By Larry Young : I sat down to write and our Tuxedo cat named Tiptip jumped up on my lap, demanding immediate love and affection. That got me thinking about all the other six cats and two dogs we have… and even our three children, who at one point or another, were all “discards”, leftovers from…

No Second-Class Members: Building Up the Body of Christ :  By Jon Beaty : Do you remember the first time you were the new kid? I was in second grade. My family had just moved from a noisy apartment in Southern California to a brand-new home in a suburb of Mission Viejo. I was thrilled—no more…

By Larry Young : In Jesus’ Great Commission, he commanded His followers to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16: 15). The gospel (Greek: euangelion) literally means “good news”, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for all sinners, was resurrected, and reigns as King, offering salvation and…

By Jon Beaty : You know the feeling. You wake up determined to honor God—maybe to keep your temper in check, guard your eyes, or trust Him with your finances. Then the day hits. A stressful email, a craving, a moment of fear, and suddenly you’re right back where you started: defeated, discouraged, and wondering…

By Larry Young : Only a few are alive now who were adults during World War II in the 1940’s. In spite of the Korean War and the decades-long Viet Nam war that followed, the Russian cold war era began shortly after World War II in 1947 and ended 2 years after the tearing down…

By Jon Beaty : Many Seventh-day Adventist Christians feel frustrated by division in the church. We argue over our differences in ways that must make Jesus and angels weep as they look on. Deep down, we ask: How can we stay faithful to truth and still get along? The answer comes from an uncomfortable place—the…

By Larry Young : In early 1970’s San Diego, my wife Cheryl worked as a Deputy Sheriff and sworn officer, which was somewhat rare and not appreciated much by her male counterparts in those days. During a vehicle stop in a Hell’s Angel neighborhood, a swarm of the locals suddenly appeared, threatening Cheryl and her male partner. One tried to take Cheryl’s gun from her,…

By Jon Beaty: Instead of offering my own thoughts, I’m offering inspired counsel from EGW, whose words are more finely stated than mine on the topic. — By Ellen G. White : “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no…

By Larry Young : If you have been paying close attention to the world news lately, you know that our nation and Israel are “playing chicken” with a full-scale regional war in the Middle East over Iran and its proxies. What makes this war different from most previous wars is that it is essentially a…

By Jon Beaty : In 1904, two men stood on the deck of a steamboat chugging down the Cumberland River in Tennessee. E.A. Sutherland and Percy Magan weren’t on a vacation; they were on a mission from God to find land for a new kind of school. They had very little money, a massive vision,…

By Larry Young; assisted by “copilot” : There are moments in history when the world seems to tighten, when nations square off, and when ordinary people—people like us—feel the tremor of events far beyond our control. The conflict unfolding between the United States and Iran is one of those moments. It raises questions that aren’t…

By Jon Beaty : A Scary Wedding Mix-Up :: Some people put a lot of effort into making sure they’re dressed for the occasion. Really, everyone should. There may be a dress code. A code is a signal. How we dress is a signal for a lot of things. Among other things, how we dress…

By Larry Young : The constant daily drumbeat of bad news in the media or even the constant flow of Christian warnings we preach and publish can feel overwhelming at times. In a 1976 movie titled “Network”, a revered TV news anchor was overwhelmed by the constant bad news and simply went nuts during his…

By Jon Beaty : You know the feeling. You’ve been a Seventh-day Adventist your whole life, or perhaps for decades. You know the Sabbath. You know the state of the dead. You may even read Adventist Review and watch Hope Channel. You tithe faithfully, show up for Sabbath School, and eat haystacks at potlucks. And…

By Larry Young : There’s one entire subject area that is generally avoided in our church and denomination, and with good cause: demonic activity. I have been told that focusing to any extent on this subject takes our focus off of Jesus and salvation, putting us at risk of being sucked into the very evil…

By Larry Young : Jesus once told a story about a field that looked perfectly healthy at first glance. The farmer planted good seed, tended the soil, and expected a clean harvest. But while everyone slept, an enemy slipped in quietly and scattered tares among the wheat. Nothing seemed amiss in the early days. Wheat…

By Jon Beaty : When someone wrongs us, we naturally focus on what we’ve lost. Our dignity was taken. Our reputation was damaged. We were hurt deeply, perhaps in ways that still echo years later. We hold onto grudges, resentment, and anger because these feelings seem justified by our pain.

By Larry Young : It was just a few years ago that there would only be one or two serious national headlines in a typical weekly news cycle. But now, America’s newsrooms are flooded with serious national and international headlines nearly every day. One such headline broke a week ago Sunday January 18th that caught…

By Jon Beaty : “What the world needs now is love, sweet love…” These lyrics, penned decades ago, still resonate with a truth that echoes through every generation. Our world is fractured by division, loneliness, and broken relationships. Families struggle, friendships fall apart, and hearts ache with isolation. But there’s hope. As Seventh-day Adventists, we…

By Larry Young : Everyone who has come into contact with God has a testimony to share with others. This article is a tribute to my wife Cheryl, who grew up in an identifiably “Adventist” home, but certainly not a true “Christian” home. Cheryl was horribly abused ‘every which way’ from early childhood until she…