Podcast Summary: Faith Is A Rest In God | Nancy Dufresne | Campmeeting 2024 | Friday PM

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Speaker: Pastor Nancy Dufresne
Date: June 8, 2024

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne delivers a powerful teaching at Campmeeting 2024 titled "Faith Is A Rest In God." She explores the foundational spiritual principle that faith is not a struggle but a rest—a state of confident trust in God's provision, presence, and finished work. Drawing on scriptural examples and personal stories, Pastor Nancy urges believers to move from striving to skillfully inhabiting the position of righteousness and rest that Jesus provided. The episode encourages listeners to resist the temptation to live in perpetual battle mode and instead operate from the refreshing, victorious presence of God.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Receiving from God is About Rest, Not Struggle

• Receiving miracles: Pastor Nancy opens by echoing Brother Copeland: "Today is my receiving day," emphasizing miracles are constantly coming our way—our job is to receive them, not strive for them.

  “It's not about waiting for God to give. He's already given it… It's just waiting for our reception.” (01:28)

• Glory realm: She explains that everything needed is available in God's glory and it’s “learning how to receive” rather than “waiting to receive.”

  “What you need is in that glory, but you just have to receive it.” (02:18)

Righteousness: Our Position in Christ

• Union with God: The greatest purpose of righteousness is being one with the Father, able to walk as Jesus did—not through struggle, but by sharing His position.

  “Living that we're not doing this from a place of struggle. To live from a place or a flow of struggle means we're invited to greater skill.” (05:23)

• Skill over struggle: Any struggle—in finances, thought life, the body or God’s plan—is an invitation to develop greater skill in that area by operating from righteousness, not effort.

The Good Fight of Faith: Occupying the Win

• It’s not a rigged fight; it’s a won fight: Nancy clarifies that the “good fight of faith” isn’t a battle to win, but a victory to occupy.

  "We are not an army embattled… We are standing in our win." (08:26)

• Don’t let opposition shift your focus to the mental arena, where faith does not function.

  "The number one reason the devil tries to draw you in the mental arena is because there's no faith there." (10:00)

Ruling and Reigning from Rest

• Presence, not fight:

  “We’re to rule and reign… from a place of His presence. We’re refreshed in His presence.”—not refreshed to go fight. (12:03)

• Example of Jesus:

  “You never saw Jesus out laboring in His ministry. He walked as master… Righteousness is a position—it’s not a feeling.” (13:41)

Addressing the Mental Arena

• Don’t try to fix spiritual issues externally or mentally.

  “Our help, God deals with us… from our spirits, and we draw that out and we lay it on our mind and we lay it on our body and we meditate on it.” (15:42)

• Naaman’s story: Trying to earn God’s blessing or battle for it can cause us to miss miracles that come through simple obedience and receiving (story about Naaman and dipping in the river — lesson: miracles aren’t on the other side of a battle, but in the rest of obedient faith). (17:35)

Skillful Endurance vs. Unnecessary Striving

• A good soldier is skillful, not just embattled.

  “All of that, putting on that breastplate of righteousness, establishing ourself in the Word is the battle. Because once you get that in, and you meditate on it, the struggle’s over.” (22:10)

• Jesus’ “easy flow”: “Come unto me… and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, my burden is light” (Mt. 11:28).

  “It’s about an easy flow, not about laboring.” (23:36)

Stepping Over the Enemy

• Luke 10: Stepping Over, Not Wrestling with the Devil

  “Notice this. He didn’t say, ‘I’m telling you to stop serpents and scorpions.’ I’m telling you to step over them and keep going…” (30:06)

• Progress is your safe place; faith is movement:

  “Faith is a movement… Your safety is in moving. There’s no such thing as neutral with faith.” (34:05)

Don’t Be Devil-Minded

• The 70 disciples returned talking only about devils—not miracles, but opposition. This is a warning not to become “devil-minded” in Christian living.

  “They became devil-minded in their ministry. Devils are to be treated without appropriate attention, without regard. They are conquered beings.” (38:40)

Resting Position: The Analogy of Floating

• Floating in water: Faith is like the first lesson in swimming—learning to float is learning to rest.

  “The resting position. No matter how tired you are, you can go to resting position and be supported and held on top. Not by your effort, but by your resting.” (50:18)

• If you struggle, you sink. If you rest, you’re supported.

  “Faith is a rest. Faith is the diligent effort to rest in God. Not let anything pull you out of that rested, supported position.” (52:20)

Dealing with Trials from the Position of Rest

• Personal testimony: After receiving devastating news from a doctor, Nancy describes intentionally taking the “floating” position—refusing the mental battle and letting God’s peace take over.

