23 Heartbeats: A Lifelong Guide That Compliments Love in All Relationships

By Kent R. Gant Jr.

In today’s society, true love and genuine relationships are becoming a thing of the past. It is not healthy for our generation and our children to grow up learning what love is through reality television shows, music, social media, and the internet as a whole.

If our society is going to have a chance at true love from the heart, then as believers we must reintroduce Christ back into our hearts as our first love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546261612

Kent R. Gant Jr.

Kent Gant Jr. is a ordained teacher and founder of www.kentgantjr.com, which has a total weekly reach in the hundred thousands. Kent earned an associate degree in business management and supervisor training. Following college, he quickly moved into management and managed serval grocery retailing stores along the southeast of America. While publishing his first book in 2015, Kent began traveling and making guest appearances on television and every other news outlet possible to share his ministry with the world. Kent has constant viewers, and his social media following is loyal to reading whatever he is writing next.

Book preview

© 2019 Kent R. Gant Jr. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/21/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-6162-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-6163-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-6161-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018911453

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

NASB

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

CEV

Contemporary English Version®

Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

NIV

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ASV public domain

NKJV

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Contents

Praise for 23 Heartbeats

Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis

Foreword

1    Bondage and Yokes

2    Double Standards

3    Listening with Deaf Ears

4    Loving in Spite of Rejection

5    Fighting Temptation

6    Loving the Love Lost

7    Peace in the Heart of the Storm

8    The Black Hearts

9    The Heart of Man

10  The Heart of God

Acknowledgments

How Fans Relate to 23 Heartbeats

Praise for 23 Heartbeats

42850.png

Chris Crenshaw (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis): 23 Heartbeats serves as a tool for those that are in need of soul searching in various relationships. Some may have a good relationship with God and each other, and it will serve as a reminder that they are on the right track.

Dave Willis (Author of The Seven Laws of Love and The Naked Truth about Sex and Marriage, speaker of Marriage Today): Let me introduce you to your guide on this journey toward a better life. His name is Kent Gant Jr., and he is one of the most remarkable young men I’ve ever met. I have been one of the many lives impacted by Kent. You are about to join that list as well because this book has the potential to change your life if you’ll apply its principles. On the pages to come, Kent shares inspiring true stories, life-changing lessons he’s learned along the way, timeless Biblical principles, and tools to help you unlock your potential and live the abundant life God created you to live.

Adam Kirk Smith (author of The Bravest You, Entrepreneur): In 23 Heartbeats, Kent uses his personal experiences and his Christian faith to help readers form thriving relationships. He lays out an action plan that all of us can use immediately to live better lives.

Pastor Kent Sr. and Mary Gant (inventors and pastors): In 23 Heartbeats Kent Jr. uses his platform to help as many of God’s people as he can. He takes what he has learned about love and relationships to the next level by helping others all around the country and the world.

William Sirls (bestselling author of The Reason): In his new book 23 Heartbeats, Kent teaches principles about self-learned life lessons that are easy to apply to our own lives. These principles will help point anyone in the right direction concerning love and relationships.

AuthorHouse Editor Thank you for the opportunity to edit 23 Heartbeats. Your passion for God is obvious, and the advice you give readers will help them seek a better relationship with Jesus while at the same time improving their relationships with other people.

Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis

42853.png

Introduction: Heart of Christ

In today’s society, true love and genuine relationships are becoming a thing of the past. It is not healthy for our generation and our children to grow up learning what love is through reality television shows, music, social media, and the Internet as a whole.

If our society is going to have a chance at true love from the heart, then as believers we must reintroduce Christ back into our hearts as our first love.

Chapter 1: Bondages and Yokes

This chapter will open up with the action-filled ending of a five-year relationship. I explain to the readers the signs and actions to look for when they feel unequal in their relationship and how this can possibly prevent heartache in the future. If you’re going to have a relationship, it’s best to start off right by picking the person who is right for you.

