by Garris Elkins | Dec 2, 2014 | Culture, Destiny, Eternity, Fear, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Hope, Obedience, Promise, Provision, Thankfulness
Yesterday, I sat in my truck in the parking lot of my dentist’s office. My appointment was still about ten minutes away so I decided to check my email on my smartphone. As I scrolled down through the emails, I noticed that I had received an email to fill a larger...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 26, 2014 | Destiny, Dreams, Faith, Fathers, Favor, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Identity, Wisdom
My grandfather, like his father before him, made violins. They called these violins fiddles. From the forest that surrounded the family home near Quitman, Texas they would cut and cure hardwoods that would someday become beautiful fiddles. As they walked through a...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 14, 2014 | Apostle, Discipleship, Family, Five-fold, Gifts, Identity, Leadership, Wisdom
I have been a pastor for so many years that I am now seen as a spiritual father. This is a high calling and one that I hope to carry with honor the rest of my days. As a spiritual father, I want to make sure my sons and daughters finish well so that some day...
by Garris Elkins | Oct 14, 2014 | Church, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Identity, Miracles, Pentecost, Supernatural
On June 4, 1851, three men laid a stone in the west hills of Portland, Oregon that would later become known as the Willamette Stone. The Willamette Stone was used as the initial point of reference for all future land survey measurements taken in Oregon, Washington and...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 22, 2014 | Church, Gifts, Kingdom, Leadership, Transition
(“Thoughts I Want To Leave Behind” is a collection of thoughts and impressions I want to leave behind as I begin to make my final pastoral transition.) #2 Follow The Presence There will be times in the coming years when you will run out of road. You will come to...
by Garris Elkins | Aug 14, 2014 | Courage, Dreams, Faith, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Ministry, Obedience
Traction is different than momentum. Traction gets your wheels moving and helps you sustain forward motion. Momentum is something gained during traction, but is only maintained if traction continues to be supplied to the wheels. It is too easy to live off of...