift of being
apathetic.
Okay, because culture around usfellas, it can make you numb to
(03:35):
evil.
It just can't, because it'sfreaking everywhere, right?
You see entertainment, socialmedia, all these graphics, all
this imagery and, at the end ofthe day, the evil one is just
going to keep you busy, and whenyour mind becomes dull, you
miss the spiritual and emotionalsignals that God is trying to
show us, right?
So if you're a pro abundantlife, right, that means we have
(03:58):
to stay alert at all time, atall time, especially to the need
of others, the unseen and theunheard, the unborn, the single
mom, the abandoned child.
To do that, you got to becareful about what you're
consuming, because that whatyou're consuming Well, we have
to remember it takes ourattention.
(04:19):
No-transcript In scripture.
Instead of an app, bro, ormaybe actually start pulling up
some.
If you want to pull upsomething on your, on your phone
(04:39):
, read a story or a blog from apregnancy center about a foster
family or adoption agency.
To get connected, and stayconnected intentionally in the
true, real life needs, becausewhen you intentionally cultivate
emotion and spiritualsensitivity, you're going to be
(05:00):
prepared to step in the gap whenGod shows it to you and life is
truly hanging in the balance.
So, fellas, you have to guardyour mind against numbness.
I can't do that for you, buthopefully that gives you some
insight right there, at leastsome encouragement to do it.
But hopefully that gives yousome insight right there, at
least some encouragement to doit.
Now.
(05:20):
Wealth tip this week is budgetgenerosity into your finances.
Ok, because being pro abundantlife it's not just about belief,
bro, it's about sacrifice, andyour bank statement has to
reflect your values, right?
If it doesn't, you got toreassess values.
Right?
If it doesn't, you got toreassess.
So if you budget generosity, itjust makes it so much more
(05:44):
proactive, I guess is the rightword.
Right, you're not scrambling,okay?
So maybe you need to reallylook at that giving fund on your
monthly budget.
You need to see outside of yourlocal church in your time.
Where do we need to besupporting with our wallet to
fund the agencies, the groups,the organizations that are doing
tip of the spear work?
(06:05):
Maybe it's a pregnancy center,maybe it's just sponsoring a
single mom directly.
You go straight to that momdirectly with help.
Whatever it is, you're going tohave to be able to do this.
Just be honest, to be able todo this in a meaningful way,
you're going to have to plan forit, you had to budget for it,
you had to set some, some, sometrue funding to decide.
(06:25):
Maybe you build up that accountand one account gets up to a
certain level and then at thatpoint you go all in, right Makes
all the difference in the world.
But it's this level ofintentionality, guys, that
aligns your financial prioritieswith God's heart, particularly
his heart for the vulnerable.
And also added benefit you'reshowing and teaching your
(06:47):
children that a real man isGives generously, without any
hesitation whatsoever.
There you go, fellas, that'sout.
Now your self tip.
Ok, start being the leadproponent of pro-life
conversations at home, at yourdinner table, because it's not
(07:09):
your pastor's job to discipleyour kids on the value of life
period.
Ok, now they should be, theyshould hear that message from
him.
But the primary job is you,because many kids grew up in
these Christian homes but theyadopt the world's view on
abortion because no one'steaching them.
So what you have to do?
You have to have honest,age-appropriate conversations
(07:31):
about the sanctity of human life, share stories, talk about
adoption, talk about service,talk about compassion.
And if your kids are seeingthat conviction from you as the
leader of your home, I'm tellingyou it's going to change
everything.
It's going to change everythingabout everything, and they're
going to be far more likely toembrace it.
So maybe you need to watch adocumentary we talked about the
(07:54):
1916 Project here before, maybeyou need to watch that or
testimony about pro-life work,or just simply teaching them
about the Imago Dei, that theywere made in the image of God
Right, and then perhaps, whenyou select and pick that
ministry that you want to fundand support, maybe even
volunteer your time, let them bea part of that, because this
(08:17):
creates not just a moment ofteaching but a culture of honing
the honor of honoring life inyour home.
Fellas, that's what it's allabout.
Ok, that's three tips for you.
Hopefully you find thatencouraging again that, guarding
our mind against numbness, wehave to be super intentional
there, budgeting generosity intoour finances and leading the
pro-life conversations at home.
(08:39):
Ok, book of the week.
No surprise, we got this onehere from Roland Warren the
alternative to abortion.
While we must be pro abundantlife, the foreword was also
written by David Platt.
You guys probably recognizethat name, so highly recommend
you get a copy of that.