Chapter 2: Double Standards

This chapter will open up with different types of double standards in relationships. For example, we see the relationship between parents and their children, boyfriends and girlfriends, and also relationships in the workplace among associates. Overcoming double standards is a major factor to longevity in a healthy relationship.

Chapter 3: Listening with a Deaf Ear!

In this chapter, learning about communication is the focal point. Readers find out why men and women both have to communicate effectively. A lot of times, a lack of communication leads to misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.

Chapter 4: Loving in Spite of Rejection

This chapter will open up with the main causes of rejection in a person’s life and teach the readers to know how to combat it. Real examples will follow, as well as a quick explanation on how to release yourself from rejection and the pain that it brings.

Chapter 5: Fighting Temptation

After dealing with rejection for a long time, a person can start feeling the side effects, which involves temptation from other people in your life. In this chapter, I discuss the temptations that come after being rejected by love ones, how to deal with the temptations, and what you can do to protect your relationship from these pitfalls.

Chapter 6: Loving the Love Lost

This chapter will open up with explanations and examples about how to love after hurt and depression. Sometimes couples say that they fall out of love with their mates or spouses, but I’ll show readers how they can rekindle the love and save their relationships. Love will be revealed as the power that not only makes people feel good about themselves, but also makes others feel good. Plus, I’ll describe real-life experiences to which the readers can relate.

Chapter 7: Peace in the Eye of the Storm

This chapter will open with the cause and reaction for what is called isolated love, under a subheading titled Isolation of the Heart. I will provide examples and explain why being isolated in your heart, which spills over to your emotions, is not good for the individual or the people connected to them. A person’s mind and body may be present, but the heart may be far away and not focused. Examples of Christian conflict, fake love, and how to overcome it will be detailed in this chapter.

Chapter 8: The Black Hearts

This chapter will open up defining what secrets are. I’ll describe examples of how secrets can make a marriage or relationship suffer. It will also explain why you should never use someone’s secrets as a weapon against them. Under the section Sleeping with the Enemy, I will discuss how the devil can send people into your life to distract you from your destiny, and how being in a relationship with the wrong person can also slow down or hinder you from achieving the expectations you have for your life.

Chapter 9: Heart of Man

This chapter will address and discuss all of the new twenty-first-century dating outlets and their implications in a relationship, from Facebook to Twitter and Instagram. Also, I’ll outline how having morals, standards, and respect for yourself should be the primary focus. The tough questions will be answered, like Are young adults giving up intimacy and face to face communication for a quick text message or video call? I will provide real examples of how social media has redefined the dating scene and what this looks like for Christian singles.

Chapter 10: Heart of God

This chapter will open with what God says about the heart, with biblical references such as Romans 10:9–10, Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. I will outline the concepts of how God describes the heart of man through examples and Scripture.

Foreword

42855.png

H ave you ever wanted more out of life? Have you ever found yourself feeling stuck in an unhealthy relationship, an unfulfilling job, or an unproductive season of life? Have you ever felt like you were made for more than the life you’re living? Have you ever felt overlooked or unappreciated? Have you ever been mistreated? Have you ever felt like a failure? Have you ever wondered whether your dreams were still possible? I think we’ve all been there at times.

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to stay stuck! You don’t have be a victim to circumstances that are out of your control. You don’t have to keep beating yourself up over past mistakes. You can live the adventure-filled life God created you to live. No matter what you’ve done in the past or what’s been done to you in the past, you can start today and create a new beginning.

Let me introduce you to your guide on this journey toward a better life. His name is Kent Gant Jr., and he is one of the most remarkable young men I’ve ever met. I’ve had the privilege of having a front row seat to some of Kent’s milestone moments, including his baptism at our church. We’ve shared many meals and conversations together, and I’ve seen that Kent is the real deal.

What makes someone the real deal in a world full of pretenders? I believe it comes down to personal integrity. Do people believe what they say they believe? Do they follow through on their commitments? Do they give their best effort even when nobody seems to be watching?

