Its the St. Martin's Prime Timers Web Presence.

You are invited to join us each Sunday in the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, in between the 9 and 11am services from 10:10 to 10:50. We are studying the gospel of John with teacher/parishioner Ben Welmaker. This coming Sunday, January 28 the Annual Parish Meeting will be at 10:15am in Bagby Parish Hall, preempting class, but come back February 4th. The readings will still be updated here!

Ben Welmaker is our Prime Timer teacher for January.

Prime Timer News

Former Prime Timer leader Jackie Rose will speak to the Daughters of the King at their monthly meeting on Saturday, February 3 at 10:00am in Rooms 210-212 of the Payne Education Center. This was our classroom when Jackie led the Prime Timers! Everyone is invited to hear Jackie speak on Seminary — What Was I Thinking? Reflections of a Second Year “Mature” Female Student.

The Prime Timers allow time at the beginning of each class to hear members Good News. Linda Thompson is celebrating her Fortieth Wedding Anniversary. Bill Shepherd reports his son just got married and that his wife will finally be moving to Houston. The Shepherd's are recent transplants from Connecticut. Lynn Swofford has a twenty-three year old daughter in Nairobi, Kenya. If you've been following the news in that area you know that the Ethiopians recently removed Muslim radicals from Somalia (next door to Kenya) and that many feared that Al-Qaeda operatives might move into Kenya. Lynn heard from her daughter and she is ok.

Lasting Results

Ben Welmaker began class by asking us what is the Bread and Drink Jesus is talking about in today's reading. He answered that its salvation, or the grace of God. Jesus says He will keep you and never drive you away; He will keep you and raise you up on the last day; and it is the will of the Father that those who look to the Son will have eternal life.

George Laigle mentioned how we have to eat and drink and Jesus is using this metaphor to emphasize the importance of the spiritual side of life. As we accept Jesus into our lives His saving grace can make significant changes to our lives, reordering all other needs, and bringing things into perspective.

Ben decried the frantic search many of us pursue in search of entertainment, happiness and self-fulfillment. Jesus' peace can help us realize that the search is ended, giving us calm and the peace of knowing who we are, how we are supposed to act, what our values are and where we are going.

Jesus grace makes the difference between having a context in which to live and the chains of living without meaning.

Ben concluded by tying together our last three weeks lessons with the "key verse" from our lesson plan. (Its always highlighted in bold in the reading on this site.) We started with John 8:31-32 "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  Being free from sin is the source of the deepest joy and meaning that a human can experience. Jesus message is not political, he addresses the issues of the human heart. Ben reminded us that it is not truth alone that sets you free!

Then we read John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." This highlights the special relationship between God the Father and Jesus. We can make our Christian belief work in our lives by following the Seven Christian Habits, reproduced here on the right column.

Ben then read our intercessory prayer and dismissed the class.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org

Leaders

Our Rector, the Rev. Larry Gipson made a promise to dress up like a chicken and cluck if the church made its pledge goal by the end of the year. Well, guess what, we made the goal! Larry is standing with Lee Hunnell (she's on the right).

Just after the 11am service this Sunday the clouds parted, leaving this beautiful view.

Seven Christian Habits:

1.  A personal, intimate relationship (through the Holy Spirit) with God as He is revealed in Jesus Christ in which I believe and trust in Him and His love for me and for my salvation in this life and the life to come.

2.  Daily personal prayer and weekly worship of God in His Church by which I receive the renewal of my emotional-spiritual energy which I need to live my life.

3.  Regular study of the Bible to understand how God has related to His people and what His will has been.

4.  Adjusting my will to the will of God for me as revealed in Scripture, prayer, worship and my relationship with Him.

5.  Service (which is ministry, which is love, which is doing good to God, others and self):

a. At home to family and friends.
b. At work to co-workers.
c. At Church.
d. In the world, especially by leading others to God in Christ.

6.  Fellowship (renewing relationship) with Christian people.

7.  Stewardship of my resources:

a. Of my relationships.
b. Of my time and talent.
c. Of my money, giving to God and His work my tithe (as I calculate it).

The Lesson for Sunday, January 28th is titled "Overcoming Darkness"

Key Verse:  John 8:12

Focus of the Lesson:  The fear or avoidance of darkness is a common experience for many people. Is there any light available that can dispel the spiritual darkness in which so many people find themselves? John says that the light Jesus provides reaches into areas that are out of bounds for physical light.

The reading is John 8:12-20; 12:44-46. This text is from the New International Version^®.

   ¹²When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

   ¹³The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."

   ¹⁴Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. ¹⁸I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

   ¹⁹Then they asked him, "Where is your father?"

"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." ²⁰He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.

John 12

   ⁴⁴Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

NIV®