Happy New Year from the St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowship Prime Timers!

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 all wish you the very best for this wonderful time of year. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! We are back on a normal schedule starting this coming Sunday, January 7.

The Virgin and Child with St. Anne, by Leonardo da Vinci, 1510.  Oil on Wood at the Louvre, Paris.

St. Martin by Gregorio Fernández, Polychrome Wood at the Diocesan Museum, Valladolid 

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org

Leaders

The Sacrifice of Isaac, by Cigoli, 1607. Oil on Canvas at the Galleria Palatina, Florence.

The Conversion of St. Paul, by Caravaggio around 1600. Oil on cypress wood, Odescalchi Balbi Collection, Rome

The Lesson for Sunday, January 7th is titled "Be Free!"

Key Verse:  John 8:31-32

Focus of the Lesson:  Human beings often seek help when trying to free themselves from destructive behavioral patterns. What source of help is available to us when we seek freedom from sin? John says that we are made free in Jesus, who is from above.

The reading is John 8:31-38, 48-56, 58-59 This text is from the New International Version^®.

Background Scripture:  John 8:31-59

   ³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

   ³³They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

   ³⁴Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."

   ⁴⁸The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"

   ⁴⁹"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

   ⁵²At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. ⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

   ⁵⁴Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. ⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

   ⁵⁸"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" ⁵⁹At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

NIV®