by Garris Elkins | Jan 18, 2014 | Fathers, Future, Hope, Kingdom of God, Leadership, Ministry, Trust
As a young pastor, I listened a lot. I listened to the many voices of leaders who went before me. There were times in those early years when I would ask a simple question and receive a profound answer. In my first year of pastoring, I asked Jerry...
by Garris Elkins | Jan 12, 2014 | Family, Future, Honor, Hope, Leadership
About 20 years ago, I began asking myself four questions. I also asked the same questions of our church staff during our quarterly planning sessions. The questions helped us engage a process of evaluation where we could leave behind what needed to be left behind and...
by Garris Elkins | Jan 1, 2014 | Church, Dreams, Faith, Future, Kingdom, Obedience, Transition
In just a few weeks my new book, A Good Place, will be released. A Good Place is about walking with hope through the transitions of life and ministry. The book is not about building a transition plan – it is about the journey of our hearts and how we...
by Garris Elkins | Dec 7, 2013 | Death, Future, Healing, Holy Spirit, Love, Miracles, Prayer, Resurrection
Earlier this week the Lord spoke to me. He said, “The prayers of some of my people are beginning to sound like a preparation for a funeral – not a proclamation of life.” This word came just hours before our pastoral staff visited the home of a dear man in our church...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 26, 2013 | Dreams, Future, Hope, Prophecy, Revelation
Recently I was teaching in a training school for emerging leaders in California. During a question and answer session someone asked me, “What are you seeing for the year 2014?” I responded to the question by saying that at the end of each year I would normally...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 22, 2013 | Death, Eternity, Future, Hope, Love, Resurrection
Some couples don’t like to talk about death with their spouse, but Jan and I are comfortable with such a conversation. Unless we both enter eternity together – one of us will remain behind. That is a reality of life. In 1999, we moved to Southern Oregon. Our first...
