Christianity is no different from any other part of life in this respect: there are people who are older than

When we read through the Bible, it doesn’t take long to realise that there are plenty of people that don’t

One of the best known relationships in the Bible is between Jesus and Judas, and for all the wrong reasons.

Even some of the brightest lights of the New Testament got it wrong from time to time. Peter is one

Gentle Jesus meek and mild, the old man in the sky flinging lightning bolts, the God who parted the sea,

We know of so much about Paul from the Bible, a lot of the New Testament is based around Paul and his activities. Barnabas, however, gets comparitively little time and space. Yet we may not have most of the New Testament if it wasn't for him. He was known as an encourager, and took Paul under his wing in Paul's early days. What does it take to be an encourager, and how do those things known as 'Love Languages' fit into the picture?

Paul is one of the central people to the New Testament. Timothy was one of Paul's closest friends, to the point where Paul calls him a brother. Paul's journey is an amazing transformation from persecuter to protector of the faith. He must have been an incredible man to be around and learn from. To experience the dynamic leadership of a giant of the faith must have been life changing. Timothy spent a lot of time with Paul, so what can we learn from their relationship?

We all have fathers. They have all failed and hurt us in one way or another. The Bible has many verses that say something about fathers and fatherhood. But perhaps the most important comes from a passage that we may not connect with this subject. It's from a prayer, a very special prayer, and it starts off with "Our Father...". Jesus knew well what it meant to have an imperfect human father. He also knew what a perfect Heavenly Father is like, and He wanted us to know that the perfect Heavenly Father is there for us too, especially when our human dads miss the mark.

500, 12 and 3. What is the significance of these numbers? They represent the different number of people in the various groups that Jesus taught on a regular basis. The most familiar group is Jesus' 12 disciples. 12 people that the Bible records Jesus choosing specifically - to be the people he taught more closely and also share His life more intimately with. And then there were the 3. From within the group of His 12 disciples, Jesus chose 3 to experience things the other 9 wouldn't. Why? What was the result?

People let other people down all the time. Whether it's accidental or purposeful, the sting of being let down can be hard to forget. Trusting a person that has failed us in the past can be equally difficult. In the book of Philemon, Paul writes to a good friend who has been let down badly by someone who Paul has come to recognise as a changed man. He pleads with his friend Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, asking that he be given another chance; telling of how Onesimus is different. What can we learn from this short, but insightful letter and from Paul standing alongside a friend with a battered reputation?