Marie Nicole Zimmerle

What Would Jesus Undo: indifference

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:15‭-‬16

The causes of spiritual indifference

Self sufficiency

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Revelation 3:17

Distractions of this world

but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Mark 4:19

The indicators of Spiritual indifference

1. Being more concerned with impressing people than living for God

2. Being more obsessed with life on earth than eternity

3. Rationalizing sin and living without fearing God

4. Believing in Jesus but rarely sharing my faith.

5. Only turning to God when I need something

6. Only giving when it doesn’t hinder my standard of living

How do I reignite my spiritual fire?

1. Say sorry and turn from your lukewarm indifference

2. Respond to the invitation of Jesus

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Revelation 3:20 N

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How can I Forgive others

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Matthew 18:21‭-‬33‭, ‬35

Forgiveness is not forgetting everything or pretending that nothing happened.
Forgiveness is a generous release of a genuine debt
Forgiveness is a process and a journey, not an event

Steps to forgiveness

Look in the mirror
Stop telling the story
Pray for the one who hurt you
Ask for. Accountability

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

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Forgiveness

How can I fix a broken relationship

1. Handle Anger Appropriately

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Ephesians 4:26

2. Ask forgiveness repeatedly

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
1 John 4:20‭-‬21

3. Offer forgiveness freely

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31‭-‬32

4. Recognize that God holds us responsible for us

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18

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Celebrating the first anniversary of Encouragement Notes

Ten things I’ve learned this year

Know that God creates you, and you only have one purpose, to glorify God. The things we do are the tool we use to serve.
It’s ok to take baby steps, just start moving toward something
Do not label yourself or anyone else in a negative way.
Speak your mind but do it tactfully
Dress up in small ways every day
Education and schooling are two different things. Education is always needed. Schooling is not.
Change will only stick if YOU want it to.
Sometimes you have to go backward in order to go forward in life.
Choose the opinions you take seriously carefully
Don’t be afraid be a late bloomer, at least you’re growing.

First anniversary

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What keep you up at night? Fear

Two kinds of Fear

1. Immediate Danger

2. Imagined Danger

Two things to remember when fear keeps you up at night

1. God is more powerful than any enemy we will ever face

Elisha’s servant

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
2 Kings 6:16

You and me

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

2. God is with us

God’s promise to Moses

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Exodus 3:12

God’s promise to Gideon

When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
Judges 6:7‭-‬9

God’s promise to You and Me

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Two things to do. When fear keeps you up at night

1. Filter what goes into our minds

I will refuse to look at anything vile or vulgar
Psalm 101:3

2. Replace your fearful thoughts with three things

1. Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

2. Scripture

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

3. Action

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9

Memory Verse

In peace, I will lay down and sleep, for you alone; Oh Lord will keep me safe
Psalm 4:8

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What keeps you up at night? Feeling overwhelmed

Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.
Numbers 11:13‭-‬14

Memory Verse

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

God will often allow you to have more than you can handle.

The Gift of too much

If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.
Numbers 11:15‭-‬17

God’s Gift teaches you to

1. Put something down

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41‭-‬42

Too much teaches you to say or instead of And

2. Hand something off

Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
Exodus 18:17‭-‬18

3. Give something to God

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you
Psalm 55:22

Each time God said, ” My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9

Feeling overwhelmed

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Faith That Works: How to face the future

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
James 4:13‭-‬17

To plan or not to plan?

1. God’s Word is pro planning

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 6:6‭-‬8

2. Planning isn’t the problem; it’s the posture of our hearts.

3. The right posture of heart is one that is humble and thankful

Every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows
James 1:17

4. God’s will is more about who we become than where we are

Memory Verse

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NIV

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Keep The Change: A plan for change

Today I found 11 old pages of sermon notes in my room, and I am going to share them on all my platforms, including here

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:21‭-‬27

God calls us to do four things in response to hearing his word

Hear consistently , in order to receive the planted word you have to be planted yourself.

planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
Psalms 92:13

Act immediately

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24

Information is meant to lead to application, and when that happens, the result will be transformation

Speak carefully

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
James 1:26

Serve Regularly

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

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Developing A Heart for God: Finding the Courage to face giants

1 Samuel 17:1-51

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.
1 Samuel 17:1‭-‬4 NIV

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
1 Samuel 17:8‭-‬11

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
1 Samuel 17:32‭-‬37

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
1 Samuel 17:48‭-‬51

Facing Fear With confidence

Find out the facts

Eliminate defeatist thinking

Apply the tools God has given me

Remember God’s help in the past

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalms 20:7

Finding the courage to face Giants

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Answering two questions

I ask my community on social media to ask me questions for a Q and A on my podcast Encouragement Notes. The questions were.

How did you become disabled?

My Answer: I was born 11 weeks early, and I had a brain hemorrhage which caused me to develop hydrocephalus; and when I was one year old, I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. I don’t often think of it as a disability. I believe that that the word disabled should be reserved for things that can not move, like a broken-down car, but not people

What are my favorite tv shows?

I loved Haves and Have Nots on the Own Network. I love Queen Sugar on the own network. I also love Chicago Med Chicago Fire and Chicago PD on Wednesday and The Good Doctor on Monday night.

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