Podcast Summary: "Peace For The Mind, Part One"

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Host/Speaker: Pastor Nancy Dufresne
Episode Date: November 8, 2019
Episode Theme: Understanding and maintaining peace of mind through biblical principles of renewing the mind and taking authority over fear.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne shares a faith-filled, practical teaching on how believers can have peace and victory in their minds by recognizing fear as a spirit, leveraging their authority in Christ, and actively engaging in the ongoing process of renewing their minds according to the Word of God. Drawing from key scriptures (2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 10:5), she offers both spiritual insight and real-life examples to equip listeners for mental and spiritual wholeness.

Key Points and Insights

1. Fear is a Spirit, Not Just a Feeling (00:08–04:50)

• Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 1:7
• "God has not given us the spirit of fear. How many of you know fear is not simply a feeling, it is a spirit. And that spirit will produce a feeling. But fear is a spirit." (00:40, Nancy Dufresne)
• Fear often manifests through anxiety and panic; these are not just emotions but spiritual in origin.
• God gives us authority over every spirit not from Him, including fear.
• Key Insight: Fear tries to mimic the leading of the Holy Spirit, but God does not direct us through fear.

2. A Sound, Disciplined Mind is Your Defense (03:30–06:00)

• Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified)
• The mind God designed for us is "sound, calm, well balanced, disciplined, and self-controlled."
  • "That mind is under your control. It's not under the devil's control. But let me tell you this, it's not under God's control either. It's under your control." (02:33)
• The renewed mind resists fear by refusing to entertain undisciplined, ‘what if’ thoughts.
• Memorable example: The ‘what if’ game—whether about airplanes or everyday worries—is identified as a form of undisciplined thinking (04:05).

3. Two Greatest Needs: Renew the Mind and Develop the Spirit (05:55–07:00)

• The twofold greatest needs for a believer:
  1. "Renew the mind."
  2. "Develop your spirit." (05:59)
• Both are essential for defense against the devil; many struggles stem from an unrenewed, undisciplined mind rather than direct spiritual attack.

4. The Process of Mind Renewal (07:00–12:00)

• Scripture Reference: Romans 12:1-2
• Mind renewal is the believer’s responsibility: "We are the custodians of our minds and our bodies, not God. We are." (07:35)
• Transformation comes not at the new birth, but through the daily process of renewing the mind with the Word.
• Merely hearing sermons or being able to quote scripture is not enough—renewal happens when Word-based thoughts and actions become our daily habit (10:33).
• "To renew our minds means this: to take on God's way of thinking and doing." (11:08)

5. God's Thoughts as a Barrier Against the Enemy (12:00–15:00)

• God’s Word reveals His thoughts—reading it is "having a talk with God." (11:24)
• "When we think like God thinks, the devil has no point of entrance." (12:44)
• The habit to develop: Always asking, “What does the Word say about this?” and aligning our thoughts and responses accordingly (13:23).

6. The Ongoing Nature of Mind Renewal (15:00–17:30)

• Renewal is never complete—"for the rest of our lives we are to pay attention and be skillful and develop this divine process of renewing our minds." (15:35)
• Negligence in this process leads to recurrent crisis and defeat.
  • "The unrenewed mind will go from problem to problem, from drama to crisis, to upheaval, to loss to defeat. It just goes one after another. And people will blame the devil, but the fault lies with us being negligent in the process of renewing of the mind." (17:12)

7. The Mind: Satan’s Chief Battleground (17:30–19:00)

• Every attack from Satan begins with an assault on the mind.
• "If you think right, you won't let the attack in. So he's got to get you thinking wrong so that you accept any attack, no matter what arena it comes in." (18:00)
• Each believer must renew their own mind; pastors can only provide tools, not do the work for you.

8. Thoughts Must Be Answered, Not Ignored (18:09–21:00)

• Memorable Quote: "You can't keep the birds from flying around your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." (attributed to Dad Hagin, relayed by Nancy Dufresne, 18:40)
• Active resistance: When unwanted thoughts circle your mind, you must speak to them—declare God's Word instead of remaining passive.
• Ignoring negative thoughts is not faith; answering them with scripture and authority is the correct response.
  • "You have to answer him." (20:21)

9. Casting Down Imaginations—An Aggressive Approach (22:00–27:00)

• Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:5
• "Casting down" is not passive—it’s a forceful, deliberate action.
  • Ex: Pastor Nancy tells a vivid story of her father ridding a rowboat of a rat, illustrating the seriousness and thoroughness needed to cast down wrong thoughts (23:30–26:00).
  • "That's what you do with a rat... Daddy winds that thing up by the tail... Bam. That's called casting down. Because if you don't do something at casting that thing down, that will jump back up." (25:10)
• We must be intentional so that thoughts "never have an opportunity to rise against you again." (26:25)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "God has not given us the spirit of fear... fear is not simply a feeling, it is a spirit." (00:40, Nancy Dufresne)
• "The greatest power, the only power the devil has left is the power of suggestion." (03:05)
• "The greatest needs of every believer is twofold. Number one, renew the mind. Number two, develop the spirit." (05:59)
• "We are the custodians of our minds and our bodies, not God. We are." (07:35)
• "When we think like God thinks, the devil has no point of entrance." (12:44)
• "Negligence in this process leads to recurrent crisis and defeat." (17:12)
• "You can't keep the birds from flying around your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." (18:40, quoting Dad Hagin)
• "Casting down is a very aggressive action. It's not a passive approach toward thoughts that are wrong. You better be aggressive against wrong thoughts because wrong thoughts will ruin your future..." (22:40)
• "We’re not being soft spoken when it comes to dealing with the devil. We're putting our foot down and using our authority." (27:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Topic/Segment | |------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:08 | Introduction, 2 Timothy 1:7 - Spirit of fear | | 03:30 | Definition of a renewed, disciplined mind | | 05:55 | The two greatest needs: renew mind & spirit | | 07:00 | Romans 12 – Our responsibility in mind renewal | | 11:08 | Taking on God's way of thinking | | 13:23 | Asking "What does the Word say?" | | 15:35 | The endless necessity of the renewal process | | 17:12 | The cycle of crisis from not renewing the mind | | 18:40 | Dad Hagin’s quote about thoughts (birds & nest) | | 22:40 | 2 Corinthians 10:5 – Aggressively casting thoughts| | 23:30 | Rat-in-the-rowboat illustration | | 27:10 | Standing firm against the devil |

Tone and Presentation

• Pastor Nancy Dufresne delivers with warmth, authority, and clear conviction, often using personal anecdotes and relatable examples.
• Encouragement is interspersed with practical instruction, moving from scriptural exegesis to everyday application.

Summary

This episode serves as a practical guide for believers seeking victory over fear, anxiety, and negative thought patterns. Pastor Nancy underscores the believer’s authority and personal responsibility for their mental state, demonstrating that ongoing, intentional renewal with the Word is the pathway to peace and spiritual strength. The episode is rich in both biblical insight and actionable steps, making it highly relevant for anyone struggling with mental unrest or seeking to deepen their walk of faith.