Podcast Summary

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Boldness & Fervency | Nancy Dufresne | Sunday's Online Service | 5.17.20
Date: May 22, 2020
Speaker: Pastor Nancy Dufresne

Overview

In this Sunday message, Pastor Nancy Dufresne delves into the spiritual principles of boldness and fervency, emphasizing their necessity for living the Christian life in fullness—especially in the challenging times of "the last days." Drawing from scripture, personal testimonies, and analogies, Nancy teaches that boldness and fervency are divine qualities birthed from a heart saturated with the Word and Spirit, resulting in fearless faith, wholehearted living, and effective service for God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nature of Divine Boldness

(00:50-12:10)

• Boldness Comes from Fullness: True spiritual boldness is not a personality trait or natural assertiveness but a "divine force" that flows from being full of the Word and the Spirit.
• Fearlessness: “There is no trace of fear in boldness. You cannot be bold in the Word and have any trace of fear in that” (03:45).
• Analogy of the Dam: Boldness is likened to the forceful outpouring of water when the gates of a dam are opened—the pressure and fullness built up is released with certainty and impact.
• Certainty in Results: Fullness imparts a knowing: “When you are full of the Word... you can be bold to say, miracles are on their way into my situation. Miracle power is working” (10:30).

2. The Anointing Meets Boldness

(12:10-17:30)

• Testimony of Missed Obedience: Nancy recounts a testimony about a pastor who was prompted by God to pray for a man to be raised from the dead but hesitated and missed a miracle because of a lack of boldness (13:55).
• Lack of Boldness Keeps Things Dead: “Lack of boldness will leave things dead—things that could be changed, raised, or made different...” (16:30).
• Boldness as Immediate Response: “Boldness must replace overthinking... It is an immediate response to God” (17:00).

3. Maintaining Fullness and Purity

(17:31-30:00)

• Guarding Fullness: Wrong speaking (offense, strife, bitterness) “compromises your fullness,” causing it to leak away like water draining from a tub with a hole (23:45).
• Purity of Speech: “Boldness calls for purity of speech. Or you won’t be bold. Your boldness will not be effective because fullness will be compromised...” (25:10)
• Full Vessels: God can only use those "who show themselves able to handle fullness." Unforgiveness and strife prove unfitness for fullness.

4. Fervency: Wholehearted Engagement

(30:01-43:30)

• The First Commandment (Mark 12:30): Jesus calls us to love God “with all thy heart... soul... mind... and strength.”
  • Quote: “God doesn’t give his people suggestions—he gives commands” (35:30).
  • “If we want God to be wholeheartedly involved in our need, we must be wholeheartedly involved in His business” (36:50).
• Hard Work Over Talent: In sports and faith, “wholeheartedness takes the place of lack of talent.”
• Employment, Relationships, and Ministry: Wholeheartedness is key everywhere; half-heartedness breeds unfaithfulness.

5. Enduring Hardness as a Good Soldier

(43:31-55:00)

• 2 Timothy 2:3: “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
  • Don’t complain or quit—endure and finish well.
• Fullness Makes Hard Things Easy: Skill with the Word, like skill with a pole in pole-vaulting, makes the hard hurdles surmountable (48:45).
• Personal Example: Nancy shares her own experience of loss, emphasizing that fullness in the Word “made hard places easier” (52:30).

6. The Power of Fervency

(55:01-1:10:40)

• Psalms 18:1, Song of Solomon 2:15, Acts 12:5: Fervency as the expression of wholeheartedness, both in worship and prayer.
  • “Fervency is the expression of wholeheartedness. When someone is wholehearted, there’s a fervency about them” (57:35).
• Prayer: “Fervent prayer will not quit until it sees the answer. It perseveres” (1:03:10) (cf. Acts 12:5, James 5:16).
• Fervency in Love: “Love fervently... means you don’t give up on people, you don’t withdraw love just because they act unlovely” (1:06:20).
• Fervency in Service (Romans 12:11):
  • Quotes from alternate translations:
    • “Be aglow and burning with the Spirit.”
    • “Never let the fire in your heart go out.”

7. Keeping the Fire Burning

(1:10:41-end)

• Maintain Spiritual Fervor:
  • Revelation’s Warning Against Lukewarmness: “Fervency means you keep boiling.”
  • Stir Up the Fire: “He gave the fire; it’s our job to keep it burning, to stoke it” (1:13:10) (ref. 2 Timothy 1:6, Jude 1:20).
• Practical Application: Stay full through praying in the Spirit and feeding on the Word daily.
• Concluding Exhortation: “To get the results that God has for us, it’s going to take boldness and it’s going to take fervency. It’s going to take being aglow.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authentic Boldness:

  • “Boldness demonstrates fullness. Boldness is not just harsh... it's a fullness that comes out.” (07:20)

• On Fearlessness:

  • “You cannot be bold in the Word and have any trace of fear in that. There is absolutely no trace of fear.” (03:45)

• On Missed Opportunities:

  • “Lack of boldness will leave things dead—things that could be changed, things that could be raised...” (16:30)

• On Wholeheartedness:

  • “If we want God to be wholeheartedly involved, then we can’t be sowing half-heartedness... You only reap what you sow.” (36:50)

• On Skill and Fullness:

  • “If something is hard, become more skillful in the Word. Because the Word, when you’re full of it, makes hard things easy.” (49:15)

• On Fervency:

  • “Fervent prayer will not quit till it sees the answer... Religion will pray once, but fervency goes to the end.” (1:03:10)

• On Keeping Spiritual Fire:

  • “He gave the fire. It’s our job to keep it burning. It’s our job to stoke it. It’s our job to keep fueling that fire and that’s how we’re to serve him. That’s what’s going to get miracles.” (1:13:10)

• Exhortation to Listeners:

  • “It’s going to take boldness and it’s going to take fervency. It’s going to take being aglow.” (end)

Suggested Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:50 | Defining Boldness vs. Natural Assertiveness | | 07:20 | Analogy of the Dam—Boldness as Forcefulness | | 13:55 | Testimony: Missed Miracle Due to Lack of Boldness | | 23:45 | Fullness, Purity of Speech, and Spiritual Leaks | | 35:30 | Wholeheartedness as Commandment | | 43:40 | “Endure Hardness as a Good Soldier” and Fullness | | 48:45 | Pole Vault Analogy—Skill Makes Hard Things Easy | | 57:35 | Fervency Defined: Heartfelt, Unyielding Practice | | 1:03:10 | Fervent Prayer Makes the Difference | | 1:13:10 | Keeping the Fire Burning—Our Responsibility |

Conclusion

Pastor Nancy Dufresne passionately imparts that boldness and fervency are not optional traits but essential, divine characteristics for believers. They are cultivated by being filled with God’s Word and Spirit, and maintained by purity, wholehearted love, and consistent spiritual disciplines. This results in fearless, effective, and fruitful Christian living, equipped to bring miracles and withstand any hardship. The episode is both an encouragement and a challenge to remain bold and fervent in these critical times.