Kendra LeGrand: Hey everyone, and welcome to week two. We made it through week one Nicki.
Nicki Koziarz: Shew!! KL: I know check that one off the
list. Yes, decision one done. Now we're moving on to decision two, which is to listen to God. I have
a lot of questions about listening to God. I find it awfully hard to do. But before we get into all
that, I do have a fun question I want to ask you. NK: Okay.
KL: So, Nikki has worked with Online Bible Studies before. You've been an author, but also used to be
on staff with Online Bible Studies. I tell people that I feel like I do your job now.
NK: You did it much better than me. KL: Yeah, right. You really set the scene
and then I came in once you started writing books, but what would you say is
your favorite thing about Online Bible Studies? NK: Oh, goodness, Kendra, this is a hard question,
because I love everything about Online Bible Studies. But you know what I think one of the
things I love the most is just how organic this all began. You know, I was there since day one
with Melissa Taylor, sitting at that desk. KL: You guys were the dynamic duo?
NK: Yes. KL: Truly. I mean, well, what you guys did.
NK: You've done, well you are an answer to prayer. You are incredible, we love Kendra. So,
I just love how, you know, it just really started from a place of authenticity, like Melissa just
needed somewhere to process what she was going through. She couldn't get to Bible study anymore.
And we know so many of you cannot get to a Bible study, especially in this season that we're in
right now. So, I love how we meet people right where they're at. Also, love that you don't have
to know big theological words. KL: Isn't that great?
Yes, you do not need to know those. NK: To be a part of this, and you know,
keep up but it allows you to get a little bit deeper, every study takes you a little bit deeper,
you know, a little bit more. KL: Right.
NK: Makes you a little bit wiser. KL: That's right. Nikki, well, gosh,
we're so grateful for you. We're grateful for the wisdom that you're going to provide.
So, what we're going to do now is what we talked about last week, which is called our Doubt Diaries
Segment, and this week, we have somebody who is so near and dear to my heart, her name is Quanny.
Quanny is a woman who is raising three kids. NK: Yes.
KL: She also is in the process, she will talk about this a little bit, of building a home,
which is very exciting. NK: But stressful
KL: And stressful. From what I've heard, it is stressful. But she has gone through a lot of
setbacks. We think her doubt diary is really going to fall in line with listening to God, which is
our second decision. So, let's hear from Quanny. Quanny Ard: Hi, I'm Quanny. I've been a longtime
volunteer with Proverbs 31 for a few years. I want to share something with you I've been
struggling with. I've been wrestling in the tension of knowing God is good,
and that his timing is perfect. But walking out what that looks like, in everyday life.
For example, my family has been involved in the home building process
for quite a few months. And one thing after another keeps delaying our progress.
And y'all I believe this is our good thing. Okay. But it seems like the movement of this good thing
has been super slow. Sometimes y'all it seems like no progress is being made at all.
So, where I struggle, and maybe you too, is seeing things in my life not going according to plan.
Well, my plan. And y'all it's hard to continue in obedience, when one thing after another
doesn't seem to pan out. If you've ever been here, you're not alone. I totally understand.
So, what are some practical ways we can continue to be obedient in the midst of change, setbacks,
and life not going according to what we planned? KL: Well, I absolutely love Quanny.
NK: I think she's great. KL: She used to be a study leader for
us. You might have seen her on the blog before. But I've learned so much from Quanny and just her
cadence and her voice. NK: Yeah.
KL: So, calming. NK: Yes.
KL: So, Nikki, what would you say to what she said?
NK: Yeah, well, I think a lot of people can relate to what Quanny is experiencing,
maybe you're not building a house, but you're walking through something that just doesn't ever
seem like it's going to happen. KL: Yeah.
NK: What an appropriate time in our study as we're looking at Noah, and the fact that he has received
this massive assignment from God, right? God tells him that he's going to build this Ark.
He's got to bring all these animals on to it. That mass destruction to the world is coming and he's
carrying this heavy load. So, the reality is, is that I think sometimes when we study Noah,
we think, oh, well, that was just like a couple of months, right? Like he just built the ark.
KL: Truly, that's what I thought until I read your book.
NK: No, 100 years of him obeying and being faithful to what God had put in him. So,
do you think that there were times where Noah was like Quanny, like what are we doing? Is
this worth it? Like, KL: Honestly.
NK: Is this what God really has planned for us? KL: Right.
NK: So, I think all of you today could think of something in your life where
you felt God say something. You felt God say, this is your step of obedience and then you
started to take those steps, and then suddenly, it just feels like nothing is going to happen.
