Christ Object Lessons: Teaching in Parables

In Christ's parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly; God was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it was in Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar.

The Scripture says, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; . . . that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Matt. 13:34, 35. Natural things were the medium for the spiritual; the things of nature and the life-experience of His hearers were connected with the truths of the written word. Leading thus from the natural to the spiritual kingdom, Christ's parables [p. 18] are links in the chain of truth that unites man with God, and earth with heaven.

Disconnected: The Real Cost of Digital Poverty

What Is Digital Poverty 

Digital poverty (often described as part of the digital divide) refers to the inability of individuals or households to meaningfully participate in the digital world — not just lacking internet access, but also lacking devices and the skills to use them effectively. It includes gaps in internet connectivity, affordable devices, and digital literacy. It isn’t just about having internet — it’s about whether people can use digital tools to participate fully in modern life. 

Black History Month: Remembering, Repenting, and Restoring

February, Black History Month, and a Call to Christian Reflection

As February marked Black History Month, many across North America paused to remember the suffering, resilience, and achievements of Black Americans. For the church, this month is more than a cultural observance—it is a spiritual opportunity. It invites us to examine our history in light of the gospel, to acknowledge where Christians failed to reflect Christ, and to recommit ourselves to justice, repentance, and reconciliation.

For Seventh-day Adventists, this reflection includes listening carefully to what Ellen G. White wrote about slavery, racism, and the church’s responsibility.

The Ministry of Healing: In the Sickroom

Those who minister to the sick should understand the importance of careful attention to the laws of health. Nowhere is obedience to these laws more important than in the sickroom. Nowhere does so much depend upon faithfulness in little things on the part of the attendants. In cases of serious illness, a little neglect, a slight inattention to a patient's special needs or dangers, the manifestation of fear, excitement, or petulance, even a lack of sympathy, may turn the scale that is balancing life and death, and cause to go down to the grave a patient who otherwise might have recovered.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing: Not Judging, but Doing

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1.

The effort to earn salvation by one's own works inevitably leads men to pile up human exactions as a barrier against sin. For, seeing that they fail to keep the law, they will devise rules and regulations of their own to force themselves to obey. All this turns the mind away from God to self. His love dies out of the heart, and with it perishes love for his fellow men. A system of human invention, with its multitudinous exactions, will lead its advocates to judge all who come short of the prescribed human standard. The atmosphere of selfish and narrow criticism stifles the noble and generous emotions, and causes men to become self-centered judges and petty spies.