ome people dismiss stories as so much fluff, just a lot of empty calories that spoil your appetite before the main course is served. Yet it's the illustrations that are remembered after a sermon's main points have long been forgotten.

The vehicle Jesus chose for most of His teachings about God's kingdom was stories-parables, to be precise. That's because stories have a timeless quality about them. The characters, times, and situations may change, but the overriding principles remain the same. The stories of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-36), the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:23-35), and the lost son (Luke 15:11-31) speak to twenty-first-century audiences every bit as much as they did to those who heard them 2,000 years ago.

That's why communicating stories is so important in transmitting faith. We tell stories of Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, and others, not because they were perfect role models, but because the struggles they faced were the same as ours are today. The stories of James and Ellen White, Joseph Bates, Uriah Smith, John N. Andrews, and other Adventist pioneers remind us of the principles and values that make our movement so vital and dynamic.

In this special issue the Adventist Review celebrates personal stories (testimonies, if you please) of God's activity in peoples' lives. Stories about insights realized, spiritual growth experienced, opportunities for discipleship and nurture- given and received. These are stories from real life, stories with a future. For as long as they're told, they remind us that in ways both small and great, we're being led by God's Spirit.