Episode Overview

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Honoring What You Hear | Debra Simons | Ladies Conference '19
Location/Date: World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA | October 2, 2019

Main Theme:
Debra Simons challenges the audience to deeply honor and engage with what they hear in church—especially the Word of God—emphasizing that genuine spiritual growth and the manifestation of God’s blessings only come when people put forth an "all out effort" to listen, meditate, and act on what God is saying through His appointed voices.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foundations of Value and Effort (00:17 – 04:15)

• Debra opens by reflecting on her upbringing in a family of field workers. Her parents instilled a value of hard work, discipline, and not taking opportunities for granted.
  • “My parents taught us to put a value on things because they had lived a hard life.” (00:41)
  • “If you got an A or a B on your report card, you were okay…they felt everybody had the potential to learn if they just gave themselves to the opportunity.” (01:26)
• The value of being a lifelong student, both in natural things and spiritual matters.
  • “I realized that I’m never not a student.” (03:05)

2. Warnings Against Spiritual Neglect and Comfort (04:15 – 06:45)

• Debra shares how God, through her spiritual mentors, reminded her church not to be complacent, prompting a shift towards proactive faith and action.
  • “You can get behind by being comfortable… what God was saying is, you have really neglected what I’ve said, and now it’s time to get on it.” (05:13)
• The call to give an “all out effort” in receiving and acting on God’s word.
  • “When she [Pastor Nancy] said, ‘let’s give it an all out effort’, that just went on the inside…my daughters and I, we say this all the time.” (06:11)

3. The Power of Attention and Honoring the Word (06:45 – 16:40)

• Debra urges the congregation to examine whether they truly give God’s word their undivided attention.
  • Mark 4:24 (Amplified): “Be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you…” (08:20)
• She draws analogies from her childhood about the low tolerance her parents had for laziness or complaining, paralleling God’s expectations of stewardship with the Word.
  • “Let me tell you what I had to do at your age…you’re complaining about throwing out the trash? Sometimes there wasn’t food on the table.” (11:37)

4. Distractions, Technology, and the Atmosphere in Church (13:43 – 27:45)

• Critique of modern distractions—especially cell phones—in church:
  • “How can you be looking at your phone when I’m talking? If we’re reading a scripture, I can see you’re down on your phone because you say your Bible is on your phone. But when your finger is moving like…” (13:40 – 13:46)
  • She notes that casual attitudes and divided attention are often learned behaviors.
• Humor and nostalgia about sneaking snacks in class, contrasting the conscious effort to hide misbehavior then versus open distractions now.
• Explicitly links casual, distracted church attendance to a lack of spiritual results and warns that the habits set in a service shape spiritual resilience:
  • “We have gotten so much good word…but listen, if we keep these old habits of this casualness or this distraction, please do not think you’re going to get out of what’s being preached what you could get out of it.” (18:04)
• Highlights the collective effect of individuals on the church's spiritual atmosphere.
  • “Every one of us plays a role in the atmosphere of the anointing in a church…What you do with the word is not only going to affect you, but it’s going to affect someone else.” (21:40)

5. Faith, Spiritual Habits and Real-Life Application (27:46 – 32:38)

• Personal story of spiritual attack and the necessity of remembering and applying what’s been taught:
  • “If I hadn’t paid attention to what was being said... what you get in you, the Holy Spirit can draw up out of you.” (28:45)
• Importance of disciplined focus during church services, regardless of distractions or unusual events:
  • “When I come in, I’m glued at what’s being said, and I’m not going to let any distraction.” (31:35)
• The need for practical honor (e.g., taking real notes, reviewing sermons).

6. The Scriptural Case—The Shunammite Woman’s Example (32:39 – 36:55)

• Debra teaches from 2 Kings 8:1–6 about the Shunammite woman who honored the prophet Elisha, listened to his instruction, and reaped miraculous reward and restoration:
  • “Her regard for that prophet not only caused her to get blessings, but to pay attention to what he said…she put a premium on the anointing.” (34:31)
• Challenges audience: Would we follow prophetic direction even if it meant radical action, like leaving everything behind?

7. The Broader Impact of Honor and Responsiveness (36:56 – 39:37)

• One person’s attitude can impact an entire congregation’s experience of the Holy Spirit.
  • “One person disgruntled and working against the anointing…affects the anointing…how about people just not regarding it, being casual about it?” (37:52)
• The urgent exhortation: “We want to make sure, especially at this time, that we evaluate ourselves. Am I making that all out effort by not allowing myself to be distracted?” (38:55)

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “You have no experience. Just follow someone that has experience. And I’m glad that I was raised like that because it taught me to follow people that are bearing fruit.” — Debra Simons (02:23)
• “If you want more, it’s up to us. It’s up to us to take what God has said and put more thought and more study to what He has said till it gets on the inside of us.” (08:38)
• “Every one of us plays into the atmosphere…ten spies affected hundreds of thousands. What you do with the Word will affect someone else.” (21:44)
• “What you get in you, the Holy Spirit can draw up out of you. And then in a time of need, that’s your answer.” (29:20)
• “Paying attention can bring restoration; following instructions, putting a premium on the word that’s being preached, putting a premium on the atmosphere—that’s going to make all the difference in your life.” (36:19)

Important Segments by Timestamps

• Debra’s Family & Value System: (00:17 – 04:15)
• Learning to Not Neglect God’s Instructions: (04:15 – 07:40)
• The All Out Effort Challenge: (06:45 – 08:25)
• On Distractions & Cell Phone Use in Church: (13:43 – 18:28)
• The Spiritual Atmosphere and Mutual Responsibility: (21:40 – 23:43)
• Applying the Word in Life’s Storms: (27:46 – 29:27)
• The Shunammite Woman’s Honor for the Prophet: (32:39 – 36:55)
• Broader Impact of One Person’s Spiritual Posture: (36:56 – 39:37)

Closing Reflections and Teaching Extensions

At the end, Pastor Nancy (A) recaps and deepens Debra’s challenge:

• “The danger of having an undisciplined attention in a service—what do you think your attention will do when a devil shows up at your house?...Your faith is connected to where your attention goes.” — Pastor Nancy (39:37–40:55)
• Maintaining focus in church is spiritual practice for real-life spiritual battles.
• “The table is to hold our attention…If we can’t pay attention when a man is talking, what do you think when a demon is bombarding?” (40:40)

She also cites Kenneth Hagin:

• “Can a Christian get a demon in their mind? …Yes, if they listen to him. Well, how did you listen? You gave him your attention.” (41:18)

Final charge:
Spiritual habits formed in church—especially habits of disciplined attention and honor—will determine spiritual outcomes in times of trial.
“If the devil gets your attention, he can have anything else.” (41:48)

Summary Table: Key Takeaways

| Topic | Takeaway/Actionpoint | |-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Honor the Word | Give it “all out effort” by reviewing, meditating, and acting on it | | Attention in Service | Avoid distractions (phones, thoughts); focus fully | | Personal Responsibility | Your spiritual habits affect you and the whole congregation | | Remembering + Applying | Retrieval of God’s answers later depends on your faithfulness now | | Spiritual Atmosphere | Each person’s posture impacts what God can do in the service/church | | Example—Shunammite Woman | Radical results follow radical regard and obedience to God’s instructions |

In essence:
This episode is a heartfelt, practical plea for the church to resist spiritual complacency and distraction, to honor the voice of God and appointed leaders, and to understand that faith, attention, and obedience are keys that unlock God’s provision, protection, and restoration—not just for individuals, but for the entire church body.