Welcome to the Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship

You are invited to join us for fellowship, fun and food in the the Payne Education building, second floor, room 210-212, from 10:15 to 10:50am every Sunday morning.

Our Mentor, the Rev. Rusty Goldsmith, making a contribution to Henny Penny's fund so that he could put the photo of his new granddaughter in front of the lectern.

Dr. Bill Moore will be leading the class for three weeks in May.

Lots of news from Prime Timers this week!

At the beginning of class anyone can "buy the microphone" for $1 and bring us news of their family, or whatever they want.

This week we heard from not one but two Kurk's. Marilyn told us about one of their granddaughter's being selected as an intern at the George Bush Presidential Library in Austin while George reported that another of their children's adopted son just celebrated his 9th birthday. Charles Givens was doubly happy! First he told us he just got a new job and second was told by his doctor that his leukemia was in remission. The Allen family is going through the trial of a family member with cancer. They described it as a roller coaster, but this week all the signs were good. The Prime Timers are praying with them on this one.

Prime Timers Spring Social--Rescheduled!

The Prime Timers May Day social, scheduled for today, was postponed to another time. Too many conflicts. You can tell its May if your schedule starts to fill up! 

Melissa or John Grant (281-373-0879) are refunding money already contributed. 

Hanging on to God's Good News

Our reading for this week began a month of readings from Galatians, as we continue following Paul's journeys. Jackie Rose began her lesson with historical context. The book was probably written around 55 AD. Galatia is a large area of Asia centering around what is now Turkey. The Galatians are mainly Gentile converts to Christianity, converting largely due to Paul's efforts on an earlier pilgrimage. The problem Paul is addressing in the reading is a false gospel, contrary to the one given to Paul by Jesus.

Paul has returned discovering a series of "conditions" attached to "true" Christians, such as the need to be circumcised and to observe the Sabbath and feast days. This sounds a lot like the rules that Jesus died to free us from, so Paul tells the "churches of Galatia" that the book he brought to them was not of human origin, but received as a revelation from Christ.

Discussion started with George L. describing how today condemnation of false prophesy is turned on its head, with the Christian church, now the established faith and not the "upstart", being condemned.

Jackie asked how the Rev. Larry Gipson's "Seven Habits of Good Christians" would be received by Paul. The general feeling is that while the habits are good, Paul would be suspicious of them if they were allowed to become a checklist of things to do to get right with God. Your relationship with Jesus it one to one.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

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

Co-Leaders

Marilyn had some good news...

and so did George!

Charles is smiling with a new job and a clean bill of health from his doctor.

The Lesson for Sunday, May 8 is titled "Living on Faith"

Key Verses:  Galatians 2:20

Focus of the Lesson:  People tend to treasure acts of grace that are extended to them by others. Where do we encounter such acts of grace in the church? Paul says that God has already given us the greatest grace possible through the gift of Christ.

The reading is Romans Galatians 2:15-3:5. This text is from the New Revised Standard Version.

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17 But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Galatians 3:1-5

1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! 2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4 Did you experience so much for nothing? —if it really was for nothing. 5 Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?