The St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowships welcome you.

Prime Timers is a St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowship (A.B.F.) geared towards people in the Prime of Life, ages 50-64. We meet in the Payne Education Center in rooms 207-209 from 10:15am to 10:50. You are invited to explore the Bible with us in a course authored by the United Council of Churches.

The Prime Timers are studying "Jesus as God's Son." Why don't you join us?

Our readings in June are from Hebrews, its a new lesson plan titled "Images of Christ in Hebrew's." If you can't wait, the reading for next week is at the bottom of this page!

Christ as Intercessor 

Prime Timers always begins by hearing our members Good News. Today George described a fantastic voyage, planned by a twelve year old boy! Johnny is the boy and his father's work takes him all over the world. Currently the father is in Kuala Lumpur and Johnny planned all the "jumps" to Moscow, to Singapore and finally to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. George reports that they arrived safely!

Donn Fullenweider taught the Prime Timers class today on the subject, Christ as Intercessor. As promised last week, Donn brought in art from around the world depicting Chris on his notebook computer. He also brought in the famous image by Warner Sallman that most of us were familiar with. Donn asked the class is there is an image we have in mind when we pray, and this brought about a discussion where most of the class did not have a particular image in mind during prayer, although we certainly have an idea of what we thought Christ looked like.

Introducing our topic today of Christ as Intercessor, Donn reminded us of the various roles Jesus is assigned:  as Intercessor for our sins, as our Redeemer, our Leader, our Teacher, our Healer, our Servant, as the Messiah, as Eternal Christ, as God's son in the Trinity. Before we read the passage from Hebrews for today's lesson, Donn gave us some background on King Melchizedek, who is mentioned twice in the Old Testament.  In Genesis 14:18 "Then Melchizedek king of Salem  brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High," and in Psalms 110:4 "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" Melchizedek is a very high priest and his authority is used to convey the message that Christ is the eternal priest and a guarantor of the covenant.

Donn asked the class how Jesus fit into our lives. Raised a Catholic, Donn admitted he had trouble with concepts like "Christ the King." If Jesus is our redeemer, the Son of Man, how can he be just a King?

Donn concluded class with a prayer.

The Lesson for Sunday, June 15th is "Christ as Redeemer"

Key Verse:  Hebrews 9:12

Focus of the Lesson: People feel a need to be absolved of their wrongdoing. Who can take away our guilt? In Hebrews, we read that Jesus shed his blood for the redemption of humanity.

The reading is Hebrews 9:11-18; 10:12-14, 17-18. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

Background Scripture:  Hebrews 9:11-10:18

   ¹¹When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. ¹²He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

   ¹⁵For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

   ¹⁶In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

   ¹²But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. ¹³Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, ¹⁴because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

   ¹⁷Then he adds:
       "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." ¹⁸And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

NIV