by Garris Elkins | Jun 13, 2017 | Death, Eternity, Father, Freedom, God, Hope, Jesus, Marriage, Peace, Relationships, Transition, Worship
A friend of mine was talking with Jack Hayford a few weeks ago. Jack’s lovely wife, Anna, had passed away after they shared 62 years of marriage and 60 years together in ministry. My friend posted a single sentence on his Facebook wall from that meeting with Jack. The...
by Garris Elkins | May 20, 2017 | Death, Deliverance, Freedom, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Peace, Relationships, Resurrection
As a 28-year old police detective, I thought I had seen it all until I was handed the homicide case of an 18-month old little girl named Savannah. I will never forget her name because God used her death to bring me life. Savannah was murdered by the drunken, live-in...
by Garris Elkins | May 16, 2017 | Death, Deliverance, Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, Future, Hope, Joy, Peace, Promise, Redemption, Resurrection, Thankfulness, Trust
A time in your life when something was killed – a dream, a relationship, a hope – is now being redefined and restored. The memories of sorrow will give way to something new. The stench of death and loss will be replaced with the fragrance of life and...
by Garris Elkins | Mar 17, 2017 | Death, Faith, Forgivenss, Hope
In a time of great personal crisis or in the moment of approaching death, it is not our opinion about a particular strain of theology or a narrow worldview that people will reach for to find hope. In those moments people are reaching for the hand of God. Before these...
by Garris Elkins | Mar 14, 2017 | Courage, Death, Eternity, Forgivenss, Freedom, Honor, Resurrection, Revelation, Spiritual Warfare
This morning, a story buried deep within my memory surfaced. It took place almost 40 years ago when I worked as a police detective. I was handed the lead on a homicide investigation. Attached to the investigation was a reporter from the Eugene-Register Guard newspaper...
by Garris Elkins | Dec 22, 2016 | Death, Deliverance, Resurrection, Spiritual Warfare
As a kid growing up in church, I heard the following words repeated over the years, “The finished work of the Cross”. I often wondered what those words meant. I have now come to understand their meaning. Jesus went as far as possible in His obedience as the Second...