All right, dad joke time, so Irecognize that name, so highly
recommend you get a copy of that.
All right, dad joke time.
So let's get to our dad jokes.
First dad joke is where doboats go when they get sick?
(08:59):
The boat dock.
There you go.
That's pretty good.
How about number two?
I don't trust those trees.
They seem kind of shady.
So anyway, fellas, let me knowwhich one?
Number one, number two, numberone when do boats go when they
get sick?
That would be the boat dock.
Number two I don't trust thosetrees.
They seem kind of shady.
Again, eye rolls totally count.
(09:20):
Sighs are okay.
If she turns around and walkoff, you may have just hit a
touchdown.
All right, fellas.
So look, if you got a dad jokethat you want us to use on the
joke.
If we use it, we'll give you ashout out, as well as we'll give
you some free swag for hookingus up, okay, and for helping us
out, All right.
Question of the week.
This week has been how are youprotecting the vulnerable where
(09:41):
you can?
So we have to be takingproactive action here, fellas.
We can't just be of sidelineparticipants and just observers.
No, you have to actually dosomething.
So what?
Maybe you've been convicted.
This week We've talked a lotabout this pro-abundant life
movement.
So maybe that's convicted youto the point like, okay, I got
to do something Great, now putit into gear, let's go.
(10:01):
We're counting on you.
Particularly the unborn are Allright, fellas.
So thanks for listening.
I know we touch on a lot oftopics that are always not super
popular, but it's all aboutdoing what God's calling us to
do and I'm telling you, beingpro-abundant life, I can't think
anything more of anything moreparticularly, of more importance
(10:25):
than taking this position andtaking it out and loving on
others and just helping peoplesee the value and the beauty and
the sanctity of human life.
So, guys, have a great day, getafter it.
Thelionwithinus is our website.
Head there, start your dailyspiritual kickoff for free.
Join our community atTheLionWithinus.
See if you qualify to be partof our leadership mastermind.
(10:47):
We have a great assessment toget you started there.
All that's found on the mainsite.
You can also open up the Bibleapp.
That's an easy way to connectwith us there.
Tons and tons and tons of Biblestudies on the Bible app.
Love for you to check those out.
You can even connect with me onthe Bible app.
I usually go about two a month.
There's a cadence we've set up.
If you want to go through oneof those studies with me
directly, when I start thoseeach month, I'll send you an
(11:11):
invite and you can take partwith me.
Love to connect with you there,okay.
So again, the lion withinus.
If you want to be a donor ofthe show, just help us out.
That's the lion withinus slash.
Donate.
If you can give us a rating andreview, that would be awesome.
Guys, prayerfully, we'll seeyou next week.
Thank you for hanging out,thank you for your time this
week and remember to keepunleashing the lion within.
I've got something big to share.
(11:35):
We're making a major shiftbecause we know the battle was
real and it's time more men hadaccess to the support they need.
For too long, guys have beentrying to carry the weight alone
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
(11:56):
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.
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
(12:16):
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.
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
(12:38):
yourself what happens when irontruly sharpens iron.
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, fun Fridaytime.
Let's get into it, okay?
So Scripture of the Week thisweek my favorite book of the
Bible, james 1st, chapter 27th,that's 2-7, that's the verse it
says.
Religion that God, our Father,accepts as pure and faultless is
(00:25):
this to look after orphans andwidows and their distress, and
to keep oneself from beingpolluted by the world.
Love that verse, guys.
Again, took some time to unpackthat in our spiritual kickoff
episode.
So go back in your podcast feedNot the last one, but the one
before that always comes out onMonday and guys hopefully get a
(00:49):
chance to soak in on that,because that is really about
simplifying and applying God'sword into our life.
And again, monday throughFriday, we do this completely
free, but it's completelyexclusive within the Lion Within
Us community.
So head over to thelionwithinus, start for free for your daily
spiritual kickoff.
(01:09):
Maybe you want to actually jointhe community and you can even
level up and take part and seeif you'll be a good fit for our
leadership mastermind.
Again, it's not for everybody,but that's something that you're
interested in.
We have a great assessmentthere that kind of gives us an
indicator of how serious you are.
Then we'll have a conversationand we'll see if you're a good
fit.
All right, our lastconversation from World War.
(01:30):
I was really great, loved it.
The Alternative to Abortion whywe Must Be Pro-Abundant Life
when I saw the subtitle of thebook I'm like, yep, we're going
to talk about this one.
John 1010, the thief comes tosteal, kill, destroy.
But I've come that you may havelife and have it abundantly.
Fellas, that is what it's allabout.
