Fear built the Adventist brand.
Love will have to rebuild it.
For decades, we’ve measured faith by how much we tout the end.
How vigilant we are against sin.
How terrified we are of failing God, the church, or even ourselves.
We’ve become experts at spotting error and sounding alarms.
We patrol doctrine, warn about Babylon, and catalog the signs.
And somewhere along the way, we forgot what faith feels like.
But here’s the truth: God doesn’t want fearful worshippers.
He wants followers who love Him.
Not because they’re terrified of consequences.
Not because they’re desperate to be “good enough.”
But because love transforms hearts, shapes communities, and inspires courage.
Imagine a remnant defined by hope, not anxiety.
A faith that motivates service instead of guilt.
A church that builds bridges instead of walls.
A people whose joy is infectious, whose presence invites, whose mission liberates.
The detox starts small:
• Stop equating doubt with disloyalty.
• Stop confusing discipline with devotion.
• Stop teaching fear as the primary motivator.
Faith can be both serious and joyful.
Serious because it matters.
Joyful because God’s love is stronger than any end-time warning we could ever hear.
Fear built the Adventist brand.
Love will have to rebuild it.
And when it does, the world might actually want to come see what we’ve discovered.
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