You’re now in the living room at The Ranch. Did you notice the stars on your way up here? They almost sparkle, don’t they? God says the stars sang together when He created the earth.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation… while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:4, 7)
That must have been a sight!
Evenings are special here at The Ranch. It’s a time when you can sit back, unwind and hear a message to encourage you in your faith.
And thanks to the timelessness of the Internet, evenings come around all day long here at The Ranch, so you can watch a message right now. Through these messages, I believe God will speak to you in a very personal way. Because He’s promised that whenever His words goes out, they accomplish what they were sent to do.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
So sit back, relax, and choose a message… created just for you.
Pressing On… When You Feel Like Giving Up
Breakfast on the Beach
Using Your Gifts
Eric’s Full YouTube Channel
https://youtube.com/@ericelder?si=NjPgs6Bys5-0urUG
ARCHIVED MESSAGES…
Highs and Lows and God in the Middle
I was looking through my pictures from 2025 and noticed a theme: there were highs and lows and God in the middle. Sometimes I only see the highs. Sometimes only the lows. But when I look carefully, I can see God in the middle of them all. And THAT makes all the difference. For instance……
Still Sharing My Faith—30 Years Later
Last week I had an email from a subscriber that touched my heart in a special way. She wrote: I have always enjoyed reading your newsletter. You have a way of explaining your faith journey by your simplicity. Your way of explaining the message is not heavy, not over anyone’s head. Just there. Where we…
Unscripted
Last week, I wrote about three “God-incidences” that happened to me on recent flights. This week, I want to write about one more. It happened the week before Christmas. I was flying to New York to see a Broadway show. I had pulled out a script to read on the flight of a new show…
Christmas “Coincidences”
I was reading further in the Christmas story this week in the Bible and was struck by the frustration Mary and Joseph may have had while traveling to Bethlehem for the census. To them, I imagine it was especially aggravating, having to report to the city of their heritage being so close to the time…
Cookies and Cocoa with Eric!
Join me this Thursday night for cookies and cocoa! It’s Christmastime, and I’d love to host you as my guest for an online party! I’ll be live online from 7-8:30 PM CST, this Thursday, December 18th on Zoom. Just send me a note if you’d like to join and I’ll send you the link. Since…
Maybe the ending isn’t the most important part
I was reading the Christmas story this week in the Bible, and I was surprised at my reaction to the opening words. In Luke, chapter 1, an angel appears to Zechariah, telling him that he and his wife Elizabeth are going to give birth to a son named John. This was good news, as they…
Dealing with Secrets
My brother Craig is a rocket scientist—a real rocket scientist! He’s worked on missions you may have heard about in the news: the James Webb Space Telescope, the LCROSS lunar mission to look for water on the moon, or the launch of the Milstar military communication satellites. Cool stuff! But what’s NOT COOL is that…
Navigating Saturdays
Do you ever have days where you don’t know what’s next? Where something big in your life has come to an end, and you can’t see what’s around the corner? Those are the “Saturdays” that I want to talk about today… like the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. For the disciples, that had…
Feeling Humbled
I’ve been asking my friends how they keep pressing on when they might feel like giving up. Why? Because I need the encouragement to keep pressing on when I feel like giving up! Maybe you do, too? If so, I hope you’ll listen in on my conversation with my neighbor and friend, Cammie Quinn. After…
Listening to God
I recently sat down with my friend Cathy Vincent to talk about listening to God. Cathy wrote a book of her experiences with God called Never-Ending God Stories, so I wanted to hear how she listens to God. She said three things: 1) Surrender Your DayCathy starts her mornings with a simple prayer: “Every morning…
Surrendering to Win
It sounds backward, doesn’t it? Surrendering to win? In most areas of life, surrender means defeat. But when we surrender to God, we win! When we finally stop trying to control everything—our jobs, our relationships, our pain—and put it into God’s hands, that’s when we can find peace, strength, and wisdom like we may have never found before.…
Seeing Hope in the Clouds
I travelled to India recently and stood on the top of some mountains in the Himalayas. During the day, I could see snowcapped peaks all around me. But at nighttime, when the clouds rolled in, I could only see what was directly in front of me. The peaks that had been so clear the day…
Finding Purpose in Pain
I hate pain! Maybe you do, too? But I’ve learned that pain has a purpose. Without pain, we wouldn’t know that something is amiss. I recently sat down with my good friend and doctor, Eric Farinas, to talk about finding purpose in pain. Eric has walked me through heart surgery, diabetes, COVID, grief, and relationship…
Letting Friends In
It’s hard to ask for help. But it’s also hard to suffer in silence. I want to encourage you today to let your friends into your struggles… and to be a friend in the midst of theirs. I’ve heard it said, “If you don’t make time for friends, you won’t have any.” Now’s the time…
Pressing On… When You Feel Like Giving Up
I’m starting a new series this week called Pressing On… When You Feel Like Giving Up. Today’s message is on “Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize.” I’ve faced many setbacks in life: job loss, miscarriages, deaths of family and friends, sickness and surgery, broken relationships, and unmet expectations. Each setback has threatened to take me…
Pointing People to Jesus
We’re back! My son Bo and I have just finished a whirlwind summer. I’ve been touring the Midwest and Canada with an Italian puppet opera, and Bo has been working at a special needs camp in Texas. We chatted on our porch this weekend about being salt and light, as Bo has been making sourdough…
Livestream Our Italian Puppet Shows!
TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT you can LIVESTREAM our Italian puppet shows, straight from my farmhouse in Chenoa, Illinois! The livestream begins at 7 PM Central Time both nights on YouTube. You can watch BOTH shows LIVE OR LATER (for 7 days) by simply making a donation at the link below. We’ll send you a link…
4 Nights! 2 Shows! 1 Dream!
Ever since I became a Christian, I’ve dreamed of reaching everyone in the world with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. He has done SO MUCH for me, I just want to share Him with everyone I know. This weekend, I’m hosting an event at my farmhouse in Chenoa, Illinois, to reach as many as…
Puppets and Pulpits
When Mr. Rogers was trying to decide between going into the ministry or going into children’s television, he realized he could do both! He went to seminary and got a degree, but he also started working at a television station, using puppets as his pulpits! I’m now doing the same thing, getting ready to launch…
I Can Hardly Wait
I’m traveling this week, but I was able to catch up with my son Bo this weekend on FaceTime for our “Breakfast on the Beach.” He’s writing a new song, and he sang a bit of it for me. It’s beautiful. The lyrics go like this: Someday I will see Your faceWhen I am remadeIt…
Everybody Needs A Little Jesus!
A year ago, just before I got up to speak at an event, a friend handed me a pocket-sized figurine of Jesus. My friend said, “Everybody needs a little Jesus!” I thought, “Oh, that’s cute.” I stuck it in my pocket and went onstage. The next day, my world sort of blew up—things happened that…
The Three Most Important Days of Your Life
I’m heading overseas on Easter Sunday to speak to the graduates of a Bible program. I’m looking forward to sharing their delight as they celebrate this milestone. In preparing my talk—in which I want to encourage them in their calling—I recalled a quote often attributed to Mark Twain: The two most important days of your…
When Jesus Appears!
There’s a story in Luke 24 where two disciples of Jesus are walking on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ death. They didn’t know He had risen. A man walks up and starts talking to them and explaining the scriptures to them. When they reach their destination, they ask him to stay. In verse 30,…
Fear Less, Create More!
God has given you unique gifts, and He wants you to use them—whether it’s through music, art, or simple acts of love! 🎨🎶 In our latest podcast, my son Bo and I talk about embracing creativity with “less fear.” We also talk about his new worship song (out now!) called Purify. Here’s a link to…
Tender Moments
(Fan art “for appreciation only,” painted by Eric Elder) I have a confession to make. I cry every time I watch When Calls the Heart. If you’ve seen it, you understand. If you haven’t, I can explain. In every episode, there’s at least one moment where I am deeply moved… deeply touched… way down in…
From Opera House to Farmhouse
I wanted to share a picture I painted of the opera house in Italy where we premiered the “puppet opera” of our St Nicholas story at Christmastime just over a year ago. It was a fantastic show, created by the puppeteers of Pupi Italici (Italian Puppets), and it was a fantastic opera house. But this…
Supernatural provision
Join my son Bo and me for a heartfelt “breakfast on the beach” as we talk about faith, creativity, and trusting God in the unknown. From a special painting inspired by Matthew 16:19 (about “whatever you bind in heaven will be bound on earth, and whatever you loose in heaven will be loosed on earth”)…
Breakfast on the Beach with Eric & Bo Elder
I had the joy of sitting down with my son Bo for a special breakfast conversation—fresh from a morning swim—to talk about his new piano album, Still Seasons. What started as a simple idea turned into a beautiful collection of peaceful, reflective music. He even experimented with blending piano and guitar in a way you don’t…
Breakfast on the Beach
I love having breakfast with friends… just to sit, chat, eat, drink, laugh, cry, and spend precious time together. It’s a great way to start my day. And I also love spending time with Jesus… doing all of the same things! It’s ALSO a great way to start my day! So recently I thought I’d…
The Border of Life
I’ve been thinking about heaven this week. First, I’ve been learning a song on the piano called “The Border of Life.” It’s a beautifully reflective piece about that thin veil between heaven and earth. Second, I’ve been painting a picture of “heaven and earth” at the request of one of my long-time subscribers, Esther, to go with a Bible verse that says: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on…
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