So he took some time to unpackwhat that meant and the great
part was he has a personal storyto go with it, because I don't
(01:50):
know about you, but it's great.
It's cool that you get thetheory and all the science
behind it and all this stuffright.
But when it gets personal, itjust hits harder, it just hits
harder, it just hits harder.
And I'm so appreciative that heshared some of his personal
journey as well as, again, hiswife.
(02:11):
They were boyfriend andgirlfriend at the time in
college.
They get pregnant.
She goes to the nurse and outof her mouth the first thing the
nurse says well, you got totake an abortion right, like
we're going to take care of this, and it's just.
It shows you how, how quickly aslope it can be when we head
down that path of destructionand the evil one steal, kill,
(02:33):
destroy this culture of death.
It's out there and as Christian, particularly Christian men, we
got to start taking a stance.
So I'm so appreciative for him,him for the work that he's
doing to help others see thatthere is a healthy alternative
to abortion.
Again, there are no surprisebabies, boys Lots of surprise
parents for sure, but nosurprise babies.
(02:53):
And we just need to do all wecan as Christian men to support
the moms and the families, thefamily unit that is going
through this.
All right, all right For a funFriday.
We always do a health, wealthand a self tip.
Again, a health is your mindand your body.
How do we strengthen that?
Wealth is around stewardship ofyour finances and your career.
And self is about, hey,leveling up as a husband and a
(03:15):
father, okay.
So for the health tip, this weekwe want to be super intentional
about guarding our mind aroundnumbness.
Okay, because we have to fightoff the slow drift of being
apathetic.
Okay, because culture around usfellas, it can make you numb to
(03:35):
evil.
It just can't, because it'sfreaking everywhere, right?
You see entertainment, socialmedia, all these graphics, all
this imagery and, at the end ofthe day, the evil one is just
going to keep you busy, and whenyour mind becomes dull, you
miss the spiritual and emotionalsignals that God is trying to
show us, right?
So if you're a pro abundantlife, right, that means we have
(03:58):
to stay alert at all time, atall time, especially to the need
of others, the unseen and theunheard, the unborn, the single
mom, the abandoned child.
To do that, you got to becareful about what you're
consuming, because that whatyou're consuming Well, we have
to remember it takes ourattention.
(04:19):
No-transcript In scripture.
Instead of an app, bro, ormaybe actually start pulling up
some.
If you want to pull upsomething on your, on your phone
(04:39):
, read a story or a blog from apregnancy center about a foster
family or adoption agency.
To get connected, and stayconnected intentionally in the
true, real life needs, becausewhen you intentionally cultivate
emotion and spiritualsensitivity, you're going to be
(05:00):
prepared to step in the gap whenGod shows it to you and life is
truly hanging in the balance.
So, fellas, you have to guardyour mind against numbness.
I can't do that for you, buthopefully that gives you some
insight right there, at leastsome encouragement to do it.
But hopefully that gives yousome insight right there, at
least some encouragement to doit.
Now.
(05:20):
Wealth tip this week is budgetgenerosity into your finances.
Ok, because being pro abundantlife it's not just about belief,
bro, it's about sacrifice, andyour bank statement has to
reflect your values, right?
If it doesn't, you got toreassess values.
Right?
If it doesn't, you got toreassess.
So if you budget generosity, itjust makes it so much more
(05:44):
proactive, I guess is the rightword.
Right, you're not scrambling,okay?
So maybe you need to reallylook at that giving fund on your
monthly budget.
You need to see outside of yourlocal church in your time.
Where do we need to besupporting with our wallet to
fund the agencies, the groups,the organizations that are doing
tip of the spear work?
(06:05):
Maybe it's a pregnancy center,maybe it's just sponsoring a
single mom directly.
You go straight to that momdirectly with help.
Whatever it is, you're going tohave to be able to do this.
Just be honest, to be able todo this in a meaningful way,
you're going to have to plan forit, you had to budget for it,
you had to set some, some, sometrue funding to decide.
(06:25):
Maybe you build up that accountand one account gets up to a
certain level and then at thatpoint you go all in, right Makes
all the difference in the world.
But it's this level ofintentionality, guys, that
aligns your financial prioritieswith God's heart, particularly
his heart for the vulnerable.
And also added benefit you'reshowing and teaching your
(06:47):
children that a real man isGives generously, without any
hesitation whatsoever.
There you go, fellas, that'sout.
Now your self tip.
Ok, start being the leadproponent of pro-life
conversations at home, at yourdinner table, because it's not
(07:09):
your pastor's job to discipleyour kids on the value of life
period.
