Sterling Griggs

Jesus Christ is the absolute center of the universe (sorry to all those scientists who believe the universe doesn't have a true central point).  And unless Jesus rose from the grave after His death then that means that not only is there no center of the universe but life itself has no meaning.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important and crucial event in the history of mankind. 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 best explains why the resurrection of Jesus is so essential.  As Easter Sunday is upon us, consider these facts before you put on those pastel colored clothes and don those funny looking hats: If resurrection is not possible, then Jesus didn't rise from the grave If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, then your faith has nothing to stand on If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, then our witness about Jesus has been a big fat lie If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, then your faith is worthless If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, then you are sti...

It just so happens that part of my Bible reading today was in Matthew 27:27-44 where Jesus is on His way to the cross.  Here's a summary of what happens in this passage: Jesus is stripped and then clothed in scarlet, given a crown of thorns, handed a reed as a scepter, and made a mockery of by soldiers who facetiously bow down to Him as their king while spitting on Him and beating Him with their fists. After Jesus is nailed to the cross the soldiers gamble for His clothing as He hangs there naked and brutalized. They hang a sign over His head that reads "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS" as His indictment for a crime that He never committed. Those who pass by at the foot of the cross yell insults at Him and mock Him all the more, challenging Him so save Himself if He truly is the Son of God. Then to add insult to injury, the two criminals who are flanked on either side of Jesus on their own crosses taunt Him in mockery. It is at this point that, if I were in that...

This morning I did something that was both difficult yet exhilarating at the same time: I resigned my position at my church effective May 2.  For the past few years I've been wrestling with what God's next move would be for my life and since the end of this past summer I really began to seek that answer in earnest.  God made it clear to me that I needed to trust Him with a sense or reckless abandon, something that I wasn't all that great at doing.  I'm a practical kind of guy and walking away from one ministry without having another one to walk into just didn't seem to make sense.  But this is exactly what God was calling me to do. My heart is in teaching and preaching and I have had a strong desire to look into church planting.  Ever since God placed this decision on my heart He has confirmed these desires in my life and has begun to provide opportunities to fulfill those desires.  In the meantime, I will be investigating church planting options and seek...

I simply can't get enough of this guy right now.  Many people have already discovered this guy and I realize I am late to hop on that boat, but I am paddling as hard as I can with both oars.  I had no idea that communist Russia in the 1970's was this joyful and happy.

Few things are more intriguing to me than blood.  Think about it: the average human body has between 4-5 liters (more if your are a big guy, less if you are on the small side).  A person can lose up to 40% of his blood and still survive.  You can donate your blood for the benefit of someone else and after a short time your body produces more blood to make up for what you lost.  Many are squeamish when it comes to blood and the very sight of it has often brought a strong man to his knees. Earlier today my wife took our youngest daughter Emme back to the doctor for yet another visit.  This poor little girl has been sick on and off since January.  She's had multiple ear infections and strep throat, but this time none of those are the issue.  Now she is running high fevers and has really swollen glands and as a result the doctor ordered blood work at the clinic right next door.  Unfortunately the phlebotomist couldn't not find a suitable vein for dr...

I'm not nearly into politics as I used to be, mainly because I couldn't handle the level of frustration that it brought me nor did I enjoy sifting through all the chaff to find the beans of truth.  I would imagine that there are more opinions about the new health care bill that just passed last night than there are possible combinations of winning lottery numbers. I have not kept up with the debate as avidly as I probably should have (see above for my reasoning) yet now that it seem to be a "done deal" I feel like I owe it to myself to investigate what it all means not just to the average American but to my family as well.  One thing I do feel pretty strongly about is the amount of access that governmental institutions have to run our lives for us.  I don't have a problem paying taxes or obeying basic laws, but what I do struggle with is the notion that so many hold dear that the government is the answer to all of our problems. Social programs play a huge role...

