Episode Overview

Theme:
This episode, "How To Receive A Miracle | Part One," features Pastor Nancy Dufresne delving into the biblical principles of receiving miracles from God. Drawing from the account of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana (John 2), Nancy explores how cooperation, obedience, and faith play crucial roles in experiencing the miraculous in one’s life. The tone throughout is warm, encouraging, and practical, urging listeners to make obedience to God's instructions a lifestyle.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Universal Need for Miracles

• Everyone Needs a Miracle at Some Point:
  Nancy begins by emphasizing that "there's going to come a time in every life—saved or unsaved—when they need a miracle." (00:18)
• Purpose of This Teaching:
  The intent is to equip listeners with biblical instructions so they can cooperate with God and receive miracles when the need arises.

2. Learning from Jesus' First Miracle (John 2:1–11)

• Context:
  Nancy walks through the story of Jesus turning water into wine at Cana’s wedding, focusing on Mary’s role and her instructions to the servants.
• Mary’s Key Instruction:
  “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:5)

Memorable Moment:

“Only a mama can do things like that, right?”
— Nancy Dufresne (02:10)

3. Training, Preparation, and Obedience

• Preparation Precedes the Miraculous:
  Jesus spent years as a carpenter, which Nancy frames as a period of "training and preparation," highlighting that even the most anointed require seasons of development (03:08).
• Obedience as a Lifestyle:
  Nancy urges listeners to take biblical principles as a continual lifestyle, not a one-off strategy (01:40).

4. Dynamics of a Miracle

• Miracles Bypass Natural Processes:
  The transformation of water to wine involved bypassing all normal agricultural and fermentation steps. Nancy explains:

  “A miracle is going to bypass every natural process...” (07:30)

• The Mind Can’t Comprehend Miracles:
  She cautions listeners not to get stuck trying to "figure out a miracle," as miracles transcend natural logic (08:13).

5. God Often Leads Us to Places Where We Need Miracles

• Following God May Create a Need for the Miraculous:
  Referencing Israel at the Red Sea, Nancy points out:

  "Needing a miracle doesn't mean you missed it... Sometimes God himself will lead you to a place where you need a miracle." (10:12)

• God as Miracle Worker:
  God orchestrates environments where His miraculous power is necessary so He can reveal Himself as a provider.

6. Principle for Receiving Miracles: "Whatever He Says, Do It"

• Mary’s Phrase Examined:
  Nancy breaks apart John's “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it,” explaining its relevance for receiving the miraculous (12:21).
• Man’s Participation Required:
  Every miracle, she asserts, “will involve a man,” requiring human obedience as an invitation for God’s power to manifest.

Notable Quote:

“It is a kindness when God gives us something to obey because it shows us he’s looking for a place of entrance into our need.” (16:23)

7. The Role of Faith and Obedience

• Faith is Our Permission:
  Nancy stresses that our act of faith is "giving God permission" to work in our lives (17:45).
• Disobedience Closes the Door:
  Without obedience, we restrict God’s access to our circumstances.

Notable Quote:

“Our obedience opens the door to Him. Our disobedience closes the door to Him.” (17:50)

8. Examples from Scripture

• Jacob Sowing in Famine:
  God told Jacob to sow in drought, resulting in a miraculous hundredfold harvest—obedience in the face of natural impossibility (18:54).

• Moses at the Red Sea:
  God told Moses to stretch forth his rod—demonstrating the need to act when God gives instruction, not merely to pray (21:10).

  “So many times it’s right to pray, but not when it’s time to obey.” (22:00)

• Elijah's and Elisha’s Miracles:
  Miracles involving raising the dead or multiplying oil also required acts of obedience from humans (23:00–24:00).

• Jesus' Healing Miracles:
  Every healing Jesus performed included a command to fulfill—obedience was always required (24:05).

Notable Quote:

“God is not—His power doesn’t work for people who aren’t interested in his power. His power has to be honored. His power has to be valued.” (24:50)

9. Miracles as "The Working" of Miracles

• Not Just the "Appearing":
  1 Corinthians 12 describes the "working of miracles," signaling that both God and man have parts to play—miracles are worked, not simply received (25:20).
• Instantaneous vs. Ongoing Miracles:
  Some miracles happen immediately, others unfold step by step (Peter walking on water as an example). Nancy warns against limiting God to the spectacularly instantaneous (25:30).

Notable Quote:

“We have to start with a miracle, but we have to continue also, because we don’t want to lose what we have already received.” (26:00)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It is a kindness when God gives us something to obey because it shows us he’s looking for a place of entrance into our need.” — Nancy Dufresne (16:23)
• “Our obedience opens the door to Him. Our disobedience closes the door to Him.” — Nancy Dufresne (17:50)
• “So many times it’s right to pray, but not when it’s time to obey.” — Nancy Dufresne (22:00)
• “God is not—His power doesn’t work for people who aren’t interested in his power. His power has to be honored. His power has to be valued.” — Nancy Dufresne (24:50)
• “We have to start with a miracle, but we have to continue also, because we don’t want to lose what we have already received.” — Nancy Dufresne (26:00)
• “Don’t limit God to the instantaneous, and miss out on the spectacular and miss out on your miracle.” — Nancy Dufresne (26:20)

Key Timestamps

• 00:09 — Introduction to the miracle topic and invitation to study along
• 01:40 — Encouragement to live out biblical principles as a lifestyle, not just in crisis
• 03:08 — Jesus’ preparation period and the necessity of training
• 07:30 — Explanation of how the miracle at Cana bypassed natural processes
• 10:12 — God sometimes leads us to places where miracles are needed
• 12:21 — Deep dive into "Whatever He Says to You, Do It"
• 16:23 — The kindness of God in giving us something to obey
• 17:45–17:50 — Faith and obedience as the means of permitting God’s power
• 18:54 — Jacob’s obedience during famine
• 21:10 — Moses’ obedience at the Red Sea
• 24:05 — Every miracle involves a command to obey
• 25:20 — Miracles described as a "process of being worked" (1 Corinthians 12)
• 26:00–26:20 — Need for ongoing faith and not limiting God to instant results

Conclusion

Pastor Nancy Dufresne’s episode centers on a foundational principle for receiving miracles: working with God through obedience and faith. She explores biblical examples to show that God’s miracles always involve an act of obedience or faith—a point summarized in Mary’s instruction: “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.” Listeners are urged not only to seek the miraculous but to embody a lifestyle of steady cooperation with God, recognizing both the kindness of His instructions and the necessity of continual faith.

For more teachings or resources, listeners are invited to visit dufresneministries.org.