Podcast Episode Summary:

Faith Works With Hope & Expectation | Morgan Dufresne | World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA
Date: August 24, 2019
Speaker: Morgan Dufresne

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Morgan Dufresne explores the vital relationship between faith, hope (Bible hope), and expectation in the Christian life. Drawing upon Hebrews 11 and personal anecdotes, Morgan emphasizes that faith finds its substance and forward momentum in God-authored hope and expectation, while cautioning that hope without faith can devolve into mere human wishing. Through practical analogies and biblical examples, she instructs listeners on aligning their desires with God's promises and maintaining expectation, even in the face of delay or discouragement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Distinction Between Faith and Hope

• True Hope = Expectation: Morgan interchanges ‘hope’ with ‘expectation’ to clarify the biblical meaning. (00:16-02:10)

  “Hope, without faith, is simply want. That’s the way the Holy Ghost has shown it to me… Hope without faith is just you wanting something.”

• Faith Needs Hope: Without a clear expectation, “faith words are empty words.” Faith gives substance to hope (Hebrews 11:1). (02:15–03:05)

2. Moving Past Human Want to Spiritual Expectation

• Transformation Promise: Wants and desires should not be left as unfulfilled wishes, but transformed into hope empowered by faith and God’s Word. (03:16–05:30)

  “God is looking for you to have first hope, have an expectation. He's not asking you to go through life looking at your past…”

3. God as the Source and Author of Expectation

• God’s Initiative: God Himself will “author some things for you to hope for.” Listeners are encouraged to let God spark new desires and dreams supernaturally, guided by His promises. (08:00–09:10)

  “He will make his own word come alive. He will point out things in your life… you can stop living with that.”

4. The 'Vehicle' Analogy: How Faith Operates

• Operation of Faith and Hope (11:45-19:00):
  • Love is the key that turns the engine (power).
  • Expectation (hope) is the fuel.
  • Faith is the gas pedal that moves the car forward.
  • Patience is the steering wheel, ensuring you stay on the journey.

  “Love is the key. That’s what turns the whole thing on. Faith works by love.” (13:30) “Expectation is the fuel that keeps everything going… the pedal of faith—once you step on it…all your expectation… suddenly you start to make movement.” (15:30)

5. Practical Steps for Maintaining Expectation

• Family & Personal Life: Encourage families to discuss and define what they are expecting God for together. Allow God to reveal fresh hopes each season. (07:25, 09:55)
• Patience Required: Just as you don’t immediately reach your destination when driving, patience is necessary in faith. Don't grow weary in well-doing.

  “Patience… is the steering wheel… if you take a turn too fast…you’re going to roll over in the ditch. Be patient.” (18:40)

6. Biblical Examples

• Abraham & Sarah (Genesis 16):

  • Wrong Action from Impatience: Their desire for a child, unmet with faith, led to an Ishmael instead of Isaac—posing the danger of fulfilling hope through human effort (want), not faith. (23:10–28:00)

  “Ishmael is an example of hope without faith. They hoped for a child, but they had no faith… There’s no substance.”

  • Quote: “Don’t try to be the hero in your own life… God is the God of the impossible.” (25:15)

• Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-34):

  • Persistence in Expectation: Her continual expectation for healing ultimately turned to faith directed at Jesus, producing her miracle. (33:00–36:40)

  “Her expectation never waned. Your financial situation could look like it's getting worse, but don't you lose your expectation.”

  • Memorable moment: “Expectation got her out of the house…her faith has been saying, if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” (35:15)

• Blind Bartimaeus:

  • Throws off his beggar’s coat in faith and expectation, demonstrating true hope in action. (36:40–38:00)

7. Principles and Memorable Quotes

• Want alone leads only to human action; expectation according to the Word invokes God’s action. (41:40–43:00)

  “You are only qualified to enjoy what you expect. What you don’t expect, you are not qualified to experience.” — (attributed to Bishop David Oyedepo, 43:10)

• Hope without faith is a natural desire with no power.
• Encourage listeners not to get under condemnation if they have lost expectation—God’s mercies are new every morning. (30:10–31:30)

8. Dangers of Lost Expectation: The Example of Israel in the Wilderness

• Because the Israelites had been slaves so long, they could not imagine anything but struggle, and even longed to return to difficulty instead of pressing into the Promised Land. (40:55–44:00)

  “Don't let yourself get so accustomed to difficulty that you don't hope and expect change.” (44:15)

9. Practical Counsel For Parents

• Encourage children to set their expectation according to God’s Word, not circumstances or others’ opinions.

  “Parents, you need to teach your children not to be victims… They have to learn the Word of God for themselves.” (41:30–42:10)

10. Living in Joy and Peace

• Joy is stirred by expectation, peace comes from faith in God’s finished work. (48:20–50:45)

  “Joy comes from expectation. Peace comes from resting in what God has done in your faith in Him.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith and Hope:
  “Hope, without faith, is simply want. That’s the way the Holy Ghost has shown it to me… Hope without faith is just you wanting something.” — Morgan Dufresne (00:30)

• On God's Authoring Expectation:
  "He is going to author some things for you to hope for. So he's not even asking for you to figure out what to expect from him." — Morgan Dufresne (08:25)

• On the Vehicle Analogy:
  "Love is the key… Expectation is the fuel… Faith is the pedal of acceleration… and patience is the steering wheel." — Morgan Dufresne (14:10-18:45)

• On Want vs. Expectation:
  "Want stirs man's action alone. Expectation invokes God's action with man's action." — Morgan Dufresne, quoting David Oyedepo (43:00)

• On Overcoming Circumstance:
  "When you live by the substance of faith, you won't be made a victim of circumstance." — Morgan Dufresne (43:50)

• On Training Children:
  "Your children…they have to learn the Word of God for themselves. He loves you and he wants more for you. But you have to get that for yourself." — Morgan Dufresne (41:35)

• On Joy and Peace:
  "Joy comes from expectation. Peace comes from resting in what God has done, in your faith in Him." — Morgan Dufresne (50:20)

• On Condemnation:
  "Don't get under condemnation and let your own mind and the devil beat you up about coulda, shoulda, woulda…His mercies are new every morning." — Morgan Dufresne (31:15)

Important Timestamps for Reference

• 00:16–03:05 — Defining hope, delineating hope from faith and want
• 03:16–05:30 — The process of transforming wants into hope and faith
• 07:25–09:55 — How God authors our expectation and practical family application
• 11:45–19:00 — Vehicle analogy: love, expectation, faith, patience, the Holy Spirit as GPS
• 23:10–28:00 — Abraham, Sarah, and the Ishmael-Isaac distinction
• 33:00–36:40 — The story of the woman with the issue of blood
• 40:55–44:00 — Israel in the wilderness and dangers of lost expectation
• 41:35–42:10 — Teaching children to own their expectation of God
• 48:20–50:45 — Joy and peace in believing, summary encouragement

Conclusion

Morgan Dufresne’s teaching urges believers to let God shape their expectations and to move beyond “just wanting” to actively expecting and acting on what God’s Word promises, with faith as the driver. With love as power, hope as fuel, faith as the accelerator, and patience as the wheel, believers can navigate towards their God-given destiny—regardless of how circumstances look. The central exhortation rings clear: set your expectation from God’s word, keep it alive, and, as you do, faith will have substance and your life will move forward in supernatural ways.