KL: Right. It seems quiet, still and confusing. NK: Yes, this is not a quote from this book,
it's a quote from my other book, but it applies to this one. So, in Why Her I talk about this concept
of when “God is quiet, we need to get quiet.” KL: So good.
NK: Because God is not actually ever quiet. It's just when it seems like he's not speaking to us;
it's us, we are the one that is not listening. KL: We are the problem.
NK: Yes. So, this week, you're going to talk about - you're going to read and study about how Noah,
you know, there really are no words that we must study from Noah until the very ending.
We just see two things: God commands, Noah obeys. God commands, Noah obeys. So,
I see from that these decisions start to come through. Here's the thing,
obedience stems from what? A decision. KL: A decision.
NK: Right. We must actually- like obedience doesn't just come natural to us, right? So,
this second decision to listen to God. I'm going to challenge you this week to do something you
probably are not used to doing. This week, we talk about one of the eight spiritual disciplines which
is that of being silent. Is silence hard for you? KL: Oh, silence is so hard. I even after I read
your book, Nicki, I was like, I'll try this challenge that you're about to give. Have I
done it since? No, but I'm excited to try again. NK: Yes, yes, always keep trying, keep trying.
But it really is important. In fact, throughout the scriptures, we see that there are many times
where God is just like, be still and just listen to what he's telling us. And so, listening comes
in a variety of forms. It can come from your Bible study, like when you're reading the Word of God.
KL: Yeah. NK: You know, how many times
have you read a verse and something like pops out the next time that you didn't see before?
KL: Right. NK: But you weren't
talking. You were just listening and reading. But then there's other times where the Holy Spirit,
He speaks to us, and He reveals things to us. Normally, the things that the Holy Spirit reveals
to me are things that I need to change about myself. And doubt is one of those areas that
we need to change, we need to challenge this area in our life. So, like Quanny she's in process.
KL: Yes. NK: You are in process.
I'm in process. Kendra is in process. KL: Yes.
NK: God hasn't asked any of us to walk through this with perfection. But as we walk with God,
it's going to require listening to God. And that's going to mean silencing some of the things around
us so that we can hear So Kendra, one of the things that I've been doing personally in my life,
over the past couple of weeks. You know I'm good about starting my days listening to God.
You know I've got my devotion time in the morning. I'll write in the morning,
that time I've got great. KL: You start strong?
NK: Really strong. But then about three o'clock, when everyone starts getting off virtual school.
KL: Right. NK: And, you know, the animals need to be fed,
and all the busyness of the day, like God just becomes super distant in my mind. And so, God
really challenged me and said, you start your days well, but you don't end your days really well.
So, I found myself at night, you know, just doing mindless activities to not have to think
about anything. KL: Right.
NK: So, I've been cutting off my social media about eight o'clock, and just listening to the
thing, not even listening to sermons or worship, KL: Just really trying to be quiet.
NK: Just trying to be quiet as much as you can, and a house full of teenagers.
KL: That's a good point. NK: But it really is helping me get to this place
where I'm able to feel stronger in my listening. KL: Wow. Nikki, something I grew up in the church
and when I heard people say, you know, “God told me” or “God spoke to me”, I assumed
it was this audible voice that I was missing out on and somehow God was never speaking to me.
But I love how you pulled out. Maybe it's just reading scripture, and something pops out to you.
Or maybe it's just repetition. You hear something in a sermon, and then you hear your friends say
something. And it's just something that… NK: Confirmation.
KL: …confirmation. So, if you struggle with feeling like it's an audible voice all the time,
that's not necessarily the case. NK: It’s not.
KL: So glad you bring that up. NK: It's not. In fact, in the book, I do share
one story, I think we're going to read this week of a time where I really did hear from God.
KL: Yes. NK: Like, something
I would not say was an audible voice. But it was something very strong in my spirit that I
felt. But I'll tell you, that's like one time, out of 1000 moments that I have with God where
I don't hear things like that, but I know that he's always speaking, but am I listening?
KL: Yeah, that's good. Nikki. Well, thank you for sharing that. Thank you for responding to Quanny.
NK: Yes, Quanny, thank you. KL: All right, everyone. Well,
we're going to enter into Week Two. The decision we're talking about, like we said before,
“Is to Listen to God” and so we're excited to learn from Nicki, learn from the Word. Like
we say here at Proverbs 31 Ministries, “when you know the truth and live the truth, it changes
everything.” We look forward to doing study right alongside you.