If your days were clearly numbered, what would you write in a letter to your family and friends?

Well, that's precisely the assignment that Paul was given.

Chained in a Roman dungeon, abandoned by his allies and maligned by his enemies,

Paul wrote a blazing letter of hope, courage, and purpose.

Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall shows us how Paul's dungeon talk offers the ultimate

blueprint for how to deal with adversity. Teaching from 2 Timothy chapter 1, Chuck titled his message,

Shackled, Deserted, but Still Undaunted.

Paul is unwebbing in the last few hours of his his life and he's reflecting back to those earlier days.

And he said, for this reason, I remind you, verse six,

Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.

Verse seven, for God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of discipline.

Verse 8, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me, his prisoner.

This is the first of the five references to his being a prisoner.

Join me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.

Verse 13, don't be careless with the truth that's been

invested in your life, Timothy. Retain the standard of sound words. Verse 14, guard the treasure.

This seems to set Paul off into a series of exhortations, and I can count six of them in the second chapter.

The first one is in verse one. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Timothy, preach grace,

live grace. Be strong in grace. Second, be faithful to deposit the truth in others. That's verse two.

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust these to

faithful men who will be able to teach others also. I call this the relay of truth. Paul got it from the baton of another. Paul took the baton

and gave it to Timothy. Timothy takes the baton and hands it off to others. Timothy, don't drop the

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