Podcast Summary

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Believing That God Is Good | Stephen Dufresne | World Harvest Church | Murrieta, CA
Date: August 8, 2020
Speaker: Stephen Dufresne

Episode Overview

This episode features Stephen Dufresne delivering a sermon on the foundational Christian belief that "God is good." Through scripture, real-life scenarios, and personal anecdotes, Stephen addresses the importance of holding to God's goodness in both positive and negative circumstances. He draws lessons from biblical figures like Job and the Israelites, warns against blame and entitlement, and encourages listeners to maintain gratitude regardless of their troubles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of Maintaining Faith in Hard Times

• Frustration in Life: Stephen opens up about a moment of frustration while driving, reflecting how easy it is to focus on what isn’t working out.
• Key Insight: Even when “things aren't going the way you think they should,” the spiritual discipline is to declare, despite circumstances: “God is good.”
  • Quote: “And out of my spirit, I just heard this. God is good. God is good.” (01:40)
• Daily Application: No matter what happens—whether getting paid or facing disaster—the response is to say, “God is good.”

2. Responding With Faith Regardless of Circumstance

• Testing Through Trials: Stephen poses rhetorical situations (car breakdowns, financial trouble, natural disasters) and reiterates the practice of affirming God’s goodness.
  • Quote: “What if your car blows up on the freeway? What do you say? God is good.” (03:22)
• Rejecting Wrong Thinking: He warns against blaming God for evil or misfortune—a recurring distortion in religious thinking.

3. Scriptural Foundation: Psalms 34 and the Book of Job

• Psalms 34:1-8:
  • To bless and praise God “at all times, including the bad, including the good” (07:24).
• Example of Job (Job 1 and Job 42):
  • Job lost all possessions, children, and health but did not curse God.
  • Quote (Job’s Wife): “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.”
    Job responds: “Shall we indeed accept good from God? And shall we not accept adversity?” (17:40)
  • At the end, Job’s fortunes are restored because he maintained his attitude.
• Lesson: Even in extreme suffering, the answer isn’t to abandon faith, but to hold fast to the character of God.

4. Misconceptions About God’s Character

• Religious Error: Stephen discusses how traditions sometimes wrongly paint God as the author of disaster, leading to bitterness and distrust.
  • Quote: “From the beginning, the priest would tell them, ‘God giveth and God taketh away,’ and people go, ‘yeah, that's right’... That develops a hatred for God.” (30:52)
• Importance of Right Teaching: The message that God is not the cause of suffering is central, countering cultural and religious narratives.

5. Gratitude and Entitlement

• Danger of Entitlement: Stephen warns that revelation and biblical knowledge can lead to entitlement, making Christians forget humility and gratitude.
  • Quote: “We can almost become entitled and say, 'I don't deserve this.' Oh, really? Because you sound ungrateful. You sound like an idiot.” (47:11)
• Maintaining a Tender Heart: He urges listeners to keep their hearts soft and grateful, pointing out that hardening oneself towards God opens the door to further suffering.

6. The Israelites: Gratitude and Complaint

• Exodus 15-16: The Israelites, having been delivered from slavery, quickly complain and forget God’s miracles at the first sign of discomfort.
  • Quote: "The people complained against Moses... that's not being 'God is good.' That's saying, God's not being good right now because we're really thirsty." (38:28)
• Lesson: Stephen uses this as a cautionary tale against forgetting God’s past goodness because of present difficulties.

7. The Central Takeaway: A Repeated Affirmation

• Constant Refrain: Throughout, Stephen implores listeners to consistently remind themselves, no matter what, “God is good.”
  • Quote: “I have to remind myself and say, you know what? God is good. God is good. And I have to sit down and say, no, he really is good. I'm not just saying that—he really is good.” (53:55)
• Practical Challenge: When good things or bad things happen, make “God is good” the first words spoken—it keeps believers in a “blessing flow.”

8. Dealing With Envy and Comparison

• Human Nature: It's easy to be envious of others' blessings, but Stephen suggests choosing to genuinely rejoice for others and maintain focus on gratitude.
  • Quote: “If someone pulls up in a brand new car... what do you say? Praise God. And inside you’re boiling... It’s a choice.” (58:52)

9. The Power of Consistency in Faith

• Final Encouragement: Understanding is not always possible, but faith can always declare God’s goodness.
  • Quote: “You don’t have to understand everything, but what you do is say, 'I don’t know what’s going on… but one thing I do know—God is good.'” (1:01:10)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “God is good. And I know it's a simple saying, and it sounds simple, but it's true. God is good.” (02:07)
• “If things are bad for Christians? Yeah, they do. … And what are we supposed to say? God is good.” (02:45)
• “Because what's the opposite of God is good? God is bad. And that's not a good thing to say … to Blame God.” (03:58)
• “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, delivered me from all fear... Oh taste and see that the Lord is good...” (09:57)
• “Job's life has been just completely ransacked, just completely destroyed. And he had an option…” (21:52)
• “Job said, father, I don't know what I've done, but whatever I've done, I ask you to forgive me.” (48:24)
• “They were only happy with God when he was doing 100% for them all the time.” (49:47)
• “You can become really unhappy very quick if you don't remember that God is good.” (28:25)
• “Stuff happens, things break. Nothing lasts forever ... There's things that's gonna come up and we have to decide. What do we say? ... God is good.” (1:06:22)
• “Did I ingrain it into your brain enough? Did I say it enough times yet? Amen.” (1:03:04)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 04:30: Opening story, theme introduction (“God is good”), real-life frustrations
• 04:31 – 11:30: Affirming God’s goodness in misfortune, opening up Psalms 34
• 11:31 – 27:00: Deep dive into Job’s story, maintaining faith in disaster
• 27:01 – 36:00: The impact of religious misconceptions on faith and gratitude
• 36:01 – 50:00: The Israelites’ complaints, comparison to modern entitlement
• 50:01 – 59:00: Envy, comparison, and gratefulness—practical application
• 59:01 – End (~1:07:00): Final encouragements, repeated admonition to declare “God is good,” and summary of message

Main Takeaways for Listeners

• The affirmation “God is good” is especially critical when life is difficult—not just when things are going well.
• Misattributing evil to God is spiritually and emotionally damaging; the correct response is to retain gratitude and place blame only where it’s due.
• Biblical examples (Job, Israelites) highlight that complaint and blame move us away from God’s blessing, while faith and gratitude keep us tender and open.
• Even when you lack understanding, you can rest on the unchanging goodness of God.
• Gratitude and praising God at all times are spiritual practices that keep faith alive and hearts soft.

Summary in One Sentence:
No matter the circumstance, believers are called to hold fast to the declaration, “God is good,” as a safeguard for faith, gratitude, and enduring spiritual blessing.