Sterling Griggs

Not a day goes by that I don't check up on what's happening on Facebook or Twitter. That doesn't mean that I post something all the time because I don't, but I do try to share at least one inspiring or funny thought or picture a day. That being said, there is rarely a time that I log off of my social media pages when I am not shaking my head at some of the crazy stuff I read online. I have well over a thousand Facebook "friends" but in real life I hardly have that many. Nevertheless, I enjoy keeping up with long-time acquaintances and people I have become familiar with through mutual friends. While it's doubtful that even a fraction of these people will ever become an integral part of my daily life, I find that it can be beneficial and good to join them in their daily life via social media. Most of the time. I just can't stomach all of the rants, posts filled with disinformation, and outright keyboard hostility that I witness on a daily basis. T...

As I've been reading through the Old Testament book of Job a whole slew of questions come to mind about the meaning of this book. I've heard many say it's a survival story, chronicling the ability to Job to survive tests that God allows to be put in his way. That kind of makes sense when you consider that Job's "friends" are constantly dogging him along the way, making his circumstances even more miserable than they already are. Job protests his innocence while they convict him for perceived crimes. Yet as I was reading this morning, I was struck with what I see as a bit of a duality in the book of Job. On the one hand, Job and his friends are spot on when it comes to their assessment of the character of God - His goodness and patience and unknowable ways. They cast God in the highest light possible, which is admirable on their part. But the flip side of their words are where things get muddled. Job insists that he is innocent and righteous while his friend...

The guy on Facebook was mad, really mad, which is no real surprise when it comes to social media sites and the flow of emotions that often get posted. He was angry about the shooting deaths of 20 children in Newtown, CT, this past Friday December 14, and his anger was directed squarely at God. A self-proclaimed atheist, this man unleashed a profanity-laced barrage of vitriol, questioning how Christians could worship a God who allowed these things to happen. Anyone who believes in God is a pathetic joke, he said, and this so-called "god" was a sham. This kind of emotion and rhetoric are not uncommon when unfathomable tragedy strikes. Where is God when all of this happens? Does He care? Yes, God does care. And there are no really good answers to the question "Why?" following such a horrific tragedy such as what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School, but there are some truths that can be gleaned from it. If anyone doubted that evil exists then they now have ...

For my entire life I have sat through countless sermons on Sunday mornings. Truthfully, I remember a good illustration or story better than I do the 3 or more points that were taught those mornings, but there is a constant theme that has been ingrained in me through these years of sitting under the teachings of various men of God: Jesus is the total package. What I mean is that Jesus did not shy away from addressing issues of doctrine and theology while at the same time constantly focusing on the need for social change. If you are even remotely familiar with theological and church issues, then you understand that there is a thick line that divides two camps of thought when it comes to Jesus and New Testament teaching. The "conservative" camp draws on not just the theological teachings of Jesus but especially the instructions from Paul and the other New Testament epistles. Here, the emphasis is on theology and the defense of pure theology from the dangers of heresy and mi...

There are lots of people who get really angry about politics. Whether it's yelling at each other across the room or mixing it up on social media, people can get pretty bent out of shape over their political views. Maybe it's because they see so many politicians hashing it out on TV commercials and debates, but then again those guys are pretty much just grandstanding to win your vote. What I've found is that those who get most angry about politics tend to be those who understand politics the least . There are lots of people who get really angry about sports. Every year at least one fan dies as a result of a fight the weekend of the Alabama/Auburn football game. Fans are assaulted on a regular basis at pro sporting events and the level of animosity isn't any better on the college level. Friendships have been irreparably damaged and families divided over who is better, State or Carolina. Some of the most heated exchanges that I have ever witnessed were centered around s...

As a kid, I remember being unable to contain my joy when it came time for our family beach trip each summer. I'm pretty sure I was that kid who asked his parents "Are we there yet?" every few miles. Once we actually arrived at the coast, me and my brothers would crane our necks to see who could get the first glimpse of the ocean. It was all I could do to contain myself. The other day as we were driving down a fairly rural road, we passed an older church with a pretty large graveyard out front (I figured there were more bodies in the ground than in the pews). My wife and I were struck at how the headstones in this cemetery were all turned kind of oddly but in the same direction. It seemed to us that it would make more sense and be practical for them to be facing away from the church and toward the road. That's when it hit us like a brick in the face. These graves were all pointing east. They were buried with the anticipation of Christ's return from the eastern s...