Podcast Summary: Making Progress | Chris Cody | Holy Ghost Meetings 2025 | Thursday AM

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Host: Dufresne Ministries
Speaker: Pastor Chris Cody
Date: January 30, 2025

Episode Theme Overview

This episode features Pastor Chris Cody sharing at the Holy Ghost Meetings 2025, focusing on the theme of “Making Progress." Pastor Cody draws on scripture, personal stories, and ministry experience to illustrate how individual believers and church bodies can make genuine progress in God’s plan. The message highlights the necessity of spiritual growth, private faithfulness, hearing from the Holy Ghost, and the key role of praying in the spirit for breaking through stagnation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Spirit-Led Obedience and Personal Testimony

• Story of Faith's Healing (00:08 – 05:30):
  • Pastor Cody recounts a humorous and faith-filled incident during his daughter Faith’s childhood, where his wife persistently elbowed him in the middle of the night to pray over their sick child. Initially, his routine prayers didn't work, but upon listening to the Holy Spirit's internal leading to "dance," he resisted because it felt uncomfortable and awkward.
  • Once he obeyed and danced before the Lord—awkward clothes and all—his daughter was instantly healed.
  • Quote: "Every time I turned, that's what I heard… When you're being quickened to do those, those are good. But I did that already and it wasn't working...I just danced. Praise God. Fever broke and she was instantly healed." (04:45)

2. Applying Biblical Principles of Progress (06:10 – 16:30)

• Scripture Insights: Cody draws from 2 Chronicles 24 and 1 Timothy 4 to outline how progress was made in restoring the temple—ultimately connecting this to personal and church growth in the New Testament era.
• Restoration and Strengthening: Just as the temple was restored and strengthened, so God desires the Body of Christ today to be strengthened and made whole.
• Quote: "Our ministries need to make progress...Every individual believer has a vital part, a set place in the body of Christ. And we need you. God needs all of us, our place, bringing our supply and not staying where we are, but making progress." (13:30)
• Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to “give yourself wholly”—not halfheartedly—for kingdom progress.

3. The Necessity of Progress and Growth (16:30 – 29:00)

• Much and More: Cody references John 15, highlighting Jesus’ use of the words “much” and “more” to teach fruitful living and growth.
• Kingdom Law of Progression: Drawing from Mark 4, Cody details that growth is by process—seed, blade, ear, full corn in the ear—and cautions against wanting instant results or prematurely stepping into ministry.
• Quote: "God ain’t got no instant pudding...We like instant everything. We bring that mentality into the body of Christ." (19:55)
• Private Process: Emphasizes that real progress often happens privately (“the process of progress is private”) and only later becomes visible to all.

4. Visible Progress and Faithfulness (29:00 – 34:30)

• Public Fruit of Private Growth: Real spiritual progress is observable in daily life—habits, speech, faithfulness—and doesn’t happen overnight.
• Dangers of Constantly 'Starting Over': Many never progress because they continually change direction, churches, or commitments, rather than faithfully advancing from stage to stage.
• Quote: "Future entry requires present day faithfulness. God's got more for you. God's got more for me...But it’s going to require faithfulness in present day or you'll never get there." (33:30)

5. Faithfulness in Obscurity and Hearing from God (34:30 – 40:00)

• Jesus and Paul as Examples: Even Jesus spent 30 years in preparation for three and a half years of ministry. Paul’s years in obscurity are recounted as a model for patient, private development.
• Hearing Is Key: No real progress happens in God’s plan without hearing from Him, often cultivated in private, “in the Spirit” times.
• Quote: "There is no real progress in the plan of God to be had apart from hearing." (39:30)

6. Testimony of Ministry Building and Overcoming Stagnation (40:00 – 47:00)

• Church Building Story: Cody narrates the process of acquiring land, selling their former church, and facing years of apparent stagnation, ridicule, and struggle—highlighting the need to follow God’s unique (and sometimes counter-intuitive) instructions.
• Zero Risk in Obedience: God revealed to him there is “zero risk in doing what I say,” shifting Cody’s perspective from fear of loss to confidence in obedience to the Holy Spirit.
• Quote: "There is zero risk to standing on ‘by his stripes, you were healed.’ There is zero risk to give and it shall be given back unto you. There is zero risk. But the rub is: Did you really hear?" (45:00)

7. Breaking Through: Praying in the Spirit (47:00 – 48:15)

• Zechariah 4:6 Principle: “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit...” — Cody concludes that when stuck, progress doesn’t come from more work or strategy but by entering the Spirit through prayer, especially in tongues.
• Culmination of the Message: He testifies that praying in the Spirit is what broke stagnation in his ministry, echoing Brother Hagin's teaching and Pastor Nancy’s example.
• Quote: "For anything down here to be done by the Spirit, someone must be in the spirit by the Spirit. And he said, you are not taking any time to get in the spirit...That's what broke everything loose." (47:10)

Memorable Quotes

• "I have been elbowed into the will of God many times." (00:40)
• "The restoration for the work made progress under their hand, and they restored the house of God to its position and strengthened it." (11:30)
• "Whatever that gift from God in you has done up to now, it can do more." (15:30)
• "God ain’t got no instant pudding." (19:55)
• "Real progress is observable...the fruit of progress is public. It is evident." (28:30)
• “Future entry requires present day faithfulness.” (33:30)
• “There is zero risk in doing what I say.” (45:00)
• “For anything down here to be done by the Spirit, someone must be in the spirit by the Spirit.” (47:10)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:08–05:30: Story of Faith's healing and Spirit-led obedience
• 06:10–13:30: Restoration in scripture and application to the church
• 13:30–16:30: Each believer's role in progress
• 16:30–19:55: Kingdom law of progression and "no instant pudding"
• 29:00–33:30: Public fruit of private faithfulness; faithfulness in obscurity
• 40:00–47:00: Personal testimony of building church & overcoming stagnation
• 47:00–48:15: Principle of praying in the Spirit to break stagnation

Closing Thoughts

Pastor Chris Cody’s message is an encouraging, practical, and challenging call for every believer to embrace steady, Spirit-led progress in every area of life and ministry. Through transparency, humor, and scriptural teaching, Cody demonstrates that genuine progress comes not from shortcuts or instant results, but through consistent, private faithfulness, hearing from God, and praying in the Spirit—ultimately producing public fruit for God's glory.

“God’s plan is going to advance. God’s going to have his way. And if you want to be a part of it, you got to make progress...But I believe God can catch you up.” (48:15)