top of page

Jeff Elkins

Jeff Elkins

Writer

Oct 2, 2025

About

Jeff is the author of multiple novels including Mencken and the Monsters, The 12 Commandments, Mark and All the Magical Things, Revolution Church, and Saving Deborah. He currently serves as a Script Engineer where he and his team build simulations that train professionals in difficult conversations. In this role, Jeff has helped build simulations that give professionals the opportunity to practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, interrogation techniques, suicide prevention, and brief alcohol interventions.

You can follow Jeff's writing at his blog, VagrantMisunderstandings.com. In 2014, Jeff founded the literary journal ShortFictionBreak.com and currently serves as a regular contributor. Additionally, Jeff writes a bi-weekly column for TheWritePractice.com that provides advice and inspiration for aspiring writers.

Jeff lives outside of Baltimore, Maryland with his wife and five kids. Before becoming a writer, he worked as an Associate College Pastor and then an Executive Pastor for fifteen years. Jeff has a Bachelor's in Religion from Baylor University and a Masters of Divinity from Truett Seminary.

Posts (7)

Jul 11, 2020 ∙ 9 min

Sex, Power and the Church: David and Bathsheba

f you grew up in a conservative evangelical church like I did, it is possible there is a story from the Bible that was repeatedly used to teach you about sex – the story of David and Bathsheba in 2nd Samuel chapters 11 and 12. While our teachers’ intentions were good, the way the story was taught has planted seeds in our minds that have grown into weeds we must now deal with if we are to side with Jesus in the time of #MeToo and #TimesUp. In this short essay, I hope to give you a different...

Dec 18, 2019 ∙ 3 min

What Happens If You Fail Again?

My first college class was Music Theory. It started at eight in the morning every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Dr. Lia was the professor. His daily uniform consisted of thick black glasses, a striped tie, and a gray sweater-vest. On the first day of class, I remember him storming into the room, running to the piano, and hammering out a series of chords as loudly and quickly as he could. Then he looked at the class and asked with enthusiasm, “Who’s was that? Who’s was it? Beethoven? Brahms?...

Jun 9, 2019 ∙ 9 min

Sarai and Hagar: Was Ishmael a Mistake?

Was the birth of Ishmael the result of Sarah’s sin? Here are a few thoughts by Jeff Elkins: AN OLD UNDERSTANDING OF GENESIS 16 As a Southern Baptist kid who attended a mostly white church in the Bible belt, when I read Genesis 16, I was certain of a few things: 1. Abraham (still called Abram in this chapter) was the hero of the story. 2. Hagar was a mistake. 3. In Genesis 16, God paused the story of Abram to justify a war we were fighting in the Middle East. Based on the Bible studies I...

Feb 6, 2019 ∙ 6 min

What Does the Bible Say About Justice?

“Every one should get what they deserve.” If a teen studies, works hard, and succeeds in high school, then that teen should be allowed to go to college. If a woman goes to work everyday, gives her best effort, and accomplishes the requirements of her job, then she should be able to provide for her family. If a man doesn’t steal, doesn’t kill, and works to keep the law, then he should be able to live relatively free of legal trouble. At the same time, if a man kills his neighbor, then he...

Sep 19, 2018 ∙ 5 min

Wrestling with the Violence of God

Saul was a bad king. He was impatient when he should have waited, and he hesitated when he should have advanced. Chapter 15 of 1st Samuel is a dark moment for Saul. He was at war with Israel’s arch-enemy, the Philistines. He was outgunned and outnumbered. He’d had a few fantastic victories, but no one expected his winning streak to continue and everyone knew this war would not be quick. Additionally, Saul was fighting with God’s representative, the prophet Samuel. Samuel didn’t want a king...

Aug 16, 2018 ∙ 5 min

When Abraham Wandered Away from God

Our current church culture fights against us appreciating the Bible as a complex story. Our devotionals and small group studies focus on squeezing from the text drops of practical application. Our texts are divided by artificial paragraph headings and tiny numbers that encourage us to break the book into tiny pieces; and we’ve become accustom to using those sections as tools to enforce our entrenched perspectives. We box the narrative it into small digestible fables we then use to hammer into...

Jul 18, 2018 ∙ 5 min

Why Did God Order Genocide in the Old Testament?

Saul was a bad king. He was impatient when he should have waited, and he hesitated when he should have advanced. Chapter 15 of 1st Samuel is a dark moment for Saul. He was at war with Israel’s arch-enemy, the Philistines. He was outgunned and outnumbered. He’d had a few fantastic victories, but no one expected his winning streak to continue and everyone knew this war would not be quick. Additionally, Saul was fighting with God’s representative, the prophet Samuel. Samuel didn’t want a king...

bottom of page