Episode Overview

Title: Qualified To Be Followed
Guest Speaker: Pastor Debra Simons (Pastor Debbie)
Event: Campmeeting 2019, World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA
Date: June 11, 2019

Main Theme:
Pastor Debra Simons discusses the biblical standard for being “qualified to be followed.” She emphasizes the responsibility of living a life that not only follows faithful leaders but also becomes an example worth imitating. The message draws deeply from personal anecdotes, experiences with mentors like Dr. Ed Dufresne, and scriptural foundations, urging listeners to value spiritual heritage, persevere in faith, and lay hold of God’s promises by both following and being worthy to be followed.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Standard of Being Followed

• Scripture Foundation: Hebrews 6:11-12 (“…be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”)
• Imitation Requires Substance: "You gotta be somebody that somebody can imitate. You gotta have a life that's inheriting something, that's producing something, or you disqualify yourself from being someone that someone else can follow." — Pastor Debbie (01:05)
• Not Everyone Qualifies: Many are being followed today who are not inheriting through faith and patience—rather through gimmicks or secular methods. (05:00–05:26)

2. The Cost and Commitment of Following

• Consistency in Following God’s Appointed Shepherds: Pastor Debbie recounts her annual commitment to attend spiritual meetings since 1998, despite inconvenience or cost, modeling to her church what it means to value divine associations. (02:06–03:30)
• Memorable Quote: "When you put a premium on being where you're supposed to be, then it doesn't matter about convenience, because you know that what you're gonna get is gonna override anything that's telling you not to go." — Pastor Debbie (03:30)

3. Avoiding Fleshly or “Gimmicky” Alternatives

• Critique of ‘Church-Building Schemes’: Pastor Debbie humorously recalls church leaders attempting to fund churches with things like phone cards and pyramid schemes, which Dr. Ed Dufresne boldly denounced. (06:00–09:09)
• Memorable Moment: "Some preachers think that it's gonna take gizzard cleaners and phone cards to build your church… What about faith? What about trusting in God?... Man has a part, and God has a part." — Dr. Dufresne via Pastor Debbie (08:03)
• Key Takeaway: Only faith and obedience to God’s direction produce lasting fruit and the church God intends.

4. The Universal Responsibility to Be Worthy of Following

• Everyone Has an Audience: Not only fivefold ministers, but every believer is watched—by children, spouses, coworkers—and should live a life that points to Christ. (10:02–10:46)
• Natural Impacts: Even those unsaved tend to trust and seek help from “the real deal” when crisis strikes, due to the believer’s consistent witness. (11:08–14:10)

5. Following and Imparting the Heritage of Faith

• Living Out Spiritual Heritage: The message stresses honoring the faith and tenacity of spiritual mentors, such as Dr. Dufresne, especially as Pastor Debbie’s church moves towards new projects (purchasing land, new buildings). (19:07–23:39)
• Technology as a blessing: Easy access to timeless teaching (e.g., Dr. Lester Sumrall) is a divinely provided resource to keep the heritage and guidance alive. (22:26–23:35)

6. Personal Anecdotes on Being an Example

• Boutique Owner Testimony: Pastor Debbie shares how her reputation as someone who prays and “believes for miracles” led to a miraculous answer, opening a door for God in someone’s desperate moment. (12:01–15:37)
• Faith Must Be Evident: “What if I didn’t believe in the power of God?... She had to know I was the real deal.” (15:44–16:23)

7. How to Qualify to Be Followed (1 Timothy 6)

• Scripture Focus: 1 Timothy 6:11–12—Flee destructive pursuits, follow after godly virtues, and fight the good fight of faith.
• Living the Example: "If we're going to qualify to be people that can be followed, we've got to get some things out of our life, and then we got to follow some things. Then he says, fight the good fight of faith." (17:37)
• Practical Application: Be ready to stand, believe, and act on what God has said, knowing that someone’s future may depend on your endurance. (19:04–19:58)

8. Valuing the Cost to Receive Spiritual Impartation

• The Value of Repetition and Participation: Pastor Debbie describes her persistent attendance of mentorship, even when inconvenient, to receive all that God wanted to impart. (29:27–30:05)
• Memorable Quote: "If he said he didn't get out what he needed this year and he's gonna get out next year, well, then we're gonna come." (29:30)

