July 26th, 2009

Announcements• bcbc-sundayschool@googlegroups.com• Class Ministry Team Meetings

– Grow Team – July 30th

– Serve Team – August 13th

• New Care Group Assignments• First class “Grow” function August 15th

• Women’s Ministry Fall Retreat Oct 2&3

Focal Passage

Ephesians 1:3-14Verses 3-6

Verses 7-12Verses 13-14

Ephesians 1:3-6Praise be to the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he

chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus

Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in

the One he loves.

Ephesians 1:7-12In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's

grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[a] made known to us the mystery of

his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in

Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their

fulfillment -

Ephesians 1:7-12to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the

purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14And you also were included in Christ

when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him

with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit

guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are

God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

The Work of the Father

• A pep talk• Gives us spiritual blessings• Chose us to be holy or set apart• Predestined• Adopted• Gives us grace to live our lives

The Work of the Son• Redemption through his blood• Forgiveness of sins through God’s

grace• Wisdom and understanding• Helps us to know God’s will• Bring everything together in Christ• Predestined inheritance• Hope and praise God for his glory

The Work of the Spirit

• Seals our salvation• Marks us as belonging to God• Downpayment• Bring praise

The Work of the TrinityPlanning

AccomplishingSecuring

Salvation

What I mean is this. An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into

touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is

prompting him to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside him. But he

also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through

Christ, the Man who was God - that Christ is standing beside him,

helping him to pray, praying for him.

You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the

thing inside him which is pushing him on - the motive power. God is

also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal. So that the whole threefold life of the

three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little

bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers.

- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Homework

•How you would explain the doctrine of the trinity to someone who wasn’t familiar with it?

•Reflect on how the Trinity impacts your prayer life.