Podcast Summary

Dufresne Ministries Podcast

Episode: Mercy For Our Messes, Misses & Mistakes
Speaker: Morgan Dufresne
Location: World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA
Date: November 23, 2020

Overview

In this message, Morgan Dufresne shares a heartfelt teaching on the abundant and renewing mercy of God, specifically focusing on how God's mercy is present for our "messes," "misses," and "mistakes." Drawing from Lamentations 3:22-23 and Hebrews 4, she emphasizes that receiving mercy is an act of faith, not automatic, and that boldness is essential for approaching God, especially when we feel least deserving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mercy Is New Every Morning

• Scripture Foundation: Lamentations 3:22-23

  "Because of the Lord's great love, his great mercies, we are not consumed. For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness." — [00:17]

• God's faithfulness is abundant; every day offers a new start, but this must be received by faith.
• Mercy "doesn’t automatically deliver peace. It has to be received in order that what that scripture is looking to manifest." — [01:12]
• God isn’t looking for you to repeat today, tomorrow. He wants you to boldly receive new mercies today.

2. The Threefold Provision: Messes, Misses & Mistakes

Morgan breaks down how God's mercy applies to three specific facets of human failure:

a) For Our Messes

• Illustrated with the example of children making household messes—moving from one thing to another without cleaning up, leading to accumulated disorder.

  “That’s the way the Holy Ghost showed me... five steps later we realize we didn’t ask God, we didn’t pray about it, ...what do we have? A mess.” — [04:10]

• Messes result from failing to follow the Spirit, trying to do things independently, or not seeking God’s guidance.
• “Messes come from us trying to live this life by ourselves without the help of the Spirit.” — [06:00]

b) For Our Misses

• Using the analogy of missing a plane or train—missing what God had for us because of distraction or delay.

• “Mercy is not for perfection but for misses. ...We were maybe slow in obeying what God told us to do. ...How many of you have been there? I’ve missed leadings.” — [07:20]

• There’s mercy for every missed opportunity, every time we were late to obey or distracted.

c) For Our Mistakes

• Mistakes are likened to giving the wrong answer on a test.

• “Just as we would make a mistake on a test, ...for every wrong answer, there’s mercy.” — [10:30]

• Real life is "about how we’re doing passing the test of life. But God has every right answer. For every mistake, there’s mercy."

3. Accessing Mercy Through Boldness

• Scripture Foundation: Hebrews 4:14-16

  “We do not have a high priest who is unable to understand and sympathize ... Let us fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace... that we may receive mercy for our failures and find grace to help in good time for every need.” — [12:10]

• Jesus understands all our weaknesses, temptations, and liabilities; we're not alone in our struggles.
• Morgan uses the analogy of assigned seats at a movie theater — we have a "paid-for seat" at the throne of grace because of Jesus.

  "When you've made a mistake, you get up to the throne of grace and say, 'Excuse me, fear. I am going boldly to the seat that I did not pay for. The Son of God paid for.'" — [15:10]

4. The Role of Fear vs. Boldness

• Fear tries to keep us away from the place Jesus purchased access to.

• “Fear will keep you out of what faith has provided. ...Jesus went to the cross by faith, you understand? ...He went by faith. This is part of when we go by faith to the throne.” — [17:35]

• Our bold action in approaching God is part of living out the "greater works" Jesus referenced.

5. Boldness in Receiving and Extending Mercy

• Scripture Foundation: Hebrews 13:6

  “Boldness is for mercy and boldness is for help. If you never learn to boldly come to your Father and get mercy and help and grace in the time of your greatest needs, how will you ever boldly live for him?” — [20:12]

• If we can't go to God boldly for our needs, we’ll struggle to help others do the same.
• Memorable Principle:

  “Other people need you to understand how to take a mess, a miss and a mistake, wash it, forget it, receive grace.” — [21:28]

6. What is Grace?

• “Grace is simply what only God can do. That’s it. It’s what only God can do. His ability, his care.” — [22:00]
• Receiving what only God can give is foundational for being able to help others.

7. Practical Application: Responding to Messes, Misses & Mistakes

• Anytime we realize we’ve created a mess, missed an opportunity, or made a mistake, boldly go to the throne and receive mercy and grace.
• “Fear is the number one reason why people stay away. ...His word shows us how he responds. He responds with great mercy, great love, abundant faithfulness.” — [24:00]
• “Abundant faithfulness is in your direction when you wake up in the morning, when you go to bed at night.” — [25:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of God's mercy:

  "Mercy is not a concept from man. ...It's a concept from God that we have to by faith understand, receive and know how to obtain." — [02:45]

• On boldness at the throne:

  “You gotta be like that Karen that shows up at the movie theater and says, ‘Scuse me, this is my seat.’ ...I am going boldly to the seat ... the Son of God paid for.” — [15:10]

• On helping others:

  “If I can’t come boldly to my Father ... how am I boldly going to serve Him? You cannot boldly serve God ... if you yourself don’t know how to go to the throne room of mercy and obtain help for yourself.” — [21:20]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:17: Lamentations 3 — Mercy is new every morning
• 04:10: The illustration of messes using a child’s play as an analogy
• 07:20: "Misses" explained through the analogy of missed flights
• 10:30: "Mistakes" explained by making an error on a test
• 12:10: Hebrews 4 – Approach the throne of grace boldly
• 15:10: Movie theater seat analogy—accepting your ‘paid-for’ place at the throne
• 17:35: Fear vs. faith in approaching God
• 20:12: Hebrews 13 – Boldness for mercy and help
• 22:00: Definition of grace
• 24:00: Fear as the #1 barrier to receiving mercy
• 25:28: Abundant faithfulness every morning and night

Closing Thoughts

Morgan encourages listeners to keep these truths in front of them—fear will always try to keep you from God’s presence and provision, but God’s mercy and grace are abundant, fresh each day, and available for every mess, miss, and mistake. The call is to respond with bold faith, taking your rightful, Jesus-paid seat at the throne, and to help others learn to do the same.