Podcast Summary: Dufresne Ministries Podcast

Episode: Consecration | LIVE w/Nancy Dufresne
Date: August 12, 2021
Host: Nancy Dufresne

Overview:

In this episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne offers an in-depth teaching about the spiritual discipline of consecration—what it means for individual believers, how it differs from sanctification, why it has been neglected, and how embracing it can bring greater fulfillment and effectiveness in God's plan. Throughout, Pastor Nancy intertwines biblical examples, personal practices, and practical wisdom, encouraging listeners to embrace the "joy of consecration" and make deliberate choices to align with God’s purpose.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Consecration & Its Biblical Foundation

• Sanctification vs. Consecration
  • Sanctification is God’s act—He sets us apart through Christ.
  • Consecration is our response—our deliberate setting apart for God’s plan.

    “Consecration is our response to being sanctified…God does not consecrate us. We're the ones that consecrate ourselves.” — Nancy Dufresne (01:05)

• Rarely Taught Subject
  • Pastor Nancy notes that few sermons focus deeply on consecration, yet generations past emphasized it more, experiencing "deeper moves of God."
  • She references Dad Hagin’s perspective on how consecration impacted spiritual intensity and effectiveness.

2. Examples of Consecration in Scripture

• John the Baptist (03:44)
  • Lived a fasted, set-apart life in the wilderness—not to avoid people but to stay focused on his unique calling:

    “He was living in a place where he could hear from God…and took so seriously what he was born for that he didn’t live in a place where he could be distracted.”

• Jesus in Gethsemane (27:22)
  • Even Jesus had to make fresh consecrations, especially before the cross.

3. Practical Application: Daily Consecration

• Personal Practice
  Pastor Nancy shares her habit of frequently starting her day with:

  “God, I consecrate myself to your will and your plan.” (00:52)

• Consecration as an Ongoing Choice
  • It's a daily and seasonal process; God deals with us about different things in each season.

    “Have you noticed that at different seasons He deals with you about different things of consecration?” (19:52)

4. The Joy & Fulfillment of Consecration

• Not a Negative Practice
  • Reframes the perception: Consecration is not about deprivation but about finding the joy of being aligned with God’s purposes.

    “There is a joy to consecrate, because…your heart longs for the fulfillment of the plan of God.” (09:21)

• Quote:

  “It’s not a negative. It’s not stopping something you enjoy. It’s you love the plan of God so much that you don’t want to exchange it for something lesser.” — Nancy Dufresne (11:40)

• Being Spiritually Fulfilled, Not Just Naturally “Full”
  • When giving ourselves to lesser things, “you lay down in bed at night and you go, I’m not fulfilled with how I spent my day…” (10:48)

5. Consecration’s Impact on Others

• Our level of consecration affects not only our spiritual journey but how others receive from God through us:

  “I will not rob people of receiving from God by how I spend my time.” (13:32)

  • The more consecrated, the more God can use us and flow through us.

6. Carnality vs. Spiritual Effectiveness

• Definition of Carnality
  • Being “body ruled” or led by senses, letting natural appetites outweigh spiritual priorities (16:10).
• Quote - Dr. Sumrall:

  “The love of the world is the barricade keeping the church out of the supernatural and the miraculous.” (17:53)

• Carnality and distractions aren’t always “evil”—sometimes they’re just weights that prevent spiritual growth.

7. “Cutting Away the Sandbags”

• Powerful Analogy
  Pastor Nancy likens carnal distractions to sandbags that keep a hot air balloon from rising:

  “That’s what carnal things are to our life. They weight us down so that we really don’t come into the higher places, higher flows that God has for us…” (22:54)

8. Called vs. Chosen

• Many are called, few are chosen—not because God withholds, but because few make the choice to consecrate themselves:

  “The reason many are called but fewer chosen is because few will consecrate themselves to what He has called them to.” (24:34)

9. Seeking First the Kingdom

• Balance of Spiritual and Natural Responsibilities
  • Quoting Matthew 6:33, Nancy emphasizes seeking God first, not only, amidst life’s demands.

    “It’s about first. And consecration is saying, I’m going to put first and keep first what God has instructed me to do.” (32:38)

10. Consecration Brings Us Into “More”

• The point is not deprivation, but being prepared for “something more” in the Spirit:

  “He’s not dealing with you about cutting something away so that something can be removed from your life. It’s so He can bring you into something more.” (25:29)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Consecration’s Joy (09:21):

  “There is a joy to consecrate because your heart, I don’t care who you are…your heart longs for the fulfillment of the plan of God. That’s what your spirit longs for.”

• On Spiritual Effectiveness (13:32):

  “I will not rob people of receiving from God by how I spend my time.”

• On Carnality (17:53):

  “The love of the world is the barricade keeping the church out of the supernatural and the miraculous.” — Dr. Sumrall

• On Consecration Leading to More (25:35):

  “Consecration is about having more, not about being robbed of something that’s important to you.”

• On Prioritizing God's Will (31:50):

  “I got into physical difficulties because I was too, too busy to obey God.” — Kenneth Copeland (as quoted by Nancy Dufresne)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Defining Consecration & Its Neglect (00:40 – 03:15)
• John the Baptist & Consecrated Living (03:44 – 05:58)
• Personal Practice of Consecration (08:40 – 10:48)
• The Joy of Consecration (09:21 – 11:40)
• Carnality Dilutes Spiritual Flow (16:10 – 19:52)
• Dr. Sumrall’s Sobering Quote & Supernatural Flow (17:53 – 18:41)
• Hot Air Balloon Analogy (22:54 – 23:29)
• Many Called, Few Chosen Explained (24:34 – 25:29)
• Jesus’ Gethsemane Consecration (27:22 – 29:50)
• Seeking First the Kingdom—Balance in Life (31:10 – 33:10)

Closing Encouragement

Pastor Nancy concludes by urging listeners to examine what God is dealing with them about in the current season, viewing consecration as a joyful response that brings greater spiritual satisfaction and readiness for God’s greater plans. She reiterates that this is not about missing out, but about stepping into abundance and fulfillment.

Recommended Next Step:
Check on your inner life—what “weights” or distractions might God be nudging you to set aside? Remember, consecration is your invitation into more of what God has for you.