Sterling Griggs

Today I've been dwelling on who God is. I know how He is identified in  Scripture - holy, just, righteous, Creator, etc. - but on a personal level sometimes I lose sight of just who He truly is to me. On Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights I enjoy the opportunity to join other believers in singing songs that exalt His greatness and I can rock it out in the car anytime I want to tunes that glorify His name. I strive to live a life of worship, but truth be told it's easier to do that when I am engaged in an event or opportunity where that is expected of me. But what about when I'm not in the midst of a "planned" time of praise? Do I think to dwell on who He is and respond with spontaneous worship during the mundane times of my day? In other words, do I worship God - can I worship God - without someone prodding or leading me to do so? King David had a lot going on in his life. Not only was he king over Israel, but as a man who was after God's own heart (1 ...

2000 years ago a leader sat in his chair contemplating an enormous decision. Before him stood a battered man whose identity had the leader baffled. The religious establishment had tagged this man a rebel and a con artist, one whose true goal was to cause an insurrection that would overthrow the Roman government. If that was true, this leader would lose his job and quite possibly his life. Yet this bloodied figure before him hardly looked the part of a dangerous insurgent. If what they said was true... Uncertain of exactly what to do, this leader announced that he saw no real reason that he should prosecute this so-called revolutionary. He had done nothing wrong in his eyes as a government official so he announced that it would be best to let him go. After all, as the benevolent leader of a nation that would be the best thing to do. But he was surprised with the ferocity with which the crowd demanded that this seemingly innocent man be put to death. In fact, they demanded that a true ...

Yesterday in the early morning hours just as the light began to illuminate the sky, I looked up and saw a hawk flying as hard as its wings could take it.  In hot pursuit were two mockingbirds who were ridiculously small in comparison.  Their high pitched shrills and aggressive behavior made it apparent that they didn't see their small size as an impediment to the business at hand. What would they do if they actually caught the hawk? I have no idea, but I do know the hawk was not willing to stop and find out. I love the underdog. The Atlanta Braves were my team way before they began to win pennants. I find myself picking the little guy almost every time over the looming giant. Shoot, I cheer for Wake Forest University in every sport - that should tell you something!  There's just something about rooting for a team or an individual who are less in the eyes of most people.  And when the underdog comes out on top, the whole world takes notice. It's okay not to be the...

As the father of four kids, sickness is a regular occurrence in our house. It seems that Kellie and I are always armed with ibuprofen and acetaminophen and we have our pediatrician's number on speed dial. But what really irks me is how often sickness seems to strike at the most inopportune times (not that there is a good time to be sick, mind you). Why must my kids get sick so often on Saturdays and Sundays? Don't these viruses know that our doctor's office doesn't have regular hours during the middle of the night? There are lots of things in life that can catch us off guard and without a plan on how to handle them. For instance, as I type these words late on a Saturday night, the pipes under my kitchen sink have officially revolted and carried their water coup through the flooring into the basement. It's not a pretty site and there's not a whole lot I can do about it late at night unless I want to sell a kidney to afford the plumber's bill. When life...

"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17-22) What exactly is being asked of Jesus in this question? Some would say that the young man asking this question wants to know how he can earn his way into eternity with God, therefore pointing to the possibility of a works salvation. Even those who deny the possibility of earning salvation (as I do) may stumble when it appears that Jesus begins to prescribe a whole bunch of commandments that must be followed in order to inherit eternal life. But before you look at Jesus' listing of these commandments and what He means by them, take a look a Jesus' very next words: "Why do you call Me good?...No one is good but One--God." He doesn't answer the man's immediate question of how to inherit eternal life, does He? Why is that? And what exactly does Jesus mean by these words? Is He dodging the question? In our day and time we have the benefit of the full realm of Scripture to study in ...