• Exposing the Myth (seeker-friendly)
• Living Holy Lives
• Gaining Eternal Perspective
• Relationship Rebuilding
• Trusting God
• Exchanging Fear for Faith
• Prayer:  Intimacy with God
• A Matter of Terminology
• To Speak with Understanding

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Exposing the Myth

What is your view of God like? Do you see God as an impersonal force, or a domineering judge, a doting grandfather or a mechanical distant being? Misconceptions of God can resonate in our minds and cause barriers to knowing a loving God. Join the discussion as we seek to expose myths and find truth.

• What is your image of God?
• How does your image of God affect your trust level of Him?
• Share how well you think you know God.
• Discuss this statement from A. W. Tozer, "What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
• Share some common misconceptions about God.
• How has God revealed Himself to you in the past?
• What are you doing to reach out to God?
• How do you come to personally and powerfully know God?
• What steps do you take to walk with God and live in His presence daily?

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Living Holy Lives

The Bible tells us that John the Baptist had holiness. He was set apart to be a voice of Christ and he lived with great purpose, regardless of his dress or his tactics. He made a great impact on his world. Where we live today, how can we influence those around us with our words and actions? Join the chat as we discuss living holy lives.

• Share your definition of holiness, what does holy living mean to you?
• How does one set herself or himself apart to be a voice for Christ or do a task for Christ?
• Discuss this statement, "You don’t have to be like the world to have an impact on the world."
• How can holiness become an everyday part of your relationships? Your work? Your influence in the community?
• Holiness seeks to be like Jesus, share what changes you would like to make in your own relationship with Him. 
• Living a holy life sets an example to others, how can we encourage those who have fallen away from the faith to live holy lives? 
• Close in a time of prayer asking the Holy Spirit for an infusion of His holiness.

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Gaining Eternal Perspective

Discovering God’s perspective on things can change our point of view and shed new light on difficult situations. True change involves the bold steps of character building and moving out of destructive ruts. Join today’s chat as we encourage one another.

• What is a difficult experience that God has given you to do?
• What things push your heart away from God?
• Remembering back on your spiritual journey, how has God pursued you?
• God is relentless at pursuing us. How does one recognize when our trivial concerns about life get in the way of what concerns God?
• What is God’s perspective when we walk through difficult times?
• Gaining an eternal perspective on our problems helps to recognize God’s point of view, how does one adopt an eternal point of view on a situation?
• Where does determination to change come from?
• Repentance can lead us to defining moments of change. What is true repentance? (2 Cor 7:10.11, James 1:21)
• How does one move beyond the ruts of regret?
• Close in a time of prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to penetrate hearts.

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Relationship Rebuilding

Resentment, hostility or judgmental attitudes are not options to us as Christians. Yet broken or strained relationships can complicate and hinder our lives. Rebuilding relationships is the topic today, join us in chat.

• What drives conflict in a relationship?
• Alienation and antagonism can drive wedges in relationships, what are the root causes of these?
• How can circumstances or strained relationships affect our perspective of God’s sovereignty?
• The joy of our faith may be in jeopardy because of a strained relationship, how does one surrender this to God? 
• What steps are necessary to release control and allow God’s working in relationships?
• How can admitting and repenting of pride bring freedom?
• Rather than fuel resentment in a relationship, how can one have a change of heart and reconcile?
• How is reconciliation the miracle of rebuilding relationships?
• Making a decision to forgive is difficult, how does one do that?
• How was Jesus our ultimate forgiver?
• Close with a time of prayer, asking God to rebuild broken relationships

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Trusting God

Trust in the LORD with all your heart! Trust is vital to any growing relationship, and our relationship with God is no exception. What does trust look like? How does it influence our daily lives and decision making? Is trust even possible when life has thrown you a curve ball, or when someone has deeply wounded you? Can a broken heart learn to trust anyone? Yet we know that trusting God is foundational to a vibrant spiritual life. Join us as we explore the topic of trusting God.

• What does trust mean to you?
• Why is it important?
• How do you show that you trust someone?
• How do others make it evident to you that you are trusted?
• What characteristics do you need to show trust?  What is involved in trusting?
• How do you or have you put your trust in God?  What does that mean to you?
• What hinders or thwarts you in your ability to trust God? 
• What do you sometimes put your trust in besides God?
• How do you increase your trust of God?
• Why should you trust God?
• What do you know about God’s trustworthiness?
• Our circumstances can at times be overwhelming.  How do you continue to trust God in the midst of them?
• What can you do when you struggle in trusting God?
• What difference has it made in your life trusting God?

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Exchanging Fear for Faith

Paralyzing fear and hindering doubt can torment us and prevent us from doing all God wants us to do. Learning to walk in faith assures us that God is larger than anything we will ever encounter. Join us in chat for an encouraging discussion.

