I am sure you have never experienced the Scriptures in quite this way before.
I work hard to portray the Apostle Paul as a real person
with intense passion, deep emotion and clear thought.
These presentations are up close, personal, powerful and prayerful.

Here are 3 reasons why I want you to see
"Paul in Chains":

Reason #1 "Experience, Encounter and Engage"

There are many excellent Bible teachers. There are superb communicators on Christian radio. There are gifted preachers who can expound the Scriptures and present compelling expository sermons. They all help us understand and apply God's Word to our lives and for this I am grateful.

My aim is different: I want to help you "experience" the letters of Paul, and "encounter" the Apostle amid his joys and sorrows, and to "engage" with the Holy Spirit as you relate to Paul's desires and struggles.

Reason #2: "Context and Flow"

People rarely hear Paul's letters from beginning to end without interruption. They break into passages and read a few verses at a time; perhaps in their daily devotions. A preacher will almost never preach an entire book of the Bible in one sermon. He or she will dissect it verse by verse and even word by word.

My aim is different: I want you to hear the letter in context, from the first word of greeting to the last word of benediction. I want you to follow the flow of thought without regard to the artificial divisions of chapters and verses. I want you to hear Paul in the context of his suffering, his surroundings, his aspirations and his community.

Reason #3: "Up Close and Personal"

Paul did not "write" his letters. He dictated them. He spoke his thoughts out loud and a friend would transcribe them onto parchment. In this way, I am thinking that listening to Paul compose a letter was much like listening to him preach. Paul was not a word smith, meticulously crafting and shaping each thought and sentence. He spoke spontaneously as the Spirit gave him insight and passion.

Originally Paul's audience did not "read" his letters. They heard them. They would gather as a community. A church member would open the parchment and read the letter out loud, from beginning to end. Many in the congregation who knew Paul personally would pick up on the cadence of his voice and possibly imagine him standing in their midst again.

My aim is different: I want to make eye-to-eye contact with you, to make a personal connection between you and Paul. Paul knew his friends and they knew him. I want you to come to know Paul, so that your acquaintance with him might inspire you to follow his example and strive to know Christ just as he did.