by Garris Elkins | Feb 15, 2018 | Courage, Discipleship, Discipline, Family, Favor, Fear, Forgiveness, Honor, Hope, Humility, Pride, Promotion, Reconciliation, Restoration, Trust, Worship
I have given up 10,000 times and tried again 10,001. Knowing with God I always had another chance for a restart helped me get up and take the next step even when it felt like my fear was larger than my faith. In times of self-doubt, I forgot that faith as small as a...
by Garris Elkins | Feb 7, 2018 | Death, Deliverance, Family, Forgiveness, Freedom, Holiness, Love, Marriage, Obedience, Power, Pride, Spiritual Warfare, Truth
Lust is a seamy word. We associate its use primarily with sexual sin. It is more than sexual. Lust is defined in Scripture as any strong and undisciplined craving or desire. It can be associated with the unhealthy use of anything in life. Our place of jeopardy begins...
by Garris Elkins | Jan 23, 2018 | Change, Death, Family, Fear
We can never fully appreciate the impact made by another person’s life until that life is finally gone. What arrives in these times of loss are the unique and tender memories of their presence. When a parent, a spouse, a child or a good friend make the...
by Garris Elkins | Jan 20, 2018 | Eternity, Family, Father, Fear, Freedom, Future, Honor, Jesus, Justice, Love, Marriage, Restoration
In the two months since my dog, Abby, died, our cat, named Mister, has assumed some of Abby’s duties. Both Abby and Mister have no tails. Mister is a Manx (he looks like a little bobcat), and Abby was an Australian Shepherd (Aussie). Aussies are called velcro dogs....
by Garris Elkins | Dec 24, 2017 | Creativity, Faith, Family, Gifts, Giving, God, Intimacy, Peace
When Jan and I pastored our first church in Kalispell, Montana, we experienced a lot of firsts. We had our first Sunday as pastors of a new church with only one visitor attending. Our first real Rocky Mountain winter was a new experience, and so was the view from our...
by Garris Elkins | Dec 21, 2017 | Family, Favor, Fear, Forgiveness, Humility, Intimacy, Joy, Justice, Love, Marriage, Peace, Power
If you receive a kind response from someone, it does not mean they agree with you. Kindness does not require agreement. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit that guides the interaction between people who may have very different opinions on a particular subject....