We aren't one of those families that is a slave to the calendar with multiple ballgames, recitals, play dates, etc., going on every single day of the week, but we are a pretty busy bunch with church activities, school and homework, dance class once a week for the girls, a son whose role it is to physically exhaust us, and all of the quality sports and LOST that has to be watched on my HD TV.  So during the course of normal day there isn't a whole lot of down time.  But when there is free time, it can be a struggle to figure out how to spend it.  Do I read a book, watch TV, work on a personal project, or fill out an extra set of NCAA brackets?  I want to make the most of every minute of every day and make sure that whatever I do brings honor to God.  Ephesians 5:16 tells us that we are to be about "making the most of the time, because the days are evil."  This tells us that whatever time we have on our hands, whether it's a few minutes or the better part...

Being the father of four kids, there are lots of funny things that they do each day that I could write about (but you would probably be annoyed if I did that all the time).  Everyone once in a while something profound will come out of their little mouths that I have to share, and last night I heard perhaps the most profound words to ever come from the mouth of a 3 1/2 year old boy. My only son Deacon was really wanting to get the attention of his 7 year old sister and he wouldn't let up.  Eventually, she retreated to the sanctuary of my bedroom where she thought she could hang out and get a little break before it was time for bed.  Deacon, of course, followed her and she tried to shut him out of the room.  When he opened the door to try to get in, she slammed it and his little hand got mashed in the opening (thankfully it was just a little bit bruised).  When we learned (and heard) what happened we sent our daughter up to her room and tended to Deacon's injury...

One of the down sides of having a blog is that there can be all this pressure to write new blog posts on a regular basis.  I have friends that have started blogs only to leave them desolate for months and even years at a time.  Then there will be period of "conviction and repentance" when they commit to give their all to blogging again, a commitment that they only honor for a short time before they fall off the blogging map of the world once again. I enjoy updating my blog and I try to do it at least a couple of times a week.  The mass of hoarding fans that follow me demand no less :).  Yet there are times when, if I've gone more than my usual amount of time between posts, I feel that same pressure to put something on here that is both witty and challenging.  This is one of those times where I didn't necessarily think I had a specific thing that I wanted to write about, yet I did have a strong desire to write. Then my personal study led me to write about somet...

How do you respond when someone offends you?  I'm big on respect and when I see blatant displays of disrespect it bends me all out of shape.  Then there are times when someone may heap praise upon you when you weren't expecting it.  Do you blush and become embarrassed or do you bathe in the limelight, soaking it all in? How have you responded when you've gone through a life-changing event or experience?  When I had my open heart surgery in 1996 to receive new heart valves, I was grateful to be alive and considered myself blessed to now have a heart that was healthy.  My second oldest daughter Reynolds was born with what doctors told us was a blood clot in her brain.  We and thousands of others prayed through the night and when the MRI was done again the next day there was no clot to be found.  My response was one of utter joy and praise to God for healing my little girl. If you've ever been through a similar life-altering event then you know what I...

These are 132 pound bags of green (unroasted) coffee beans from Ethiopia and Uganda. These beans will be roasted, packed in one pound resealable bags, and sold by 521 Coffee Co. Proceeds will be used to help the less fortunate in places like Uganda. Medicine will be purchased for the sick, food will be given to the hungry, education will be provided for children, and the gospel will be proclaimed do that the lost may find life in Christ. Ministry doesn't always look like four walls and a steeple. In fact, it rarely does. When I see these large burlap bags I see hope and an avenue to truth. Soon www.521coffee.org will allow you to be a part of this exciting ministry. Plus, you'll get to enjoy some really great coffee.

  What you see here is the new logo for 521 Coffee Co., my newest venture into the coffee roasting scene.  The name comes from 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He became sin who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  This verse overwhelms me.  Jesus didn't just take my sin; He became my sin on my behalf so that He could pay the penalty for my sin.  He didn't owe the penalty, I did, but He paid it so that He might present me to God as righteous and blameless.  What does this verse have to do with coffee?  Absolutely nothing.  But it's my favorite verse and when people ask me what 521 means then I have another opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. The coffee beans are on the way and will be roasted soon.  The website has an address (www.521coffee.org) but isn't built yet.  Soon, very soon, you will be able to order fresh roasted coffee from Uganda and Ethiopia and the proceeds will be used to help m...