Podcast Summary: Excellence With Spiritual Gifts | Nancy Dufresne | Tuesday PM | Holy Ghost Meetings 2023

Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Date: January 16, 2023
Host: Dufresne Ministries / Nancy Dufresne
Guest: Pastor Craig (Frequent Participant), Brother Copeland

Main Theme

This episode is a deep, candid, and highly practical teaching led by Nancy Dufresne on "excellence with spiritual gifts." Drawing on decades of ministry experience and powerful personal anecdotes, Nancy guides the congregation toward not just desiring spiritual gifts, but pursuing skillfulness, sensitivity, and unity with the Holy Spirit—especially in corporate gatherings. Throughout, a strong emphasis is placed on spiritual "etiquette," obedience, learning from seasoned ministers, and creating an environment where God can move at the highest flow.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Navigating the Flow of the Spirit in Services (00:00–08:20)

• Spiritual Flexibility and Sensitivity: Nancy explains that not every service lends itself to structured teaching or preaching. The minister's (and congregation’s) ability to yield to the Holy Spirit allows for "the highest flow" and bears the most fruit.
• Learning from Experience: Nancy shares personal stories, especially from her time with her late husband Ed Dufresne, highlighting how the Spirit’s lead may change plans entirely:

  "You can try to micromanage a service and the Holy Ghost and miss the highest flow... I want the highest flow, right? And that has to be learned." (02:26)

• Key Principle: If you don’t know what to do in the service, "go with the first thing that comes to you when you hit the pulpit." (06:00)
  This is the "key" to flowing with the Spirit rather than defaulting to the safety of notes or prior preparation.

2. Spiritual Etiquette & Recognizing Your Part (08:21–14:30)

• Discerning Without Impulsiveness: Nancy explains that just because you receive an impression/anointing (like a healing anointing in your hand), it’s not always your role to act publicly.

  "Just because you sense it doesn’t mean your number has been called... Sensing it is not a directive. This is part of skill." (12:26)

• Supporting, Not Hogging:

  “You are not the whole team... when the spirit of God wants to incorporate someone else into, you have to be sensitive to that.” (11:47)

• Spiritual Etiquette: Wait for God to open space for the gifts and don’t push your way forward; honor those leading the service.

3. Connecting the Dots in the Flow of the Spirit (14:31–20:12)

• Personal "Dots" of the Anointing: Nancy describes “connecting the dots” as learning, by experience, how God moves with you in different situations, and what certain tangible anointings mean for you.
• Varieties of Manifestation: She outlines the different ways the anointing comes—sometimes as a flash, sometimes it lingers, sometimes outside of a service setting—and how she learns what each means by reflecting on previous similar impressions.
• "Don’t Kick Your Space into Place": Even when you have a clear word or gift, allow God to make room for its delivery.

4. Practicing & Excelling in the Gifts (20:12–31:09)

• Real-life Stories: Nancy humorously recounts her first experiences with tongues and interpretation—sometimes receiving nothing at all, and learning to simply "dip down and draw it out."
• Key Practical Principle:

  “If you pause, you doubt. If you hesitate, you doubt. And I’ve learned, just grab that mic and open your mouth and just go at it. As you do, you’ll draw out something.” (23:05)

• 1 Corinthians 14:12 Exposition: Desire is not enough—Paul exhorts us to "excel" to the edifying of the church, which means to become skillful.
• Skill is Developed:

  "No one becomes excellent self-taught… you have to get around that flow, observe, and then practice." (27:46)

• Warning Against Error: Practicing the gifts incorrectly ("error") teaches people the wrong flow, leading to "weird" experiences that can turn people away.

5. Excellence and the Congregation’s Role (31:10–42:30)

• The Move of the Spirit Isn't Weird: Problems often arise from ministers not knowing the flow, or allowing unskillful expressions to dominate.
• “Get Around It”:

  "You can't learn it in a book. You've got to get in it, get around it."

• Analogy: Learning stained glass; one class doesn't make you an expert—it's repeated exposure and practice.
• Don’t Blame the Spirit:

  "Every man saved and unsaved is hungry for the supernatural... Don’t accuse the move of the Spirit of turning hungry people away." (36:58)

• Space for the Spirit: Allow the Spirit room in the service rather than filling it with one’s own agenda.

