by Garris Elkins | Dec 17, 2016 | Courage, Deliverance, Fathers, Love, Sacrifice
As a small boy, I remember the day I asked my father why he had so many scars across his stomach and chest. At the time he gave me an age-appropriate answer. A few years later, I asked again and then he gave me the full story. My grandmother owned a business on Turk...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 23, 2016 | Church, Courage, Discipleship, Discipline, Faith, Leadership, Relationships, Sacrifice
Jan and I were invited to lunch by our friends, Tim and April Matteson who live in Reno, Nevada. They wanted us to meet Graham Cooke. At lunch we talked about many things. One story really stuck in my mind. When Graham is in his hometown each day he frequents a local...
by Garris Elkins | Jan 11, 2016 | Deliverance, Faith, Fear, Hope, Obedience, Promise, Sacrifice, Tranistion, Trust
God intends every tight and pressing spiritual passage to be followed by a release into the wide and expansive place of His goodness and provision. Some of these passages take longer than others to accomplish. Some take only a moment or a day. Others can take weeks,...
by Garris Elkins | Mar 27, 2015 | Church planting, Death, Deliverance, Destiny, Future, Hope, Kingdom, Love, Promise, Redemption, Sacrifice
A few years ago a much larger picture of Easter emerged for me. I could not understand why it had eluded me for so many years. I came to realize three things in context and in relationship with each other about the Easter story. The...
by Garris Elkins | Mar 3, 2015 | Faithfulness, Fear, Forgivenss, Honor, Humility, Leadership, Love, Ministry, Miracles, Redemption, Sacrifice
When I was in the 5th grade, I was assigned the job of a school crossing guard. I got to wear a special vest and carried a metal sign on a pole with the word, “Stop”, printed in red and white across its face. This was a big deal for a young boy. I was...
by Garris Elkins | Feb 17, 2015 | Courage, Destiny, Dreams, Faith, Fathers, Future, Identity, Kingdom, Provision, Redemption, repentance. hope future, Sacrifice
I was raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression. My father had to hop the rails for 9 years looking for work and food. My mother was part of a divorced family who struggled to make ends meet in the segregated South of the 1930’s after my...
