Bart Byl on 1 Samuel 7.

Samuel leads Israel to repent and turn fully to God, who thunders from heaven and defeats the Philistines. God calls us to repent: to put away our idols, fix our hearts on the LORD, and serve him only—led by Christ, the greater Samuel, who brings us back home to God.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on Hebrews 2:10-18.

Christ became human in order to deal with sin, death and the devil as our Pioneer. We were trapped in fear and guilt—salvation has come only because God has sent his Son from the outside to seize hold of us and draw us out of sin and death into glory.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on Isaiah 64.

Isaiah cries out, on behalf of Israel, for God to have pity on his sin-enslaved people and come in power. God will answer in a way no one expected—sending his Son in weakness. Jesus comes in total solidarity with us: he takes our uncleanness on himself. He is the priest who rouses himself to lay hold of God on our behalf. By his Holy Spirit he changes us from the inside: we begin to truly desire God. And we look for his mighty coming at the end of history to put us right forever.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on 1 Samuel 6:1–7:2.

God turns out to be just as dangerous to the Israelites as he is the Philistines. His holiness is too dangerous to be mishandled—to approach lightly is death.

“Who is able to stand before this holy God?” Only Christ—and those safely clothed in him. He turns the terrified urge to push God away into joyful confidence to enter boldly into the holy place.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on 1 Samuel 5.

God turns his defeat and capture into a victory tour over the Philistines and their gods. God does not need his worshippers to prop him up: he will make every false god bow to him. So why are we anxiously trying to build his kingdom? 

God is capable of fighting his own battles—nowhere more than in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on 1 Samuel 4.

God would rather let Israel defeated and the ark to be captured to than be coerced by his people. God is sovereign and free, and cannot be controlled by spiritual/religious manipulation. You can’t manipulate God—and you don’t need to.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on 1 Samuel 3.

God takes the first step in national renewal by calling Samuel to speak his word to Eli and to Israel. The word of God speaks in the darkness: are you listening?

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on 1 Samuel 2:13–36.

God has provided his faithful priest to intercede for us: don't treat his sacrifice with contempt.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on Matthew 20:1-16.

The Parable of the Workers challenges the mercenary, wage-obsessed attitude of disciples who feel they deserve more from God, and are resentful about God’s grace toward others. Your reward will be measured by God’s grace, not your effort—and trust me, you want it this way.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bart Byl on 1 Peter 5:6–14.

Peter exhorts his readers to stand firm in faith against Satan, knowing that their future is safe in the hands of God. We are called to trust God in humbling ourselves, casting our anxieties upon God; to be alert and resist the devil’s attacks, and to look beyond suffer to the eternal glory we have in Christ.

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Tbilisi International Christian Fellowship is a Christ-centred family of believers in Tbilisi, Georgia.