9. Standing in Faith for the Next Generation

• Every Stand Paves the Way for Others: Your faith not only brings God’s promise to your life, but creates a path for the next generation. (30:34–31:24)
• Spiritual Legacy: The importance of being able to say, “The faith that was in your grandmother and the faith that was in your mother is in you.” (46:35–47:29)

10. Avoiding Offense and Walking in Love

• Personal Testimony: Pastor Debbie shares a deeply honest story of overcoming offense through prayer and God’s correction, reinforcing the importance of modeling spiritual maturity. (43:37–45:30)
• Quote: "When you meet me face to face, you won't have enough breath in you to blame someone else for not doing what the Word tells you to do." (44:45)

11. The Power of Atmosphere and Hunger

• Service Atmosphere: The faith, expectation, and hunger of the congregation “adds to the atmosphere, making it more conducive for the Spirit of God to flow.” (35:26–35:32)
• Humor: Comparison of repeated spiritual lessons to her grandmother’s monthly Administering of “Ex Lax” chocolate squares (36:24–37:43)

12. Final Words on Repetition & Heritage

• Reinforcing Spiritual Heritage: Pastor Nancy Dufresne (50:00–50:28) commends the message, highlighting the power of rehearsing, reteaching, and living out inherited spiritual truths:

  “Our success is being able to repeat what's been put in us and not only repeat it privately, but as ministers repeat it, repreach it, re preach it, re preach it...”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Spiritual Leadership:
  "You gotta be somebody that somebody can imitate." — Pastor Debbie (01:05)
• On Sticking to God’s Place for You:
  "Don't let anything keep you from where you're supposed to be. ...you won't be able to get back what you missed if you didn't get there." — Dr. Frank, recalled by Pastor Debbie (03:56)
• Against Gimmickry:
  "Some preachers think that it's gonna take gizzard cleaners and phone cards to build your church." — Dr. Dufresne (08:03)
• On Being a Consistent Example:
  “There is somebody watching your life every day... You need to be living a life that can be followed and imitated.” — Pastor Debbie (10:02)
• On Persevering for Spiritual Impartation:
  "We were able to follow a man's faith and see the end of his faith. We're in a building..." (30:05)
• On Laying Hold of God’s Promises:
  "Fight the good fight of faith. Stand your ground on what he has told me to do." (17:43)
• On Heritage:
  "The faith that was in your grandmother and the faith that was in your mother is in you. That's one of the first scriptures that I thought I want that said about me." (46:35)
• On Spiritual Living:
  "God needs men and women who will live out of their spirit." — Dr. Sumrall, quoted by Pastor Debbie (33:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• The Standard for Imitation and Responsibility: 01:01–01:50
• Faithfulness Despite Inconvenience & Sacrifice: 02:06–03:30
• Critique of Gimmicks & True Church Building: 06:00–09:12
• The Importance of Our Everyday Example: 10:02–11:08
• Boutique Owner Miraculous Testimony: 12:01–15:37
• How to Qualify (Scriptural Breakdown): 16:43–19:04
• Moving Towards Vision & Drawing Strength From Spiritual Heritage: 19:07–23:39
• Value of Repetition as Spiritual Discipline: 29:27–30:05
• Standing for the Next Generation: 30:34–31:24
• Testimony: Overcoming Offense: 43:37–45:30
• On Spiritual Atmosphere & Hunger: 35:24–37:43
• Pastor Nancy’s Closing Commendation: 48:37–50:28

Conclusion

Pastor Debbie’s message is a stirring call to not only choose wisely who we follow but to live, act, and believe in such a way that others can confidently follow us — at home, at church, and in the workplace. Through humor, heartfelt stories, and biblical wisdom, she exhorts listeners to value spiritual heritage, persist in faith regardless of obstacles, and take seriously the call to be a living example for this and the next generation. As Pastor Nancy summarized: “Know what is being said and know not how just to apply it, but know how to live it and tell it to others and repeat it…” (49:40)

Listen if you want:

• Practical stories of pastoral leadership
• Insight into mentoring and spiritual legacy
• Encouragement to maintain faith and stand firm
• A blend of humor, conviction, and inspiration from a seasoned minister