Sterling Griggs

I met a gentleman last year who had lots and lots of questions and doubts about the Bible and Christianity in general. He had been hurt in the past by less than loving people who claimed to be followers of Christ and as a result he undertook his own spiritual journey to find truth. From what I could gather, he allowed his anger and disappointment with people to fuel his frustration with God. He now discounts much of the Bible as unreliable and untrue and one book in general - the book of Joshua - he rejects altogether because in his words it is "barbaric." How could a good and loving God command the slaughter of "innocent" men, women, and children just to promote Himself? That question in itself is loaded with all sorts of misinformation and raw emotionalism. To infer that people are innocent is to say that they have not sinned against God and therefore deserve His mercy and grace. This does not mean that God simply turns His back on sinners - we know the opposite...

I love it when the Olympics roll around because I get to see so many different athletes from all over the world competing in sporting events that normally aren't on my radar. These sports could be on television on a regular basis throughout the year and I probably wouldn't watch them, but when gymnastics or curling or track and field or downhill skiing comes on during the Olympics, I find myself glued to the tube.  Since I am far from being an expert on these sports, I rely on the commentators to explain lots of the nuances and rules of the games so that I can understand what's going in. To my chagrin, it never fails that there is always that one commentator who sees the need to over analyze each contestant in every event to the point that it makes me nauseous. For instance, I can watch a gymnastics routine that blows my mind yet all I hear is how the gymnast over-rotated, didn't stick the landing, or failed to fully extend. Really? He saw all of that in a simple 10 s...

The other day my two oldest kids were starting to watch a show that I would rather they not watch (Disney channel has got some pretty crappy programming sometimes) so I asked them to turn the channel. They told me that mom (i.e., my wife) has let them watch it in the past, so they felt like they should be able to watch it now. My wife and I usually agree on programming choices and I'm pretty sure neither one of us wanted them watching this particular show. Before I could even reply to that comment one of them said, "Well, dad, we'll just watch it when mom's home and you aren't." Seriously? Most of you who were raised by both of your parents can remember a time when you bounced the same question off of both of them, hoping to get the answer that you wanted. If dad said 'no' then maybe mom would say 'yes.' Grandparents can be an even easier target for kids who want what they know their parents probably won't let them have. We as humans ...

The other day as I was driving down the highway, I passed a car that had a large magnetic advertisement sprawled across the driver's door. When I read what was written on that placard, I had to slow down to take a double take. This car was advertising a mobile DNA paternity testing service that would come directly to your home. Is this something that we really need? Have the phone lines been burning up for this kind of service because there are so many people who want to determine the baby's daddy in the privacy of their own homes? There are lots of things out there that I question the need for. Do we really need another reality show on television? Don't we already have enough "popular" music on the radio with people singing through those ridiculous microphones that make everyone sound the same? I saw a lollipop in a store not long ago that was bacon flavored...and it cost $4 (and yes, it was for people, not for dogs). And we need this? Do we really need 9 ...

Let me start this post off by saying that I don't write this in any way to trump myself up or appear arrogant. Whenever I hear or read of someone reporting about their spiritual discipline (i.e., their personal Bible study, prayer life, meditations, etc.), I often think about those religious leaders in the New Testament who received so much criticism from Jesus. If they wanted to get a pat on the back from others for how "spiritual" they appeared to be, then that is all that they would get. It can be a fine line to tread when sharing of how God is moving someone in their personal devotional life lest he or she appear pretentious or Pharisaical. However, Scripture is littered with examples of men and women who were spiritual giants in their devotion and commitment to God and His word. All of that being said (or rather typed), I want to write this as both encouragement and instruction to others in the area of reading and studying the Bible, God's holy and inerrant word ...