Podcast Summary: Faith Turns A No Into A Yes

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Faith Turns A No Into A Yes | Stephen Dufresne | Campmeeting 2024 | Friday AM
Date: June 8, 2024
Speaker: Stephen Dufresne

Overview

This episode features Stephen Dufresne speaking at Campmeeting 2024, focusing on the principle that faith has the power to turn seemingly impossible situations—and repeated "no"s—into "yes" answers. Through biblical stories, personal testimonies, and practical encouragement, Stephen emphasizes the necessity of persistence, action, and unwavering belief, regardless of natural circumstances or past disappointments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Theme: Faith Transforms Circumstances

• Faith is described as the force that transforms "no" into "yes," whether from people, circumstances, or even apparent divine verdicts (00:50, 09:45, 34:20).
• "Just because something is telling you no doesn't mean that's the final answer." (06:30)

2. Biblical Examples of Persistence in Faith

Moses and Pharaoh

• Stephen recounts Moses repeatedly confronting Pharaoh, undeterred by repeated refusals, until eventually the Israelites are set free (01:30).
• Even when circumstances reversed—such as being trapped by the Red Sea—faith led to miraculous deliverance (03:45).

The Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:22)

• A woman whose daughter was demon-possessed persisted despite Jesus initially ignoring and denying her (09:45).
  • "But persistence has turned it into a yes." (10:00)
  • Jesus responds: "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be unto you as you desire." (11:35)

Hezekiah (2 Kings 20)

• When told by the prophet Isaiah that he would die, Hezekiah refused to accept the negative report, prayed, and God added 15 years to his life (30:00).
  • "Hezekiah turned a no into a yes because he refused for that to be the outcome." (31:15)

Jericho

• The Israelites faced the walled city of Jericho, a physical "no." By following God’s unorthodox instructions, the walls fell (18:45).
  • "He says, I want you to do some goofy stuff... and after the goofy stuff, you’re going to blow your horns. And when you do that, it’s coming down because we’re turning, you’re not welcome here into you own the place." (19:05)

Mary at the Wedding in Cana (John 2:1)

• Mary refused to accept Jesus’ initial “no” about providing wine and, through persistence, witnessed the first miracle (52:30).
  • "The reason this is in the book is because the mother refused to hear no as the answer." (56:10)

Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46)

• Bartimaeus refuses to be silenced by the crowd, calls out even louder, and receives healing (1:07:00).
  • "They told him to be quiet. He had an option. He had an option to be quiet and say, well, I don’t want to be a problem. Well, he’s going to be a little bit of a problem. But out of that comes this healing." (1:09:55)

3. Personal & Ministry Testimonies of Persistence

Paying Off the Church Building

• For 20 years, the church made slow progress paying off their building—at times resorting to scrapping cars for funds—with seeming little movement (13:20).
• A breakthrough finally came: "We looked at the accounts and we had all the money in the accounts to pay off this building... because we refused to let that get inside of us." (17:05)

Buying a Home by Faith

• Stephen describes negotiating a “goofy deal” for a million-dollar home, having only $3,000 in the bank, acting on faith, and ultimately taking possession (21:28).
  • “What I’m saying is, we turned a no into a yes because I was willing to offer him a goofy deal and say, let me stay in it for a year... And they agreed to do it.” (22:50)

Believing for a Ministry Aircraft

• Persistent faith is being exercised to acquire an aircraft for Nancy Dufresne. Despite no current funds, they view hangars, act as buyers, and even train a pilot in anticipation (1:15:20).
  • “We’re knocking on doors, we going every which way we know to go... Because we have refused to take our financial situation as the answer.” (1:23:00)
  • “We believe, even though we’ve been told no, we’re going to turn it into a yes. That’s just the way it is.” (1:27:30)

4. Practical Encouragement: Acting Like the Answer Is Yes

• Act as if you have it: Look at homes, hangars, or make plans, regardless of current resources (39:10, 1:19:15).
• Make room for your miracle: "If you’re believing for something, make room for it." (40:05)
• Imagination and preparation: Visualize yourself healed or possessing what you're believing for (1:35:30).
  • “You have to imagine yourself in it. Well, how do you do that? With healing, you have to imagine yourself healed.” (1:36:20)

5. Humor & Memorable Moments

• Leaf Blower Revelation: God speaks to Stephen while he’s wearing a loud leaf blower ("Maybe because I can’t hear nothing else...") (00:20).
• On "Goofy" Deals: “Sometimes he takes us to a place where we make embarrassing offers in the natural. And these embarrassing offers is to get us into faith because God’s going to manifest it.” (19:55)
• Mary’s Persistence Example: “If Jesus said it, hey. If she says, you need to take trash out, woman, let me tell you something. It ain't my time.” (54:40, playful banter)
• On Shopping and Value: “They go, well, you got Louis Vuitton stuff. I said, hey, I know good quality when I see it. I got a belt that's 20 years old... And I still got another 10 or 30 on it.” (24:30)
• On "No" as a Starting Point: “What does faith do? It knocks. Because if you don’t knock, it doesn’t open...you keep knocking until you hear the little locks on the door start to open.” (1:18:40)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On Faith's Persistence: “Faith turns a no into a yes.” (Repeated theme, introduced at 04:20)
• On God’s Timing: “Jesus does is he removes the process.” (57:20, on turning water into wine)
• On Taking Action: “If you’re believing for something, make room for it.” (40:05)
• On Imagination: “Our imagination was to create...to see things that do not exist.” (1:37:55)
• On Refusing No: “Don't let anything tell you no...because we're gonna get a yes.” (1:42:00)
• On Miracles: “If we have faith, we got miracles. Because miracles are like that...An ability to walk into a miracle round, to change outcomes of destiny...” (1:46:10)
• On Increasing in Faith: “Where we're going, we're going by faith. Whether we have the money or not doesn't matter.” (1:44:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:50] — Introduction of message theme.
• [03:45] — Moses and Pharaoh: faith against repeated no's.
• [09:45] — Story of the Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15): persistence rewarded.
• [13:20] — Personal testimony: slow church building payments and breakthrough.
• [18:45] — Walls of Jericho: doing what seems unorthodox.
• [21:28] — Buying a house with "goofy deal" and persistence.
• [30:00] — Hezekiah prays and changes God's verdict.
• [33:55] — On making bold moves for things you don't yet have.
• [40:05] — Encouragement to "make room" for what you desire.
• [52:30] — Mary prompts Jesus' first miracle despite his initial no.
• [56:10] — The power of not accepting "no" for an answer.
• [1:07:00] — Blind Bartimaeus: responding to attempts to silence faith.
• [1:15:20] — The ministry's pursuit of a plane, taking practical faith steps.
• [1:18:40] — Faith as knocking on doors—persistence illustrated.
• [1:35:30] — Importance of imagination in faith.
• [1:42:00] — The call to refuse "no" for any area of life.

Tone and Closing

Stephen speaks with relatability, humor, and a spontaneous style, often using storytelling and self-deprecating jokes. His tone is practical, encouraging, and faith-filled, focused on stirring listeners to act boldly, persistently, and imaginatively—illustrating through Scripture and real-life examples that faith can and will turn every “no” into a “yes.”

Key Takeaway:
No matter how many times you’re told “no”—by circumstances, people, your body, finances, or even your own mind—faith’s persistence will eventually turn it into a “yes.” Don’t be deterred by lack or impossibility; act in faith, visualize the outcome, and keep knocking until the door opens.