Sterling Griggs

Have you ever heard of the association game called Seven Degrees of Separation ? The way we played when I was younger was that we would try to figure out how closely we were connected to the actor Kevin Bacon (think of the movie Footloose – go 1980’s!). Usually you could associate yourself with the actor within seven degrees (steps) or less. Here is an example of how this might look: 1)     My brother went to at college in North Carolina 2)     He had a good friend that moved to New York to become an actor 3)     While in New York, my brother’s friend got a job as a waiter 4)     One day, he waited on Kevin Bacon’s father Within 4 simple steps I have now become “connected” to Kevin Bacon. Almost everyone could find a loose connection to Kevin Bacon by playing this game. With God, the believer in Christ maintains a connection that is far stronger and much more real than any connection he could claim to an actor he has nev...

The other day I spoke with a woman who seemed to be bound up with concern.  When I first saw her she seemed to be rather preoccupied, but I chose not to dig into her business because, quite honestly, I thought maybe that's how she normally was.  But then she stopped me to ask a serious question: "What do you think about ______________ and his view of salvation?" I am not going to reveal the identity of this person about whom she was asking because I have found his writings and teachings to be very helpful and beneficial for the kingdom.  But someone else in her life, a friend who was trying to push her in a new direction, was using this person's interpretation of Scripture and twisting them so that, if you did not hold to it as they did, then she believed you do not know Jesus.  Seriously, that is what she was told. As our conversation progressed I began to feel the blood rising in my face and my anger starting to simmer.  I have many friends in and out of C...

Have you ever experienced an event or moment in your life that left you feeling let down and disappointed?  As a fan of Wake Forest sports I'm living in that reality right now, but let's go deeper than just feeling low because our favorite team is having an off year.  What about those times where people let you down or you don't get the promotion you hoped for or your plans fall through at the last minute?  How do we deal with all of that? I believe with every fiber of my being that our true worth that is found in God alone.  After all, we are the only portion of His creation that was created with substance ( Genesis 2:7, 22 ) and we are the only portion of God's creation that bears His very image ( Genesis 1:27 ).  This is not to say that we should consider ourselves more important than we truly are, but we must acknowledge the fact that since we were created with the purpose of knowing God fully, we must pursue this endeavor with all the strength that we can...

One of the goals I set for myself is to read through the Bible each year.  I hesitate to write that because I don't want to sound like I'm beating my own drum, but I share it if for no other reason than to encourage others to do the same.  I have found that the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan fits my schedule and my desire best.  There are 25 days worth of reading each month, which means that if you miss a day here or there it won't put you way behind and if you do finish the readings on time then you have a few days to look back over what you've studied before the next month begins.  Also, if you enjoy having a Bible application on your phone, let me suggest YouVersion , a wonderful Bible program that lets you read the entire Bible in a multiple of translations.  It's also available online. One of the challenges I have undertaken has been to read the Old Testament in an alternate translation than the one with which I study the New Testament.  Th...

As a parent of four kids, I can tell you that there aren't many things I treasure more than those four little faces I see every day.  Of course, there are moments where I wish I could magically teleport myself to a faraway place that is devoid of screaming, constant questions, and chaos.  There are also days where the homework/shower and bath time/bedtime/discipline routines completely wear me out.  On a typical night, if I make it past 10:30 while still awake it's an unusual occurrence.  It's funny, though, how time away from those you treasure makes you realize just how precious they are.  I can leave the house feeling as if I was retreating from a war zone, but 5 minutes down the road I can't wait to see them again.  And then there are those times where I realize that I don't appreciate my children for who they are or what they are able to do.  Maybe I'm too busy to listen to them tell me about the cool things that happened to them during their da...

Years ago I participated in a mission trip with my youth group to Nassau, Bahamas (yeah, I know what you're thinking, but we really did do mission work there).  One of the focal points for the week was to help local churches connect with those in their community through door-to-door surveys.  Each one of us was paired up with another fellow student - all with matching t-shirts no less - and we did have a lot of success because the locals were very curious what a bunch of white high school kids from America were doing in their neighborhoods (i.e., we weren't exactly on the beach).  Each night we would come together for a time of sharing with the rest of the group about our experiences throughout the day and what God was doing.  One evening, a girl from our youth group shared a story that I will never forget and would never dream of repeating.  She told us that earlier in the day she saw a man on a street corner near where she was canvassing so she approached hi...

Food is one of the great loves of my life.  There really isn't a time of the day when I'm not ready to eat a little snack or try something new.  Sushi = goodness in raw form.  Pizza = pure circular delight.  Chocolate = God's gift to His children.  Texas Pete = nectar of the gods.  This love of food also compels me to undertake creative attempts in the kitchen.  On any given night my family has no idea what might show up on their plates. My love of food is usually driven by my physical need for it.  If I go too long in my day without eating something, my demeanor often reveals my need for nourishment.  But my desire to eat is often spurred by my impulse to eat, whether it's out of habit or I simply find a snack in my line of sight.  Most of you can join me in remember times when you consumed something just because you were bored or it was just sitting there waiting to be eaten.  We eat out of habit just as much as we eat out of ne...