Sterling Griggs

I realize that by giving a blog post this kind of a title, it makes me sound like an old man. And while I'm really not all that old by today's standards, I do realize just how far a couple of decades have removed me from the twenty-somethings of today. This generation faces most of the same issues, challenges, and problems as I did back in the 1990's, yet they operate under the magnifying glass of technology which serves to amplify even the most trivial of information. I often freak myself out when I make a comment or give direction to a younger person because I find that I sound more and more like a parent, which is really not a bad thing except for the fact that I realize I am becoming that person whom I often rolled my eyes at once he or she began to speak. Nevertheless, I'm gonna go there. There is a lot of advice floating around out there, found not just in the sphere of graduation speeches and the like but well beyond them. No one that I know wants this or an...

Unless you've been living in a remote cave somewhere in Patagonia, then you are aware that there's a whole lot of stuff going on in America. The economy is still shaky, health care remains in critical condition, the NSA is all up in our business, and no one seems to know who is actually telling the truth anymore (as if we ever really knew in the first place). Scale this down to a local level and the problems seem to be magnified. For instance, in my great state of North Carolina our state legislators' decisions to underfund an educational system that is already lagging behind have left people on both sides of the political aisle shaking their heads in astonishment. What is going on here? If you have internet access then you have been bombarded with countless opinions as to what is happening in America, both on a national and local level. Some insights are filled with facts and figures, yet most are knee jerk reactions to whatever sleight may be perceived. I, too, have be...

Not long ago I shared a conversation with a young man in high school who had lots of questions about God and faith. I mean some really, really good questions. He wanted to believe - he knew that there was more "out there" - but he wasn't buying into the picture that had been painted for him over the years. The whole " Everyone I know who claims to be a Christian is such a hypocrite " was in full display, and I was certainly sympathetic to his story. It's one we hear all too often and it makes it much more challenging to point others to the beauty and truth of Christ when all of His self-professed followers are acting like a bunch of boneheads. But what struck me the most in our conversation - what left me scratching my head - was the treatment this young man said that he received whenever he expressed his doubts from other Christians that he was close to. They got angry with him. They became hostile towards him because he didn't believe like they did ...

" How far is too far in a relationship ?" That is a question that has been asked countless times by students and young adults who want to pursue what is God's best for them in a premarital relationship but aren't sure exactly how to define those parameters physically. I've met people who have committed to share that first kiss only on their wedding day, a commendable act of self-control and diligence. Then there are others who found themselves involved in relationships that progressed way too fast, costing them their innocence along the way. Regardless of one's relational history or hopes for the future, we still want to know where to draw the line when it comes to purity in our relationships. Many pastors and church leaders have tried to define where God's line is drawn, with answers ranging from the puritanical to "follow your heart" type gibberish. Just the other day a young man sought my counsel regarding how he should handle the physica...

When I was in grade school my parents bought me and my brothers some thick plastic skateboards that we all called "banana boards" because that's pretty much what they were shaped like. These boards were indestructible and me and my brothers would ride them down our inclined street over and over again. Sometimes we would stand while riding them but I would usually sit on mine like I was driving a fast car. The feeling of cruising to the bottom was exhilarating, even a bit scary. It was so easy to just pull of my feet and let gravity speed me down that hill. Of course, once the ride was over I found that it was a bit of a drag having to walk all the way back up the hill to the starting point. While the ride itself was awesome, it didn't last very long. The walk back up the hill felt like an eternity. But I knew that if I wanted to enjoy another ride, I needed to put in the work to make it happen. Sometimes life feels much more like work than anything else. And let...

Over the years I've had the privilege of leading hundreds of middle school and high school-age students in the arena of youth ministry. Of those whose lives I have been a part of, there have been several who have sensed a unique call from God on their lives, one that has led them to church work, seminary, or missions. It's been awesome keeping up with them over the years as they experience the joys and frustrations of leading in church ministry. Yet out of all of those students who I've walked alongside of, hardly any have expressed the need to pursue ministry beyond the walls of the church or para church contexts. Is there such a thing as ministry beyond what has been organized by religious and faith-based institutions? In other words, can you really pursue ministry if it doesn't look like ministry? When I was younger, I knew that God was calling me into the ministry. You know, full-time vocational Christian ministry. I knew that I was called to serve and the opti...

Simplicity. Scaling back from the tangled mess that is our lives and narrowing our focus on what's most important. That's what's missing from so many of the lives of people that I know, including myself. We pride ourselves with our work effort, how much we can accomplish in a day or a week, and reward ourselves with mini-getaways that promise escape from the chaos that is our lives. It's as if we are resigned to believe that the daily grind is what we should expect until we've earned the next brief respite of escape. But should simple be the exception instead of the rule? Bear with me for a few moment of seemingly ridiculous reflection. My wife and I have been on a bit of a nostalgia kick lately and we've gathered most of our ammo from television shows. I know, not exactly the best source for unbiased and healthy perspective, but there is a lot to learn from the past. The Hardy Boys book series, learning about our local history, and shows like Little House...