Hello All!

Hey Everybody!

Our crew has been traveling a lot over the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago we spent the better part of a week in Atlanta, GA at the Catalyst conference. I love that conference because of the variety of speakers (who do not always agree with each other). They really help me consider some different perspectives. As a team, we are still very much in the "processing" stage (and I'm sure this will produce some interesting blogs).

We appreciate your being patient with us as we have not had a new post in quite a while, but we will have more to come in the near future!

Dave

Busy Week

Hey All,

Just a quick note - this has been a busy week for us, so we have not made any posts. Next week is looking pretty "rough" as well, but please continue to check back.

Poll Results - How Many Very Close Friends

Out last poll question was - How many very close friends do you have?

The results:

None = 8%;
1-5 = 75%;
6-10 = 8%;
11-15 = 0%;
16-20 = 8%; and
over 20 = 0%

These results were about what I expected. I think it reveals two things. One, we often do not have many "close friends". Studies have shown that it is difficult to maintain truly close relationships with more than just a handful of people.

Secondly, we are becoming more and more of an isolated society. While we are wired for only so many relationships, I think we often use this as an excuse not to risk having many (sometime "any") relationships at all.

What I've learned is when I do take the risk and let people get closer to me, I benefit tremendously. So, if you're feeling isolated, why not take some time to consider making some new friends. They won't all become your best friends, but your life will be richer because of your new relationships.

Gathering this weekend

Hello Everyone!

While we have some heavy weather headed our way, at this time it does not look like it will reach us until Sunday night. So, we are still planning on meeting at Newport News Park at 1:00 pm (Shelter #3).

This weekend we will have hot dogs and a more casual (it's hard to believe we can be more casual, but we will be) day with Justin leading our conversation at 1:00 pm.

If you're local, we hope to see you there! Bring the family and make a day of it at the Park!

Getting Along

Anne Lamott – “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out God hates all the same people you do.”

Labor Day

It's kind of ironic to have a holiday called LABOR Day. One thing I've been thinking about recently is how hectic my life can get in a very short amount of time. In John Ortberg's book Everybody's Normal Till You Get To Know Them, he writes...

"Maybe the biggest single barrier to deep connectedness is simply the pace of our lives. If you think you can fit deep community into the cracks of an overloaded schedule – think again."

He is soooooo right. I'm embarassed by the number of times I think about stopping by to see someone, or picking up the phone to call, or jotting a quick e-mail -- but never do.

If you feel the same way, why not take some time on this Labor Day weekend and see if you can't SLOW DOWN just a little and enjoy the day of rest - maybe you'll find a few minutes to connect or reconnect with others (you'll be glad you did!).

Admin Stuff

Hello All! A few administrative things.

First, our new poll is up on the left side of the screen.

Second, if you want to leave a comment and do not already have a blog account, click the comments button at the bottom of the blog, type in your comment in the box that comes up, below the comment box you have three choices of how to post - click "Anonymous", then click the "Publish" button. You can sign your name within your comments or remain totally anonymous.

NOTE: All comments are moderated so your comments will not appear on the blog until they have been read and approved, but you will get a message at the top of the page saying your comments have been sent to the Moderator.

Finally, my (Dave's) mom got on me for always using "Hi GUYS" in my greeting. As I explained to her - this is a gender-neutral "guys". I'll try to do better, but if I don't, know we are all inclusive :-).

Dealing with Gossip

This week we turn our attention to building life-changing (healthy) relationships with each other.

Dave's dog "Bo" makes a guest appearance...

Previous Poll Results

Our previous poll asked: Do you think God wants a personal relationship with you?

Results:

Oh, Yeah! = 85%
I hope so = 15%

Back at the Park This Sunday

We'll be out at Newport News Park again this Sunday (August 26th) at 1 pm in Shelter #3. Dave will be talking about "building life-changing relationships with Each Other."

If you're in the area, we hope you can join us!

We're having trouble getting videos to post, so please check back again soon.

Taking Time to Pray

Brian makes his video blog debut today with some great thoughts about taking time out to get to know God better through prayer.

God-in-the-Box

Are you good enough?

More Blogs Soon - I Hope :-)

Hi All,

We're having some technical difficulties getting our video blogs up. Please check back again soon.

Dave

Loving YOUR God

For the next two weeks we'll be focusing on how we can build a life-chaniging relationship with God. Justin, gets us started by talking about what it means to have relationship with YOUR God.

Poll Results - Do You Believe God Exists?

Our last poll results:

Do You Believe God Exists?

Yes - Without a Doubt (84%)
Umm - probably (0%)
Well, I'm not sure (0%)
No way (0%)
I Really Don't Care (17%)


Our new poll is up on the left side of the screen.

Is there a visible image of God?

This post will help us get ready for this weekend's Gathering @ The Park.


We'd love to here your stories about how you have been able to see God in creation these past two weeks. Please either post a comment with your story or you can e-mail them to dave@relevantcc.com.

New Poll

Check out our new poll feature on the left side of the page.

We'd love to know your answer!

/D

The Truth of God Revealed in Creation

This post will be easier to read than just hear, so no video today. Take a few minutes to read Psalm 19:1-4 below and ponder all we've talked about for the past week and a half.

New Living Translation - NLT:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world.

The Message Paraphrase - MSG:

God's glory is on tour in the skies,

God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

Madame Day holds classes every morning,

Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren't heard,

their voices aren't recorded,

But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God Created People

In our last post we talked about how God reveals who He is through nature (His creation). This post we are going all the way back to the very beginning (Genesis 1). In verse 27 we learn that God created you and I in His image. A few verses later (verse 31) we read that God said it was "very good."

So, in this post we're discussing how God can reveal who He is through other people.

As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments via the comment button at the bottom of this post.

Does God Exist?

We'd love to know your thoughts and reactions. Please feel free to use the "Comments" button at the bottom of this post to give us your thoughts.


This week we started with a very basic question – does God exist?

We took some time to explore the world around us to see if we can learn more about God. The verse we looked at was Romans 1:20 which says, “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature.”

As the group I was with took some time to look closely at the things around us, the details of creation really reveal the fact there must be a Creator. The latest title has been “Intelligent Design” which leads to the obvious - if there’s an intelligent design there must be an intelligent designer.

The last part of Romans 1:20 says this, “So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” That’s a pretty strong statement, but the point is clear – creation does reveal a Creator. We call the Creator “God”.

As you go through your day take some time to slow down and look around and see how God is revealing who He is through His creation.

Welcome!

Welcome to Relevant's blog!

We are currently meeting every other week at Newport News Park (for more details please visit our website http://www.relevantcc.com/).

In between our gatherings we will post verses and thoughts that relate to the previous Gathering's topic. You are welcome to leave comments and your own thoughts. All comments are moderated so they will not all appear on the blog but every one of them will be read.

Thanks for joining the journey of Becoming Relevant!