Kent does all of these things. He loves Jesus. He loves people. He works hard. He’s not writing from a prince’s palace or a millionaire’s mansion, disconnected from the realities and struggles of the world. He’s from the real world, where he’s working hard and paying bills and struggling with life just like you and me, but he’s doing it with an overcoming attitude and an unshakeable faith. He is motivated not by his own fame or glory but by giving glory to God and helping as many people as he can help along the way.

I have been one of the many lives impacted by Kent. You are about to join that list as well because this book has the potential to change your life if you’ll apply its principles. On the pages to come, Kent shares inspiring true stories, life-changing lessons he’s learned along the way, timeless biblical principles, and tools to help you unlock your potential and live the abundant life God created you to live.

As you read, I encourage you to pause and reflect often on what you’re reading. Put yourself in the stories and ask yourself how you’d react in some of these same situations. Pray as you read. Ask the Lord to reveal to you what next steps you should take as you apply these lessons to your own life.

Get ready for an adventure! 23 Heartbeats will change the way you see the world and your place within it. I hope you are as inspired and encouraged by this book as I have been. Along with Kent, I’m praying for you and cheering you on as you begin this life-changing journey!

—Dave Willis, pastor and author

1

Bondage and Yokes

For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.

—Matthew 11:30 (NASB)

A s much as I hate to admit it, whether heavy or light, bondage and yokes exist in everyday life, and they are occupying space in everyone in some form. For some people, the lack of money is a bondage because they might not see a clear way out of the financial drought. For others, the yoke of having too much money can cause greed to develop in their lives in unexpected ways.

Whatever bondage or yoke you may have, pray to God that he will free you from it so you can overcome the obstacles in your life. The Bible declares, So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness (Isaiah 10:27 NASB). Another meaning for the word fatness in this scripture is anointing. The author of this scripture lets us know that with God’s help, love, and anointing, bondages are destroyed and yokes are lifted.

My friend shared with me how he experienced a form of bondage and being unequally yoked in one of his past relationships. It was the start of autumn, and it had been a typical Sunday. When he left church, he began planning the rest of his afternoon. Earlier that day, he had texted his fiancée that he wanted to see her, but she told him she wasn’t feeling well. She asked him to bring some food, if he was going to come over. He went to check on her with the idea of asking what she wanted to eat when he got there. On the phone, he could tell she was grumpy, but honestly he really wanted to see her and spend time with her after having spent most of the weekend apart. Like many of us, he valued quality time with his fiancée. When he spoke with her, he could tell their communication wasn’t as strong as it had been in the past. They had recently spent some time away from each other, which lessened their quality conversation time. He had been concerned about her, and from his past experiences, he picked up on the fact that she was trying to create some space. Nevertheless, he desperately wanted to spend time with her.

At about eight o’clock that evening, he arrived at his fiancée’s house, as he often did on Sundays. He was so excited as he hopped out of his car because he always had a wonderful time visiting with her. He walked up the stairs, rang the doorbell, and waited at her door.

When she opened the door, he walked in, and she proceeded to close the door. But just as she turned to walk by him, he noticed an image of another guy’s face on the iPad in her hand. With a quick smile, he said, Hey. He usually asked about how her day had gone or how work was, but today was different. He asked, Who was that on the screen of your iPad? He didn’t recognize the guy. She looked at him surprised, as if he wasn’t supposed to see that image. Evading the question, she refused to tell him who the guy was, and so he took the iPad out of her hand to have a closer look. He had every intention of giving the iPad back, but she suddenly jumped on him and began fighting.

Fight for the Heart

My friend had one hand on the iPad and the other trying to guard himself. His fiancée came at him wildly and aggressively, scratching his arm and face. He fell backward on his shoulder, and on the way down, she landed on him. By this time, the iPad was lost on the floor, and he struggled to protect himself.

As he got up off the floor, his fiancée struggled to her feet too. She grabbed the wax candle stick from her living room table, came toward him, and stabbed at him. He wrapped his hand around the object and pulled it from her hands. All he could think of in this moment was that he was ready to leave her house and go home, but when he looked