Podcast Summary

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: A Diet Of Giants, Part Two | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
Date: November 4, 2021
Host: Nancy Dufresne

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne continues her series on "A Diet of Giants," focusing on developing victorious Christian living by the way we think, speak, and face opposition. Drawing from the biblical account in Numbers 13-14, Nancy teaches that opposition and challenges—our "giants"—are not setbacks or reasons for fear, but essential spiritual nourishment that helps believers grow in faith, fortitude, and spiritual skill. The message aims to realign listeners' perspectives: rather than dreading resistance, see it as God's invitation to advancement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Promised Land and the Twelve Spies

• 📖 Nancy revisits Numbers 13–14, retelling how God promised a land of abundance to Israel and instructed them to possess it.
• Two of the twelve spies, Caleb and Joshua, brought back a “faith report,” encouraging Israel to trust God. The other ten gave a “report of doubt,” focusing on giants and opposition.
• Key insight: It's not by our ability but by God's ability that we possess what He has promised.
• Quote:

  “It's not you going to make it come to pass. He's going to make it come to pass.” – Nancy Dufresne (03:20)

2. Right Thinking: The Foundation of Victory

• Nancy explains that all victory starts with “right thinking.” Believers must renew their minds with God’s Word, replacing fear and doubt with divine truth.
• Joshua and Caleb’s secret was adopting God’s perspective—believing and declaring what He said.
• Quote:

  “All victory begins with right thinking. You have to think right. And that's why God has given us His Word—to help us think right... His words are His thoughts, and His thoughts are always right.” (08:20)

3. Giants as ‘Bread’: Nourishment Through Opposition

• Nancy highlights Numbers 14:9, where Joshua and Caleb say, “Their giants are bread for us.”
• Opposition isn’t to be feared or avoided; it is spiritual nourishment essential for strong, developed faith—just as bread is basic to a meal.
• Quote:

  “All opposition is your bread. It's not your undoing, it's your place of nourishment... There’s a spiritual nourishment and strength that only comes from eating giants.” (13:03)

• Memorable Moment:

  “I don't know about you, but when it comes to bread, that's a pretty good thing of enjoyment... When opposition is hot, that's the best time to eat it. Don't wait till it's cold and you've been living with it for two weeks hoping it'll go away. It won't go away. Just eat it.” (15:17)

4. Faith Must Be Exercised

• Nancy uses the metaphor of bodybuilding: real strength comes from resistance, not effortless motion. Faith, likewise, only develops in the face of adversity.
• God doesn’t send the opposition but instructs us to use it for growth.
• Quote:

  “Opposition is for your strength, not for your downfall. God’s not sending opposition so you can get stronger, but God’s telling you how to use opposition to get stronger. Eat it.” (15:59)

5. No ‘Rationing’ Spiritual Bread

• Unlike natural bread, which should be consumed in moderation, there’s no limit to how much “giants” (opposition) you can ‘eat.’ Every instance of resistance is an opportunity for spiritual growth.
• Quote:

  “The bread of giants—no ration. Because every opposition, you just eat it up.” (17:07)

6. Demands and Responsibility: Faith in Action

• Faith grows as God puts a demand on it, inviting us into greater responsibility and spiritual maturity. Dodging opposition is dodging growth.
• Illustration: Nancy reflects on her childhood and her mother’s expectations, relating it to how God expects us to mature in faith.
• Quote:

  “God wants you to be skillful with your faith... He will put a demand on your faith because as you come up to meet that demand, you become more skillful, more developed.” (21:36)

7. Victory Mentality: Stories of Perspective

• Nancy recounts two stories:
  • A large-church pastor unfazed by opposition because his attention is on God, not the trouble.

    “I guess I have [faced opposition], I just haven’t taken time to notice.” (23:30)

  • A small country preparing for an invading army, expressing confidence through right thinking and planning for victory before the battle begins.

