Welcome to the St. Martins Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship web page!

We meet each Sunday from 10:10am to 10:50 in rooms 207-207 of the Payne Education Center. We have coffee, donuts, fellowship and the Book of Acts waiting for you.

Class began today with the sad news of member Paula Chandler, who lost her fight with cancer this past week. Our thoughts and prayers go to her husband Jim.

Prime Timer News

For the rest of this year, the only weeks we will NOT have class are December 11, when all the ABF's will be combined for a special talk, and Christmas and New Years days, falling this year on Sunday!

Prime Timers Halloween Party!

How long has it been since you were at a Prime Timers Party? Well, that's too long! Prime Timer teacher Skip Maryan and his wife Caroline are graciously hosting this years Halloween Party on Saturday, October 29 at 7pm. More details will follow, but you can RSVP to Caroline at 713-974-1490, or by email to maryanfamily@earthlink.net Please reply by October 25. Bring a dish and your favorite wine or other beverage.

Good News!

Henny Penny is our Good News chicken. For a $1 donation you get to tell us the Good News about what's happening in your or your family's life!

Our leader, Jackie Rose, started this segment with thanks for the health of her husband, Robert. He's been through the wringer with health problems and it was a wonderful sight to see him walking confidently into class.

Richard Cook described how his 91 year old mother went through three heart procedures at once and came through the whole thing beautifully!

George Kurk gave thanks for his children and the health of his wife Marilyn, who continues to recover from a bad head injury resulting from a fall earlier this year.

Mary Cook, Richard's wife, then reported it was his birthday!

And finally a very happy Anna Jeffrey gave thanks for two shoes! After having to wear a "boot" for several months due to an injury, today she was able to wear normal shoes again.

Interpreting the Word.

Today's lesson has Philip, one charged by an angel of the Lord with bringing the Good News to people south of Jerusalem, encountering an Ethiopian eunuch who was puzzled by the Scripture he was reading.

Ethiopia was a much larger territory in biblical times than today, encompassing the area below Egypt to the junction of the White and Blue Nile river. The eunuch was in charge of the treasury of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians.

He was reading the Song of the Suffering Servant, (Isaiah 53:7-8), and asked what it meant. If Philip were a Jew he would have told him that what was suffering was Israel, but being a Christian he told the eunuch that the one suffering was Jesus Christ and that he suffered to forgive everyone's sins. The eunuch asked to be baptized right there, and Philip did.

This story shows how the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem led to the church exploding past all borders, and how we are all charged with bringing the Good News to others. Even a eunuch could be baptized.

Skip then described how you can get new insights from reading the Bible over and over. Others in the class agreed and suggested that in some cases God is bringing the understanding that you need at the moment. Reading the Bible with someone else can give a fresh perspective. There are also many learned Bible commentaries available to help with understanding.

Jackie Rose then led the class in our healing prayer.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

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

Leader

Leader Jackie Rose introduces October teacher Skip Maryan to the group.

A very welcome sight, Leader Jackie Rose with husband Robert.

Richard Cook brought good news about his 91 year old mother.

George Kurk celebrated his wife's recovery.

Mary Cook celebrated her husbands birthday!

 The Lesson for Sunday, October 23rd is titled "Breaking the Gospel Barriers"

Key Verse:  Acts 10:19-20

Focus of the Lesson:  People of all nationalities need to know that God loves them. How can messengers of God's love overcome their resistance to carry the good news to people who are different from themselves? Peter received a vision that helped him overcome his own cultural and religious hesitations to share the good news with all, and God gives us the power to break down our own resistances.

The reading is Acts 10:1-20. This text is from the New International Version.

   1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"

   4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.

   The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

   7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

   9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

   14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

   15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

   16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

   17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

   19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

NIV®