Sterling Griggs

Growing up, I played the card game Rook all the time with my friends. We had regular get togethers at our homes on weekends to play and whenever we went off to summer camp we would play late into the night by flashlight. The best part about Rook was that you were able to "trump" other cards in the game. Whatever color was called trump, that color was king and it beat the other cards on the table. And if you had the actual Rook card, you essentially ruled the Rook world for that hand. Your trump card could beat the others, even if it was lower in number. In today's world, specifically in America, it seems as if everyone is looking for their own trump card that will allow them to have things their own way. We want to express ourselves however we want regardless of the consequences. And many people will step up to affirm your personal trump card even if they don't make the same life decisions that you have chosen to make. Helping others and being tolerant has the capa...

"When you heard a story 'bout the hero dying for the villain?" (Trip Lee One Sixteen ) Let's go ahead and clear the air from the get go - there isn't much about what Jesus did on the cross for us that makes sense. Was His sacrifice beautiful, His love unconditional, His redemption of us incredible? Yes! Does it fit into our rational thought processes? No! When we see someone guilty of a crime, especially one that is heinous and barbaric in our eyes, we want justice. For some that means the death penalty while for others they demand life in prison with no possibility of parole. Keep the criminals in their cages so that they can no longer prey on the weak and the innocent. Question: If the Red Cross knocked on your door and asked if you would be willing to donate your organs - your very life - to a terminal death row inmate, how would you react? "Um, no thanks, but I appreciate the free snacks that you give when I donate blood." You see, ...

The conversation was going well with my pastor friend until the topic shifted to another church in his area. Apparently, talking about THAT church hit a nerve. Before I knew it, I was hearing an in depth analysis about THAT church and its pastor and how they are stealing people from all the other churches in the community. Stealing? Well maybe not "stealing" he admitted, but courting them with flashy worship and big events and the "cool factor" that other churches like his own couldn't pull off. And did you know, he asked, that they don't even preach the Bible there? In fact, in their worship services they play "secular" music. The substance in THAT church is about an inch deep and a mile wide, he told me. I wasn't sure how to respond to such a scathing critique about this sister church. Probing a little deeper I found that my friend had never actually been in that church to observe these heretical phenomena nor did he personally know the pa...

There has been a firestorm over the recent posting of a video in which Victoria Osteen literally opens the Pandora's box that all of her and her husband's critics have been anxiously waiting for. Don't get me wrong - what she said from the stage was nauseating and thoroughly unbiblical, yet the glee expressed from the Osteen's opponents was no less horrific. As a conservative evangelical Christian, I get it. Joel Osteen and his wife have been less than forward with the truth of the gospel and have chosen instead to proclaim the merits of living a life where all God wants for you to be is happy. Their ministry is watched and heard by millions of people who in turn simply adore Joel and his wife, hanging on every word that they say. They make people feel important and special and valued by God. And indeed people are. But when any man or woman who claims to be God's mouthpiece speaks for God words that are not found in His word, then Houston, we've ...

The most significant time of the year has arrived: College Football season. Just in case you doubt that claim, consider these facts for a moment: For the 2013 College Football season, the average attendance for FBS games was 45,815 per game. That's more people than live in 98% of towns in America (I don't know if that percentage is actually true, but it sounds pretty good). Almost 50,000,000 people attend College Football games each year. That's 50 million. That doesn't even come close to the number of people who watch the games on TV.  The University of Michigan football stadium has a capacity of 110,000 but you can cram 115,000 in it if you want to. That makes this stadium the 236th largest city in America. Numbers don't lie. Americans love their college football and follow their teams with a passion. Fans will drive long distances to sit on horribly uncomfortable bleachers in horrific weather to shout themselves hoarse for college players who they will nev...

All of us have convictions and values in our lives that cement the belief systems to which we cling. In other words, all of us are pretty convinced we are right about certain areas. I know that I am. From Day 1 I have been a fan of Wake Forest University and am convinced that there is no greater college in the free world (and I wish WFU was free because it's freakin' expensive!). I base my belief on my experience not just a fan of the school but also as a graduate. My experiences have shaped my conviction and values about Wake Forest. Most of the people that I encounter on a daily basis don't share my belief about Wake Forest. I lovingly refer to those people as infidels and heretics. They believe that some other lesser school, such as UNC or Duke, is a better college, although their beliefs are based almost solely on those schools' athletic programs. When I beat my chest about Wake Forest, I never fail to mention how our debate team brought the national title home i...

Dear Christian Friends, Let me first say how much I love each one of you. It's amazing how brothers and sisters can be so different yet united under the banner of Jesus. I treasure all of the insights that you have given to me as we've had civilized discussions and a few healthy debates about various aspects of the Christian faith.I am eternally grateful for the men and women who have poured into and continue to invest in my life. Hugs. But (and you knew that was coming, right?) I believe that we are missing the mark greatly in the area of love. And just to keep the tone of this letter fair, I am going to address all of you as "we" because I am in the same boat. I'm preaching to the choir, if you will, although I never really enjoyed choir and don't really have the voice to pull off anything special beyond the sanctuary of my car. In fact, I would go so far to say that the most comments I hear from those who aren't Christians about those who are belie...