Jesus and the relational God of love : helping disciples value a more fully Trinitarian journey toward maturity.

Abstract

Rather than being perplexed and giving up on the subject of the Trinity, what if normal, everyday disciples could be helped to cultivate a deeper value for the Trinitarian faith? Jesus and the Relational God of Love seeks to answer that question by laying a biblical and theological foundation of the self-revelation of God in the sending of the Son and the sending of the Spirit. At the center of the New Testament is Jesus Christ and his relationship with his Father in the shared love and communion of the Holy Spirit. Emphasizing the relational nature of God is an important step for helping normal, everyday disciples understand the importance of Trinitarian theology for discipleship and life together in the church. Jesus and the Relational God of Love contends that the long-term impact of a deepening value for Trinitarian worship, community, and mission will be tremendous. The project intervention described in this study helps discipleship school students in a foundational understanding of the Trinity and facilitates reproducing discipleship through an inductive Discovery Bible Study on “The Relational God of Love.” The implications of the project are practical and touch many areas of life including our personal lives, our church life together, our mission to the city, and our mission to the nations. The project represents the potential for a healthy adjustment in our basic view of God and the practical importance of Trinitarian discipleship for the future of the church.