Ok, now they should be, theyshould hear that message from
him.
But the primary job is you,because many kids grew up in
these Christian homes but theyadopt the world's view on
abortion because no one'steaching them.
So what you have to do?
You have to have honest,age-appropriate conversations
(07:31):
about the sanctity of human life, share stories, talk about
adoption, talk about service,talk about compassion.
And if your kids are seeingthat conviction from you as the
leader of your home, I'm tellingyou it's going to change
everything.
It's going to change everythingabout everything, and they're
going to be far more likely toembrace it.
So maybe you need to watch adocumentary we talked about the
(07:54):
1916 Project here before, maybeyou need to watch that or
testimony about pro-life work,or just simply teaching them
about the Imago Dei, that theywere made in the image of God
Right, and then perhaps, whenyou select and pick that
ministry that you want to fundand support, maybe even
volunteer your time, let them bea part of that, because this
(08:17):
creates not just a moment ofteaching but a culture of honing
the honor of honoring life inyour home.
Fellas, that's what it's allabout.
Ok, that's three tips for you.
Hopefully you find thatencouraging again that, guarding
our mind against numbness, wehave to be super intentional
there, budgeting generosity intoour finances and leading the
pro-life conversations at home.
(08:39):
Ok, book of the week.
No surprise, we got this onehere from Roland Warren the
alternative to abortion.
While we must be pro abundantlife, the foreword was also
written by David Platt.
You guys probably recognizethat name, so highly recommend
you get a copy of that.
All right, dad joke time, so Irecognize that name, so highly
recommend you get a copy of that.
All right, dad joke time.
So let's get to our dad jokes.
First dad joke is where doboats go when they get sick?
(08:59):
The boat dock.
There you go.
That's pretty good.
How about number two?
I don't trust those trees.
They seem kind of shady.
So anyway, fellas, let me knowwhich one?
Number one, number two, numberone when do boats go when they
get sick?
That would be the boat dock.
Number two I don't trust thosetrees.
They seem kind of shady.
Again, eye rolls totally count.
(09:20):
Sighs are okay.
If she turns around and walkoff, you may have just hit a
touchdown.
All right, fellas.
So look, if you got a dad jokethat you want us to use on the
joke.
If we use it, we'll give you ashout out, as well as we'll give
you some free swag for hookingus up, okay, and for helping us
out, All right.
Question of the week.
This week has been how are youprotecting the vulnerable where
(09:41):
you can?
So we have to be takingproactive action here, fellas.
We can't just be of sidelineparticipants and just observers.
No, you have to actually dosomething.
So what?
Maybe you've been convicted.
This week We've talked a lotabout this pro-abundant life
movement.
So maybe that's convicted youto the point like, okay, I got
to do something Great, now putit into gear, let's go.
(10:01):
We're counting on you.
Particularly the unborn are Allright, fellas.
So thanks for listening.
I know we touch on a lot oftopics that are always not super
popular, but it's all aboutdoing what God's calling us to
do and I'm telling you, beingpro-abundant life, I can't think
anything more of anything moreparticularly, of more importance
(10:25):
than taking this position andtaking it out and loving on
others and just helping peoplesee the value and the beauty and
the sanctity of human life.
So, guys, have a great day, getafter it.
Thelionwithinus is our website.
Head there, start your dailyspiritual kickoff for free.
Join our community atTheLionWithinus.
See if you qualify to be partof our leadership mastermind.
(10:47):
We have a great assessment toget you started there.
All that's found on the mainsite.
You can also open up the Bibleapp.
That's an easy way to connectwith us there.
Tons and tons and tons of Biblestudies on the Bible app.
Love for you to check those out.
You can even connect with me onthe Bible app.
I usually go about two a month.
There's a cadence we've set up.
If you want to go through oneof those studies with me
directly, when I start thoseeach month, I'll send you an
(11:11):
invite and you can take partwith me.
Love to connect with you there,okay.
So again, the lion withinus.
If you want to be a donor ofthe show, just help us out.
That's the lion withinus slash.
Donate.
If you can give us a rating andreview, that would be awesome.
Guys, prayerfully, we'll seeyou next week.
Thank you for hanging out,thank you for your time this
week and remember to keepunleashing the lion within.
I've got something big to share.
(11:35):
We're making a major shiftbecause we know the battle was
real and it's time more men hadaccess to the support they need.
For too long, guys have beentrying to carry the weight alone
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
(11:56):
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.
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
(12:16):
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.
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
(12:38):
yourself what happens when irontruly sharpens iron.
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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
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.