Podcast Transcripts

But, how do we maintain our connection with God amidst the hustle and bustle of life? Let's talk about quiet time - a potent spiritual discipline in focusing our hearts on God's word and cultivating a deeper relationship with Him.

Join me as we explore its role in safeguarding our hearts, using my personal experiences as a guide. You'll also get a glimpse of how I incorporate quiet time into my daily routine and the resources I've found invaluable in living intentionally and staying in Christ each day. Get ready for a heartwarming, enlightening conversation.

Please enjoy this podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Although efforts were made in editing, this transcript may include a few typos. It’s difficult to catch some minor errors. Enjoy!

Welcome to Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast where we equip the saints for ministry. By bringing you tips, interviews, inspiration and information on how to live intentionally and daily in Christ. For more resources including your free newsletter visit www.hangingoutwithjesuspodcast.com or click the link in the show notes

Hi, I’m Lyvita Brooks, author, Bible teacher, founder of The Me Project Academy, and your host.

Thanks for supporting this ministry and rating and commenting on the blog and whatever podcast platform you are listening to because then it makes this feel more like a conversation. If this is your first time listening in… WELCOME!

This is episode 86. Our focus is on how to handle the transitions. Going from one season of your life to another rather it’s unexpected, forced or your choice. Transitions can cause you to loss the love of things you enjoy if you aren’t careful. That and more is coming up …

Let’s Pray …

Our Father who art in heaven, thank you for this time, this moment of being in Your presence. Open our ears to hear what You want us to grab hold to and open my mouth to speak in a way that gives you glory and comfort for my brothers & sisters in Christ. Teach us how to guard our hearts so we might not sin against You. It is in the saving name of Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen. And Amen.

Now come walk with me where we intentionally and daily hang out with Jesus.

What’s Happening In The Me Project Academy?

2:26 – So what’s happening in The Me Project Academy?  Well there are two things I’d like to share:

First, and this is something, as new business owners and those of you who are just starting out in ministry need to know. Everything doesn’t always go the way you plan even when the Lord Jesus says you are to do it. I provided the opportunity for ya’ll to register for the Nugget’s Book Club. I heard crickets. Naw the silence was louder than the crickets. 

Now saints I could have gotten all frustrated, mad, or T’ed off but I didn’t because I’ve learned this time, God has you starting things just to get you prepared for when He is about to bring an increase. Now there are other reasons this could have flopped but for sure, I’ve learned how to set up a Book Club, how to invite others to join in, what software is needed and how to make it Christ –centered. Saints, I’m going to have my monthly meeting with the Lord, soon, so I’ll find out where He wants me to go with this. Never give up on what God’s told or sent you to do. Do it because the increase comes from Him, not you.

Second, I’m rebranding the business, giving it a makeover. So look for the finished works in February 2024.

Guarding Your Heart

4:29 – So far saints, this year, I’ve traveled I95 at least once a month and sometimes twice taking my uncle and aunt back and forth to see each other. Thank God, my cousin was driving also and at times more than me. Also this is the year my nephew is in college for the first time and as an auntie, I’m excited for him, but I tell something feels off. And another transition is that I’ve also moved. Now that’s a lot.

With so many things changing in my life, so many transitions, something got lost-in-the-sauce of life. It was gradual, slowly, unexpectently, until it stopped and I didn’t even know it. Have this ever happened to you? Where something you loved doing you stopped and didn’t realize it until something alerted your spirit?

5:57 -Saints, I stopped writing. Dead, smacked, not happening, because somewhere in my mind, when I write my scripts for podcast episodes, that’s writing. And when, I journal at night, well that’s writing. When in actuality, it’s three different things. Here I am thinking I’m doing God’s will by doing two things He wants me to do but not all of what He called me to do for such a time as this. Saints, I was being disobedient and didn’t know it. This wasn’t a writer’s block time, nor a major life happening event, nope, this was a gradual cancelling out of doing something I love doing because the transitions were taking up my time.

It seemed like when I write in the morning, we’d have to go down south or it’s the only time for doctor’s appointments. Then I switched to the night and sleep crepted in but moving takes a lot out of you and organizing. Well then the constant changing back and forth, turned out to not trying at all and it wasn’t because I wasn’t trying it was because I’d now replaced it with journaling and writing episodes. Interesting how I could do those to with intention but not the writing. Huh?

