"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." (Galatians 4:4-6)

On Sunday morning, the children were learning about the Triune God.  The reason we believe in the Trinity, is because that's how God has revealed Himself to us - the Trinity showed up.  What God has done in history, reflects who God is in eternity.  In the Old Testament, God promised that He would return to dwell with His people and save them from their sins.  Then in the New Testament, Jesus arrived announcing that He was God the Son, having been sent by God the Father.  Then before His Ascension, He promised to send Another to be with us - the God the Holy Spirit.  That's who descended and baptised the believers at Pentecost. 

Naturally this raises a question: How can God be both ONE and THREE?  We all know that 1+1+1 does not equal 1!  Well, that's why it's important to understand which question the Trinity answers.  If you are asking: What is God?  or How many Gods are there?  Then the answer is ONE.  But if you are asking: Who is God?  Then the answer is He is the eternal Father who has eternally begotten the Son, whom eternally breath forth the Spirit.  God is one in essence but three in persons - in other words "God is love".  You couldn't say if that God had inhabited eternity alone - how could a single person God be love when there was nothing and no one to love?!  However, the fact that the Father has eternally loved His Son and that love is shared with the Spirit - that explains why God is full of love that cascades out and down to us.

The gospel is Trinity shaped: God the Father so loved this world that He sent His Son to be our Saviour and together they poured out the Holy Spirit to share with us all that Jesus has done for our salvation. 

The Christian life is Trinity shaped: we are adopted as children of God the Father, through faith and union with Jesus the Son, who shares His eternal life with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We could go on to think about how creation, mission, prayer, worship, so much else is Trinity shaped... but for now let's pause to pray to the God of triune Wow, Wow, Wow...

• Pray for God to continue His work in the lives of the parents and children who have attended City Tots over the last 14 years, receiving a taste of God's love and hearing stories from the Bible.
• Pray for God to be drawing people to Himself, as the Discovery Bible Study resumes tomorrow morning and the Christianity Explored Course starts tomorrow evening.
• Pray for the many Christian students preparing to leave home for the first time in the coming days and arriving in our city - pray that they will find a good church home and make good choices away from home.