Podcast Summary: Boldness, Part Two — Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Host: Nancy Dufresne
Episode Date: October 1, 2020

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne continues her exploration of “boldness” as a vital quality for living out a life of faith. Drawing from scriptures and real-life ministry examples, she explains the necessity of boldness—not just faith—when stepping into God’s plans, confronting opposition, and achieving breakthrough. Emphasizing that boldness is a spiritual force rather than a facet of personality, Nancy outlines how believers can cultivate and express boldness in prayer, ministry, and daily obedience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Faith and Boldness: Distinctions and Relationship

• Faith does not replace boldness. While faith is essential, it’s the act of stepping out boldly that brings God’s plans into manifestation.
  • “Faith will not take the place of boldness…when we know what God said to us, it is our place to be bold.” (01:02)
• Boldness is our responsibility, not God’s. Hearing from God requires humans to act with boldness, even when their flesh wants to shrink back.

2. Biblical Foundations for Boldness

• Joshua’s Commission (Joshua 1:7, 1:9)
  • God instructs Joshua to “be strong and very courageous,” connecting boldness directly to future success.
  • “Whether or not you’re going to be successful is going to depend on whether you boldly step into what I told you to do.” (03:30)
  • Boldness shuts the door on fear and is distinct from a merely aggressive personality.
  • “Personality won’t put you over in the face of circumstances…you’re going to need the word of God and a boldness that comes from settling that word in you.” (07:30)

3. Examples from the Early Church (Acts 3–4)

• Healing at the Beautiful Gate: Peter and John acted boldly by healing a lame man, which required expecting God’s power to meet their action.
  • “The anointing meets boldness. The bolder you are, the greater the anointing will flow.” (13:14)
• Confronting Opposition: Peter, “filled with the Holy Ghost,” stands before religious leaders and testifies with boldness—even confronting their role in crucifying Christ (Acts 4:8–13).
  • “That took boldness for him, Peter, to stand and say, the man that raised him is the man you crucified. Wow.” (18:10)
  • The boldness was recognized by others as evidence that the disciples “had been with Jesus.”
• Praying for Boldness: After being threatened, Peter and John gather with other believers and pray for even more boldness, not deliverance.
  • “They didn’t go there and say, ‘Oh, Lord, do something for us.’ They said, ‘Give us more boldness.’” (31:05)

4. Definition and Dynamics of Boldness

• Not hesitating or fearful in the face of possible danger or rebuff.
  • “Boldness…is courageous and daring; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.” (23:03)
• Absence of fear: According to the Vine’s dictionary, boldness is the proof that “faith can flow because fear is not there, hindering it and polluting our faith.” (25:37)
• Practical Application: Many lack miracles not due to lack of faith or power, but due to lack of boldness.
  • “Why do people not minister to people when they’re out? Lack of boldness, not lack of faith.” (28:05)

5. Cultivating Boldness

• Prayer: Boldness is something you can ask God for (Acts 4:29–31), unlike faith, which comes by hearing the Word.
• Impartation and Association: Boldness can be caught from others—Nancy shares about Dr. Lester Sumrall’s impartation from Smith Wigglesworth:
  • “I didn’t have boldness until Smith Wigglesworth laid hands on me…There was absolutely no trace of fear in that man.” (41:06)
  • Being around the bold “puts that boldness in you.”
• Fullness of the Spirit: Being filled with the Holy Ghost expels fear and brings forth confidence and boldness.
  • “To be bold, get full…When you’re full of God, there’s no room for fear.” (44:35)

6. Boldness in Prayer and Approach to God

• Bold approach to the throne (Hebrews 4:16):
  • It’s not enough to come to the throne—you must come boldly, having dealt with sin-consciousness and accusations.
  • “When somebody comes boldly to the throne…they have stepped over those accusations. They have renewed their mind against what the devil’s accusations would be.” (47:12)
• Effective prayer requires boldness: The devil will accuse and try to hold you back, but boldness shows God you’re standing in your identity in Christ.
  • “If we’re not bold, our prayers will miss in effectiveness.” (48:35)
• Acting on God’s Leading: Boldness is required to take initiative—praying, warning, blessing, or helping others as the Spirit leads, often beyond what the flesh is comfortable with.
  • “It takes boldness to step over your flesh. If you don’t have boldness, your flesh will stop you.” (51:25)

7. Source of Boldness (Ephesians 3:12)

• Boldness is a spiritual force stemming from who we are in Christ, not from personality traits.
  • “Boldness is simply the outflow of divine confidence.” (53:12)

8. Final Encouragement

• The miracles, healings, and breakthroughs believers seek are on the other side of bold action based on the Word and leading of the Spirit.
  • “I encourage you: move forward in boldness. It belongs to you in Him.” (54:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Faith will not take the place of boldness…when we know what God said to us, it is our place to be bold.” — Nancy Dufresne (01:02)
• “The anointing meets boldness. The bolder you are, the greater the anointing will flow.” — Nancy Dufresne (13:14)
• “Personality won’t put you over in the face of circumstances…you’re going to need the word of God and a boldness that comes from settling that word in you.” — Nancy Dufresne (07:30)
• “Boldness…is courageous and daring; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.” — Nancy Dufresne (23:03)
• “To be bold, get full…When you’re full of God, there’s no room for fear.” — Nancy Dufresne (44:35)
• “If we’re not bold, our prayers will miss in effectiveness.” — Nancy Dufresne (48:35)
• “Boldness is simply the outflow of divine confidence.” — Nancy Dufresne (53:12)
• “I encourage you: move forward in boldness. It belongs to you in Him.” — Nancy Dufresne (54:50)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |---------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–01:50 | Defining boldness; connection to faith | | 02:00–08:00 | Joshua 1:7, 1:9 — God’s command for courage | | 09:00–15:00 | Acts 3–4: The apostles’ healing and bold witness | | 18:00–23:30 | The visible nature of boldness; being “with Jesus” | | 23:30–29:00 | Defining boldness; The role of fear vs. faith | | 31:00–33:00 | Prayer for more boldness, not for deliverance | | 41:00–45:00 | Impartation (Sumrall and Wigglesworth story) | | 47:00–50:00 | Boldness in prayer; Overcoming sin consciousness | | 51:00–54:00 | Acting in love and boldness; Ephesians 3:12 | | 54:00–55:00 | Final encouragement/Charge to boldness |

Recap

This episode powerfully teaches that while faith is essential, it’s boldness—spiritual confidence flowing from our identity in Christ and the fullness of the Spirit—that actualizes God’s plans and miracles in our lives. Through biblical exposition and ministry anecdotes, Nancy Dufresne exhorts believers to pursue and cultivate boldness, intentionally stepping past fear and hesitation, and thus living out God’s supernatural purposes with confident action.