by Garris Elkins | Oct 27, 2019 | Apostle, Church planting, Fear, Gifts, Leadership, Ministry, Reformation, Restoration, Revival, Word
Perhaps one reason for much of the angst and concern in certain quarters of culture and within the Western Church has to do with a dismantling that is taking place. God is dismantling ways of thinking, theologies, and worldviews we have accumulated in the last few...
by Garris Elkins | Oct 23, 2019 | Apostle, Church, Courage, Five-Fold Ministry, Gifts, Kingdom of God, Leadership, Women
When Jan and I first came to Medford, Oregon 20 years ago, to pastor what would become Living Waters Church, we were met by a strange phenomenon. Our valley was a stronghold for male-dominated church leadership. A woman behind a pulpit preaching was anathema to many...
by Garris Elkins | Oct 21, 2019 | Discipleship, Discipline, Family, Freedom, Leadership, Relationships, Truth, Wisdom, Worship
At some point in any relationship, a lack of discipline will be interpreted as dishonor. Living with a long list of failed promises and inadequate provision begins to wear thin. To be timely, appropriate, and sensitive to what is expected of us is called maturity....
by Garris Elkins | Oct 10, 2019 | Apostle, Change, Discipleship, Five-Fold Ministry, Future, Kingdom of God, Leadership, Ministry, Obedience, Reformation, Revival
Between the Day of Pentecost mentioned in Acts 2 and the persecution noted in Acts 8, a span of 3-4 years had transpired. During those years, the Church gathered around Solomon’s Collonade. It was a beautiful time of sharing resources, feeding the poor, and seeing...
by Garris Elkins | Oct 1, 2019 | Apostle, Courage, Culture, Discernment, Five-Fold Ministry, Freedom, Grace, Kingdom of God, Leadership, Truth
G. K. Chesterton, the British writer, philosopher and lay theologian of the last century once wrote, “Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.” Faith without the presence of lines is not faith. It is an emotion. In the public square, drawing a...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 29, 2019 | Church, Discipleship, Discipline, Five-Fold Ministry, Honor, Leadership, Ministry, Pride
When the crowds came to Jesus, he did not try to hold them. He fed them and walked away. Compromise comes when we try to hold the crowd. If you have experienced a certain degree of success, you may have attached some of your ego and identity to that success....
