Welcome to the Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship

You are invited to join us for fellowship, coffee, donuts and enlightenment in Rooms 210-212 of the Payne Education Center! The Prime Timers is described as a group in the Prime of Life, ages 50-65, but remember you are only as young or old as you feel. Hope to see you there.

Leaders Skip Maryan and Dr. Bill Moore (and his wife Grace's back) in Pentecost Sunday Red. Dr. Bill is conducting our class for the month of May.

The Good News fund keeps growing.

At the beginning of class for $1 you can join "The Fellowship of the Chicken" and bring us news of your family, or whatever is on your mind.

Richard Cook brought news of his mother's 91st birthday, and that he had completed the St. Martin's Membership 101 program. Your reporter, Marty Smith's, news was that his cousin's daughter, Marilyn, was confirmed into her church, Christ United Methodist Church in Sugar Land. Careful readers know that I put her photo in last week's issue. Now Henny Penny is whole.  I guess I need to promise Skip Maryan that I will work on turning her into an Episcopalian!

From Slave to Heir

Dr. Bill Moore began today's lesson reviewing last weeks material, showing us where Galatia and the cities in Galatia mentioned in the Book were located. Galatia was settled around 259 BC by Kelts and Gauls, rough people who were an "annoyance" in that area until 25 BC, when the King of Galatia gave the entire land to the Romans.

Paul continually fought against the re-emergence of many restrictive laws. He even called called Peter a hypocrite for not eating with the Jewish Galatians. Peter did correct this, and Paul went on to rail against the Judaizers, a Christian sect that still adhered to the Jewish law.

While Paul declared us free of the restrictive Jewish Laws he makes clear that we are not free to do as we please. The freedom of Christ comes with a maturity to know right from wrong. The many laws of the Jews are reduced to the great two: Love God with all your heart and your neighbors as yourselves. The Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) do not need to be spelled out when they are part of your life.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

The Rev. Maurice L. "Rusty" Goldsmith. D.D.
713/985-3831
rgoldsmith@stmartinsepiscopal.org

Co-Leaders

Richard brought news of a 91st birthday!

Your reporter had to get square with Henny Penny.

The Lesson for Sunday, May 22 is titled "Free to Serve"

Key Verses:  Galatians 5:13

Focus of the Lesson:  People have mixed ideas about what real freedom is and how it relates to love. What is the nature of Christian freedom and how does it relate to love? Paul says that our freedom lies not in self-indulgence but in expressing love to others, especially other Christians.

The reading is Romans Galatians 5:1-15. This text is from the New International Version.

   1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

   2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

   7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11 Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.