This is something we have to watch out for. The gradual moving away from what God’s called us to do because life is pushing all these transitional seasons in our life at one time.

8:43 – You know what triggered my heart that something was wrong. The lack of quiet time in the morning. I found myself getting irritable because I was missing too much quiet time, or shortening it, just so I could take care of going up and down 95 and moving. True I thought about stories to write, but just didn’t write it down. I remember putting one on my phone but that’s as far as it got.

Quiet time with the Lord is important to me. I don’t leave my house without saying my morning prayer. It’s like my time with the Lord where I put on the whole armor of God in preparation for today’s journey. I’ve put a link in the show notes if you want a copy of it. Then hanging out with Him for praise, worship, devotional, journaling, listening, schedule for the day and prayer.

Saints, the trigger was not doing a daily spiritual discipline. Quiet time is a routine that helps direct my day, inspire me to be all God’s called me to be and hang out with Jesus. As a believer, practicing spiritual disciplines are important. It’s the meat that makes the sauce tastes sweet.

10:48 – Here’s my question to you saints, what do you do that will trigger you that you are off track or have stopped doing what you love to in the Lord?

Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Philippians 4: 6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Just from those verses, and many more once you search the scriptures, we find that the thing that will help us stay on track and trigger us when we have stopped doing what we love is the Bible.

12:30 – Now saints, what spiritual discipline must you do daily to keep you in God’s word?

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Psalm 73:28 says, “But for me it is good to be near God: I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your heart to God.”

13:32 – It’s clear! The spiritual discipline of being in God’s presence. For me that’s Quiet Time in the morning where I feast on His word and listen for His voice. What about you? What spiritual discipline do you practice regularly? Is dwelling on the word of God apart of it?

Saints it’s time to guard our hearts by simply being intentional about spending time with Jesus. The more word you get in you the more the Holy Spirit has to work with and the less likely you will stray to far from God’s word and His presence.

Remember Christ is in- your heart, therefore where your treasure is there will be your heart also (Matthew 6:21). Now if Christ is in our heart and our treasure can be found in our heart, that stands to reason that the word of God should be in your heart. Isn’t the Bible about Christ, our Savior?

16:55 – So saints, here’s an opportunity for growth. Take your daily quiet time more seriously. If you stopped, start again. If you haven’t stopped but don’t find it exciting any more. Then take that time to examine yourself. Take your bible, pen and journal to your quiet place. Let the Lord know you’ve come to hang out with Him and there is something you really want His guidance. Talk to God about anything you loved doing that God’s called you to do, a gift, talent or skill He’s given you that brought joy to your heart, inspiration to your life, that you stopped doing or seem to have lost the spark for? Then begin journaling, writing down whatever comes to your mind for about 15 minutes. If a bible verse comes up then look it up. 

Remember when you spend time with the Lord. He will spend time with you. You are the opportunity for God to bring about an increase, so be that opportunity by hiding His word in your heart so you might not sin against Him.

Let’s Pray …

Adonai, Blessed are you, O Lord, teach us Your statutes! Spark an even greater desire to spend time with You and in Your word. Help us to guard our heart according to Your word. As we seek You with our whole heart, let us not wander from Your commandments but store up your word in our hearts so we might not sin against. We want our delight to be in Your Statues so we will not forget your word. In Jesus name. we pray, Amen (Psalm 119: 9-12,16)

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, then please consider subscribing to the podcast, rating and reviewing it. This helps in moving it forward to being heard by more believers. Also if you haven’t done so, get your free twice a month Newsletter to keep up with new releases of the podcast and monthly opportunities on how to live intentionally and daily in Christ, and much more. All this and more can be found, including my contact info on hangingoutwithjesuspodcast.com or the show notes.

So until we meet again over the airwaves, intentionally and daily, hang out with Jesus.

Shalom!

Resources Mentioned on the Episode and suggested reading & social media handles:

• Morning Prayer Sheet
• Lyvitabrooks.com/contact

Calls to Action:

• Sign up for The Me Project Academy Newsletter for resources on developing disciplines to help you grow in Christ, prayer and new releases of the podcast.
• Website: www.hangingoutwithjesuspodcast.com
• @hangingoutwithjesuspodcast (Instagram)
• @themeprojectacademy (Pinterest)
• [email protected] (for comments)
• www.goodreads.com/lyvitabrooks