Welcome to the Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship

It all happens in the Payne Education Center, second floor, rooms 210-212. You are invited to join us for fellowship, enlightenment, coffee and donuts! Hope to see you there.

Dr. Bill Moore and wife Grace. 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.

From our caring ministry, Max Kech brought news that on May 5, 2005 she was blessed with a new great nephew, David. 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.

This week, in addition to being Mother's Day, is the day that the Church Photograph is taken, so all the A.B.F.'s were shortened to make time for everyone to get in the picture.

Justification by Grace thru Faith

Dr. Bill Moore began today's shortened lesson showing us where Galatia and the cities in Galatia mentioned in the Book were located. He noted that most of the cities Paul mentions are in the South, and that it is most likely that Paul never made it to the Northern territories. Galatia was settled around 259 BC by Kelts and Gauls, rough people who spoke a different language than Paul. They 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 dealing with certain Gentiles. Peter did correct this, and Paul went on to rail against the Judaizers, a Christian sect that still adhered to the Jewish law. These people even suggested that Paul was not a real apostle, although James, John and Peter thought otherwise.

The title of this section describes the theme of the readings today, and much of Paul's teaching: (Galatians 2:20) "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."

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

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

Co-Leaders

Max Kech had some very good news

Your reporter had some good news as well.

The Lesson for Sunday, May 15 is titled "From Slave to Heir"

Key Verses:  Galatians 4:4-6

Focus of the Lesson:  In general, societies have laws to ensure that everyone is treated well. The Bible affirms that God's law was given to help people know how to live according to God's will. What hope do we have when we are unable to follow God's law as we should? Paul says God has released us from life under the law by sending Christ to make us true children of God.

The reading is Romans Galatians 3:19-29; 4:4-7. This text is from the New Revised Standard Version.

19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4:4-7

4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.