• What causes fear in your life?
• What are the affects of fear on your soul? Your mind? Your body?
• How do fear and faith oppose each other?
• Overcoming fear is a spiritual battle, why would this be of importance to acknowledge?
• How can you position yourself and resist attacks from the enemy?
• Read Hebrews 13:5, what does God promise us in this verse?
• Read Psalm 34:4 and share how God has delivered you in past situations.
• How does the Holy Spirit empower us to live boldly?
• Close in prayer asking God to reveal areas of doubt and fear, then claim His faithfulness and love to deliver you.

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Prayer:  Intimacy with God

How is your prayer life these days? Prayer is about intimacy rather than formality, it’s about God inviting us into a greater relationship with Him. Come with a bended knee and submitted heart and let’s turn our cares into prayers!

• What kind of attitude for prayer does God honor?
• Where do you start a prayer?
• How do we focus our attention on who we are praying to?
• Discuss this statement, ‘Our prayers are not so much about influencing God, although that happens, it is about God influencing us.’
• What does 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tell us?
• What does 1 Peter 5:7 instruct us to do?
• How is Luke 18 a story of transformation?
• Discuss hindrances to prayer.
• Share where or when you best get alone with God.
• When do you sense God’s nearness?
• Share something that you would like to do to take your prayer life up to another level.
• Close in a time of adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication to the Lord.

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A Matter of Terminology

Most of us have faced communication challenges of some type. Sometimes it’s sitting in a hospital room as medical professionals are attempting to define a physical problem. It may be at a conference where highly educated professionals speak in what seems a foreign language. It could simply be the confusion of trying to figure out how much you are paying for gasoline in an unfamiliar currency and system of measurement. In any case, the confusion can lead to fascinating conversations about new terms, or it may lead to frustration over the awkwardness of simply not understanding what others seem to understand. In this hour, we’d like to explore the meanings behind some words which are often used in churches and by those who claim to follow Jesus. Let’s attempt to gain greater understanding of some excellent, but often-misunderstood words. Moderator note: For both terminology chats, you may fill in the blank in the following questions with the terms from the list below. Feel free to vary which question you use, and to seek clarification for those who appear lost in the chat. You may also opt not to use all the words on the list for this chat.

• In many churches, you’ll hear the word _________.  What do you think of when you hear this word?
• What other meanings may someone think of?
• How would you explain this word to a young child?
• If someone seems to understand this word in a different way than you intend, how might you clarify?
• Can someone find the dictionary definition for _____?
• How is this word used in everyday conversation?
• Are there additional meanings that you’ve heard?
• How does the Bible use this word?
• Suppose someone asked you, "Could you repeat that again, but this time in plain English?", how might you explain the phrase ______?
• In what way is it used differently by society, than how someone at church may use it? How is it the same?
• What other words could be used instead of this word, if you’re trying to share what you believe and why?
• Is there another word that’s clearer?
• How have you seen this word misunderstood in the chat room?

• Rely on the Lord
• Spiritual warfare
• Bondage to sin and Satan
• Thirst/hunger for God’s Word
• Lord of my life
• Lord’s Supper 
• Holy Spirit-in this age of increased spirituality, we must be careful not to talk about the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost unless we can adequately identify Him
• Loving Fellowship
• I had peace-define the "peace", such as "I felt fulfilled" or "there was a sense of purpoe in my life"
• Christian community
• Blessing, blessed, bless

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To Speak with Understanding

Good communication requires clarity and a common language between a speaker and his or her listeners. Unless we clearly communicate, we are wasting our breath when we try to explain matters of the heart, especially the matters pertaining to life, death and eternity. Join us as we look at a number of words which frequently create misunderstanding in society today. Moderator note: For both terminology chats, you may fill in the blank in the following questions with the terms from the list below. Feel free to vary which question you use, and to seek clarification for those who appear lost in the chat. You may also opt not to use all the words on the list for this chat. 

• In many churches, you’ll hear the word ______.  What do you think of when you hear this word?
• What other meanings may someone think of?
• How would you explain this word to a young child?
• If someone seems to understand this word in a different way than you intend, how might you clarify?
• Can someone find the dictionary definition for _____?
• How is this word used in everyday conversation?
• Are there additional meanings that you’ve heard?
• How does the Bible use this word?
• Suppose someone asked you, “Could you repeat that again, but this time in plain English?”, how might you explain the phrase ______?
• In what way is it used differently by society, than how someone at church may use it? How is it the same?
• What other words could be used instead of this word, if you’re trying to share what you believe and why?
• Is there another word that’s clearer?
• How have you seen this word misunderstood in the chat room? 

• Believer 
• Born Again, reborn, rebirth
• Christian
• Divine appointment, appointment with God
• Faith
• Gospel
• Grace
• Mercy
• Lost
• Redeem, redeemed
• Repent, repentance
• Righteousness
• Save, saved, salvation
• Savior
• Sin Testimony/witness

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