  “I just got in the car and I said, ‘God, I know where my mind could go… I will not let it go there.’ I started worshiping and praying in the spirit… Within a few moments, I felt like a weighted blanket was dropped over me—the peace of God that guards your heart and mind.” (01:07:20)

• Faith’s rest: The good fight of faith is fought from resting in God’s work, not one’s own struggle.

Rest Is a Place of Authority

• Romans: “You shall mortify the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit.”

  “What’s he saying? Get in the Spirit. Do it in the Spirit. And there was—I could not conjure up a worry. We didn’t lose a moment’s sleep. Why? Because we took our place of faith—faith’s rest.” (01:13:00)

• Mercy and correction: If God heals you, it’s not to return to the behavior that caused the problem.

  “God didn’t heal her so she could go back to her old ways. He healed her to give her time to make changes.” (01:06:14)

The Power of Acknowledging God’s Presence

• “We are changed in His presence from glory to glory… When we’re walking in the spirit, we’re just living acknowledging the presence of God.” (01:19:50)

• Daily practice:

  “The key to walking in the Spirit is acknowledging His presence… A day without His presence is a day when we go back to the way we were.” (01:30:40)

• Worship and acknowledgment: What you acknowledge is what you manifest.

  “He manifests at our acknowledgment. But if we’re acknowledging fear, worry… what we’re acknowledging is what is manifesting.” (01:33:27)

Cultivating Spiritual Perception

• Follow every longing toward God:

  “Every time there is a longing toward God, follow it… That’s how you cultivate a mindfulness of the presence of God and living in his presence.” (01:36:25)

• Lifelong habit: Men and women of God cultivate a “spiritual response” over a lifetime.

  “Every time I sense the Spirit of God within me, I stop what I’m doing and turn that direction and I respond to it every time.” (Smith Wigglesworth anecdote, 01:38:13)

• Daily, not occasional: Just as a captain must check his instruments constantly to stay on course, believers must frequently turn to God’s presence throughout the day. (01:25:18)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “We are not an army embattled… We are standing in our win.” (08:26)
• “The number one reason the devil tries to draw you in the mental arena is because there’s no faith there.” (10:00)
• “Your safety is in moving. There’s no such thing as neutral with faith.” (34:05)
• “Devils are to be treated without appropriate attention, without regard. They are conquered beings.” (38:40)
• “Faith is the diligent effort to rest in God. Not let anything pull you out of that rested, supported position.” (52:20)
• “God didn’t put your miracle on the other side of a battle… He gave it to you in Christ.” (19:35)
• “A day without His presence is a day we go back to the way we were.” (01:30:40)
• “He doesn’t say, ‘You have to earn my presence.’ He says, ‘Turn.’ You live in my presence by turning, not earning.” (01:31:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:28: The act of receiving and the concept of daily miracles
• 05:23: The meaning of righteousness as union and skill
• 08:26: The difference between fighting and occupying the win
• 10:00: Danger of engaging the mental arena
• 13:41: Ruling and reigning from rest—the example of Jesus
• 15:42: Addressing help from the inside out, not outside in
• 17:35: The story of Naaman, and missing miracles through striving
• 22:10: The battle of establishing oneself on the Word
• 23:36: Jesus’ “easy flow” teaching; the yoke is easy
• 30:06: Luke 10: Stepping over serpents and the nature of spiritual warfare
• 34:05: Faith is always movement; illustration of teaching a child to ride a bike
• 38:40: The warning against being “devil-minded”
• 50:18: The floating analogy; learning to rest on God’s support
• 52:20: Skillfully maintaining rest against storms and struggles
• 01:07:20: Testimony of responding to bad news by entering God’s rest
• 01:13:00: Authority to mortify fleshly works through the Spirit
• 01:19:50: We are changed in His presence—daily practice
• 01:30:40: The difference daily acknowledgment makes
• 01:33:27: What you acknowledge becomes what is manifest
• 01:36:25: Smith Wigglesworth and responding to impulses of the Spirit
• 01:38:13: Habits of spiritual mindfulness

Final Thoughts

Pastor Nancy Dufresne’s message is a clarion call to the body of Christ to transition from a mindset of perpetual struggle to one of restful authority and victorious occupation. Faith is most powerful—not when it’s fighting for victory, but when it’s resting in what Christ has already accomplished. Every believer is encouraged to cultivate spiritual perception, practice daily acknowledgment of God’s presence, and respond to God’s leading moment by moment. In this place of rest, God's people can face any storm, resist opposition, and experience ongoing victory and peace.

For more, visit dufresneministries.org