  “Don’t teach or preach past the anointing and take all the time away from him when he’s wanting to do something different.” (38:38)

6. On Ministering in Worship & Corporate Unity (45:06–55:40)

• Lifting of Hands as Spiritual Gesture: Pastor Craig shares how simple acts like lifting hands are often Spirit-led invitations for heaven to move among the congregation.

  "Heaven doesn’t move until He’s invited…when we reach up...the Dad in me responded because my daughter...was reaching for her dad." (46:44)

• Practical Demonstration: Craig leads the congregation in unified worship, stressing that getting everyone participating in one accord (“oneness”) invites a corporate move of the Spirit.
• Worship Team Practicality:
  Sometimes worship leaders need to pull back instruments and let the voices unify to reach “another level” in worship—helping churches not to flatline but to keep ascending.

7. The “Hands Off” Principle & Walking Through Crisis (55:44–61:03)

• Act of Surrender: Nancy shares how, at a time of personal tragedy, literally raising her hands was an outward sign of complete surrender—taking her own “hands off” the situation so that God could work unhindered.

  "...with crisis, tragedy, difficulty... wholehearted. It is...a dramatic action I’m taking to say I can’t fix this." (57:32)

• Application for All: This is not just for fivefold ministers— “we all have to be skillful...go with you in this flow.”

8. God’s Assignment, Partnership, and the Anointing for Increase (61:19–79:08)

• Higher Level of Partnership: Pastor Craig and Brother Copeland discuss the importance of deeper levels of partnership in ministry—especially as it relates to financial sowing and support for large assignments.
• Apostolic Anointing & Honor:

  “Some assignments won’t cut it with a $100 offering...some assignments will not get done with churches just saying, Here’s my $1,000 annually. It won’t get it done.” (70:09)

• Stories of Radical Generosity: Testimonies of "breakthrough seeds" (multiple $50,000 offerings) and stories of ministers in Nigeria building houses for visiting ministers—not as “waste” but as biblical honor.

9. Activation and Impartation (72:51–79:41)

• Impartation Time:

  “There’s an anointing by association that when I put my hands on you, something’s coming on you. You’re going to be able to do...bigger than your biggest dream.” (71:21)

• Miracle Mindset: The episode closes with a fresh call to expect multiplication—not just physical miracles but "miracle increase" and fullness in every area, including partnership, provision, and vision.
• Closing Practicality: Even if you don’t have the full amount in your hand, “sow toward it and take it home with you.” (80:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Following the Spirit:

  "Go with the first thing that comes to you when you hit the pulpit. That is key." – Nancy Dufresne (06:00)

• On Spiritual Etiquette:

  “Just because you sense it doesn’t mean your number has been called.” – Nancy Dufresne (12:30)

• On Practicing Spiritual Gifts:

  “No one becomes excellent self-taught. You have to get around it.” – Nancy Dufresne (27:46)

• On Surrender:

  "My hands aren’t just barely off, I’m taking them off. This is in front of me...I can’t fix this." – Nancy Dufresne (57:48)

• On Unity in Worship:

  “When everybody does the same thing at the same time with the same faith and with the same hands, it brings us into one." – Pastor Craig (49:10)

• On Giving and Vision:

  "Some assignments won’t cut it with a $100 offering...It’s a soberness about the assignment." – Nancy Dufresne (70:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–06:00: Intro, teaching sensitivity to the Spirit
• 08:20–14:30: Spiritual etiquette; not every impression is an instruction
• 14:31–20:12: “Connecting the dots” with anointings
• 20:12–31:09: Excelling and skill in spiritual gifts, practical stories
• 31:10–42:30: Excellence in the Spirit; warning against error; honoring the move of the Spirit
• 45:06–55:40: Hands lifted in worship, practical worship leadership
• 55:44–61:03: Acts of surrender, applying "hands-off" in difficulty
• 61:19–79:41: Partnership, impartation, radical generosity
• 79:41–end: Activation, sowing in faith, closing blessing

Closing Highlights

• The episode is both instructional and demonstrational, modeling how skillfulness with spiritual gifts is learned, honored, and released.
• There is a consistent call to humility, sensitivity, and unity for both leaders and congregations.
• The message concludes with practical activation—inviting listeners to respond in faith for "higher assignments," expecting increase and miracles as they honor and partner with what God is doing.

For listeners seeking practical, Spirit-led keys for corporate ministry, excellence in spiritual gifts, and a deeper partnership with God’s move, this episode is rich with wisdom, testimony, and authentic impartation.