    “There are so many of them, our country is so small, where are we going to bury all of them?” (26:26)

8. Don’t Pray Away Oppositions—Eat Them!

• Prayer is good but cannot substitute for the faith-activated process of overcoming opposition.
• The “sweetest victory” comes on the other side of conquering giants.
• Quote:

  “Praying will never take the place of you eating the giant. You can't pray the giant away. You gotta eat the giant.” (28:33)

9. Giants and Opposition Hide Advancement and Promotion

• Paul (1 Corinthians 16:9) said “a great door... is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Giants are not barriers but signposts of upcoming advancement and reward.
• Focus on what’s promised on the other side, not on the size of the opposition.
• Quote:

  “Giants... are really places of advancement and promotion.” (31:03)
  “Every opposition is hiding increase.” (33:26)

10. Expect Opposition—But Not With Dread

• Just as bread is a staple on every table, expect opposition as a regular part of a life lived in victory.
• Don’t be shocked by it; don’t back down, reorient your thoughts in the Word and keep pressing forward.
• Quote:

  “Expect to see opposition. Not because you’re impressed by it... but because you know the enemy’s strategies.” (36:14)

11. Prayer for Those Facing Opposition

• Nancy concludes with a prayer for listeners, declaring victory over various areas of life, backed by spiritual authority in Jesus’ name.
• Quote:

  “I have good news for you. God has victory for you, already won for you. It's your privilege to take possession of that victory.” (38:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:20 | Nancy Dufresne | “It's not you going to make it come to pass. He's going to make it come to pass.” | | 08:20 | Nancy Dufresne | “All victory begins with right thinking. You have to think right.” | | 13:03 | Nancy Dufresne | “All opposition is your bread. It's not your undoing, it's your place of nourishment.” | | 15:17 | Nancy Dufresne | “When opposition is hot, that's the best time to eat it.” | | 15:59 | Nancy Dufresne | “Opposition is for your strength, not for your downfall... Eat it.” | | 17:07 | Nancy Dufresne | “The bread of giants—no ration. Because every opposition, you just eat it up.” | | 23:30 | Pastor, quoted | “I guess I have, I just haven’t taken time to notice.” | | 26:26 | Soldier (story) | “Where are we going to bury all of them?” | | 28:33 | Nancy Dufresne | “Praying will never take the place of you eating the giant. You can't pray the giant away.” | | 31:03 | Nancy Dufresne | “Giants... are really places of advancement and promotion.” | | 33:26 | Nancy Dufresne | “Every opposition is hiding increase.” | | 36:14 | Nancy Dufresne | “Expect to see opposition. Not because you’re impressed by it... but because you know the enemy’s strategies.” | | 38:47 | Nancy Dufresne | “God has victory for you, already won for you. It's your privilege to take possession of that victory.” |

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–03:20 – Introduction and recap of Numbers 13–14
• 03:21–08:20 – Faith vs. doubt among the spies; God’s ability
• 08:21–15:17 – Right thinking and right speaking
• 15:18–21:36 – “Giants are bread”; nourishment through opposition
• 21:37–23:30 – Faith, expectation, and spiritual development
• 23:31–26:26 – Stories illustrating victory mindset
• 26:27–33:26 – Advancement and promotion hidden in opposition
• 33:27–36:14 – Expectation of opposition; reorienting to victory
• 38:47–End – Closing prayer for victory over opposition

Final Takeaways

• Victory in the Christian life depends first on adopting God's perspective—right thinking—and then speaking and acting accordingly.
• Opposition is not a sign of failure or abandonment by God, but part of spiritual nourishment and advancement—“our bread.”
• Never try to dodge opposition or simply pray it away; instead, face it head-on in faith, seeing it as an opportunity to grow and receive God’s promises.
• The greater One—the Holy Spirit—inside every believer is always more powerful than any adversary faced.

For more teachings, testimonies, and resources, visit dufresneministries.org.