Sterling Griggs

James Cameron, the movie producer who hit it big with the film Titanic , will announce in a couple of days that he is prepared to release an even bigger blockbuster hit. And this one deals with an even greater historical event than the sinking of the Titanic: The "supposed" resurrection of Jesus. It seems that Mr. Cameron has found proof that Jesus never really did rise from the dead, thus disproving the resurrection. 27 years ago an Israeli construction company uncovered a cave containing 10 stone caskets, each one dating about 2,000 years old. There were names inscribed on the tombs and after 20 years of careful work language experts were able to decipher the names that appeared on them. They were names such as Jesua, Mary, Mathew, and Judah, very common names in Jesus' day. But Mr. Cameron now claims that he can prove that the tombs actually contain the bones of Jesus Christ and His family. What is his proof? Mr. Cameron, along with his director Simcha Jacobovi...

Have you ever felt like you've blown it big time with something that you really enjoy doing? I love speaking to people, whether it's students or adults, and I like doing that because I enjoy teaching people. I figure if I believe in something why not take the time to teach it to others? And I'm blessed enough to be able to do it for a living as a pastor. But tonight, as I spoke to my students, I seemed to drop the ball as a teacher. I tried teaching a theological concept (the atonement) on a level that they could understand, but all I sounded like was a school lecturer. I so badly wanted to paint word pictures for them, to allow them to see this concept as I conceptualize it in my head, but I think it went way over their heads. As a result, I left the youth meeting feeling like I got (or rather God got) too little a return for the effort that was put forth and the students left scratching their heads. Now I know that this may not constitute "blowing it" as w...

In Washington state, the Defense of Marriage Alliance (DOMA) has filed and initiative that they hope to have on November's ballot that would require heterosexual married couples not only prove that they are able to have children (or else they won't be issued a marriage license) but they must have children within 3 years of marriage or else the marriage will be annulled ( click here to read the article for yourself - it's no joke ). If they get 224,000 valid signatures on a petition by July 6, this could be an issue that the voters will decide. It seems that DOMA, which is a group that favors same-sex marriages, is twisting and tweaking the intent from the decision that Washington's Supreme Court handed down banning same-sex marriages last year. Part of the argument for those who oppose same-sex marriage is that marriage exists for procreation and same-sex marriage can't provide that. So, they reason, it is unfair that same-sex marriage couples receive the same b...

As of this afternoon, the Five Sided Coffee Co. is online and open for business ! It's been a dream of mine for some time to start a custom roasting coffee company that would allow me to have more funds to give to needed ministries and mission opportunities. Five Sided Coffee is the culmination of that dream and I couldn't be more excited. If you get a chance, check out the site and give me some feedback (or better yet, order some coffee).

I was driving in my car yesterday when I go pulled up behind a big logging truck at a stop sign. As I was waiting for the driver to turn, I noticed a small green bumper sticker on the back of the truck, and I couldn't help but laugh when I read it. The sticker read: "If you have a problem with logging, see how you like using plastic toilet paper. " The logging company was sending a clear message: You may not like the fact that we cut down trees, but you also wouldn't like to do without the many things that trees provide. That sticker got me to thinking about what I am willing to do without as a follower of Christ. Jesus told His disciples (and anyone else who would follow Him) in Luke 14:25-33 that they had to be willing to "count the cost" if they were to follow Him. Jesus meant that we would have to consider all of the costs, sacrifices, and setbacks that could occur if we were to follow Him with our lives. Becoming a follower of Jesus may seem like...

When I opened my Bible to read today and came upon Psalm 63, the words of this chapter absolutely stopped me in my tracks. The theme of the chapter is "praise to God who satisfies" and it's a combination of not only what God gives to us but how we are to respond to His lavish grace and love. In a nutshell, in response to God's great love for us, Psalm 63 describes a worthy response: eagerly desire and thirst for Him, to gaze upon Him glorify Him as long as we live with our lips because His love is better than life meditate on Him; rejoice in the shadow of His wings (His protection over us) follow close to Him This list humbles and challenges me. Too often, I am more concerned about what I want to get from God than what I can give back to Him. All hypocrisy and selfishness aside, how can I not respond to Him with my life when I consider all that He has done and given for me? Why do I wait on the Lord to give me more when I have given to Him so little?

I just returned a few days ago from taking several of my college students to the Passion 07 conference in Atlanta. It was a crazy and busy 4 days (I went down to the Orange Bowl in Miami for a day while I was there - too bad Wake lost but it's alright) and I came back with a bunch of ideas swimming around in my head. Along with incredible worship and speakers, the Passion conference offered a lot of options for what they call "breakout groups" in the afternoon. As I skimmed over the list of groups being offered, one immediately caught my eye and I knew that I had to go. It was a discussion of the Invisible Children movement that got started a couple of years ago. Basically, 3 film students from Southern California traveled to Africa thinking they were going to do a story on Sudan but when they got there they realized the story they were looking for was to be found in Northern Uganda. The children of Uganda, especially the boys, have been vicitimized for 20 years now ...