Podcast Summary: Faith And The Seven Companions, Part Two | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast

Date: January 26, 2022
Host: Nancy Dufresne (Dufresne Ministries Podcast)
Main Theme:
Pastor Nancy Dufresne continues her teaching on the essential “Seven Companions” of faith, as outlined in 2 Peter 1. This message unpacks what must be added to Christian faith to ensure a fruitful, victorious, and God-pleasing life, exploring each attribute with practical advice and spiritual insight.

Overview

In this episode, Nancy Dufresne teaches that faith does not stand alone. To be effective, faith must be accompanied by specific qualities or "companions." Drawing from 2 Peter 1, she systematically breaks down each companion—virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity—demonstrating how each supports and strengthens faith. With personal anecdotes, practical examples, and biblical wisdom, Nancy offers a roadmap for spiritual maturity.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Imperative to “Earnestly Contend for the Faith”

• Faith is Not Passive:
  “Jude told us, earnestly contend for the faith. How many of you know this is not a passive approach that we take toward faith. These are aggressive words: earnestly contend for the faith.” (00:24)
• Faith Needs Additions:
  Faith in isolation can be ineffective; it needs to be supported by the "seven companions" (virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity).
  “Faith needs something added to it. What does it say to add to it? Virtue... Knowledge... Temperance... Patience... Godliness... Brotherly kindness... Charity.” (01:10)

2. The Seven Companions of Faith

Nancy expounds each quality Peter lists, sharing how each “additive” builds a strong, fruitful Christian life:

a. Virtue (Moral Excellence)

• The first quality added to faith, signifying the necessity of living morally because, “God is a moral God.” (01:55)
• Living with integrity is foundational before spiritual knowledge or gifting.

b. Knowledge

• “God doesn't work through ignorance. He only works through knowledge. So faith only works where the will of God is known.” (02:15)
• Importance of renewing the mind (Romans 12:2):
  “The renewing of the mind is our lifelong profession.” (03:10)
  “Your mind doesn’t stay renewed any more than your hair stays combed.” (Quote from Dad Hagin, 03:37)
• Only a renewed mind—daily, on purpose—transforms a life. Ministry lines are no substitute.

c. Temperance (Self-Control)

• Defining Temperance:
  “Temperance is self control and restraint... spiritually, mentally, physically. This involves having balance in our lives.” (04:31)
• Guardrails for Safety:
  Compares temperance to a balcony’s guardrail:
  “I've never once gone down the front desk and say you're trying to hinder my freedom… No, it's all for safety.” (05:21)
• Practical Exercise:
  “If you let your body run your life, it will ruin your life.” (06:20)
  We are responsible for submitting our bodies and minds; God did His part at the new birth.

d. Patience

• Patience Defined:
  “Patience is waiting with joy. With joy. It's how you endure… Patience with a bad attitude is not patience.” (12:20)
• Patience and Faith:
  “Through faith and patience, we inherit the promises. Not just through faith, but through faith and patience.” (14:06)
  “Without patience, faith will quit.” (Gloria Copeland, 14:27)
• Critical Warning:
  “What impatience will do is put a deadline on God. And that's where people get into trouble and they injure their faith.” (13:14)

e. Godliness

• Godliness = Godlikeness:
  “Godliness means we're interested in what God is interested in… If He wouldn’t say it, think it, do it, or go there, neither should we.” (16:51)
• Consecration:
  “Consecration is not just purposefully trying to afflict yourself. It’s because God offers us more… I’m not going to let something of the natural that’s not as important rob me of the fullness of what God makes available.” (18:18)

f. Brotherly Kindness (Love for Fellow Believers)

• Priority of the Household of Faith:
  “We walk in love with all men, but especially we give our best and we give our first to those that we're divinely connected to.” (20:18)
• Divine Order:
  “I’m not divinely connected to all men. Amen. But I am divinely connected to the body of Christ.” (20:43)

g. Charity (Love for All)

• Wider Love:
  “He listed brotherly kindness or brotherly love, and then he lists love separately… There is a divine order in things.” (19:57)
• Illustration:
  Nancy teaches her congregation to prioritize giving to their own “assigned location” (the church) before giving randomly.

3. The Power of the Mouth and Thought Life

• Temperate Mouth:
  “You can confess the word all the way to work, but undo every bit of what it could accomplish by what you say in the lunchroom, what you say around the dinner table talking about your boss…” (08:09)
• Thought Life:
  “Casting down imaginations… bringing into captivity every thought. When a thought comes, take it captive and say, does this represent the word?” (10:16)
• Bitterness, Offense, Worry:
  “Bitterness, offense, unforgiveness—all of these things are an uncontrolled thought life. Anything you’re worried about, now you know what you need to fortify.” (11:26)

4. The Divine Checklist for Fruitful Faith

• Progress, Not Perfection:
  “It doesn't mean you're perfect in everything of these, but you're making progress. These things are developing and growing in your life.” (01:22)
• Comprehensive Application:
  “To teach faith, you have to touch and address every single arena of life.” (25:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Daily Nature of Renewing the Mind:
  “Your mind doesn't stay renewed any more than your hair stays combed.” — Nancy Dufresne quoting Dad Hagin (03:37)

• On Patience:
  “Patience is waiting with joy... Patience holds a good attitude no matter how long it has to wait. Patience with a bad attitude is not patience.” (12:21)

• On Divine Order in Love:
  “We walk in love with all men, but especially we give our best and we give our first to those that we're divinely connected to.” (20:18)

• On God’s Plan vs. Personal Preference:
  “Father, I prefer what you prefer. No, I'm not a machine. No, I have a will. But I've chosen to take my will and decide ahead of time before you've even told me. I prefer what you prefer.” (17:46)

• On the Power of the Mouth:
  “He that keeps his mouth, keeps his life. But he that opens wide his lips just saying anything they want without restraint, they shall have destruction.” (Proverbs 13:3, 09:27)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Introduction of “Seven Companions” (00:24–01:40)
• Virtue & Knowledge (01:55–03:38)
• Renewing the Mind (03:40–04:24)
• Temperance/Self-Control (04:31–08:07)
• Control Over Mouth and Thoughts (08:09–11:26)
• Patience and Its Reward (12:20–15:45)
• Godliness/Consecration (16:49–18:45)
• Brotherly Kindness & Charity (19:57–24:08)
• Closing—Faith Touches Every Arena of Life (25:21–26:00)

Conclusion

This episode offers a rich, practical, and encouraging guide for believers to build a faith that is strong, balanced, and fruitful. Nancy Dufresne reminds listeners that spiritual growth is purposeful and calls for daily attention to character, behavior, mindset, and relationships. Through biblical teaching, analogy, and real-life application, she empowers Christians to “contend for the faith” by developing virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

Tone: Uplifting, direct, practical, and filled with personal warmth and spiritual authority.