3 Promises for 2021 - Life.Church 25 Year Anniversary

We’re Just Getting Started

Scripture References

• Acts 2:42-47
• Ephesians 2

Overview

Celebrating Life.Church’s 25-year anniversary, Pastor Craig Groeschel returned to the very first text and outline he preached: Acts 2’s picture of the early church. From a two-car garage in a snowstorm to 36 locations today, the mission has never changed—“to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.” Out of that passage he restated three enduring promises for 2021 and every year ahead: we will be intensely devoted, irrationally generous, and always bold in sharing Jesus. The message closed with an invitation to go “all in” and a call for salvation.

Context

• 25 years ago: 40 people, no resources, but the Word, the Spirit, and big-thinking faith.
• Pastor Craig’s personal conversion began with a stranger’s free green New Testament and Ephesians 2’s message of grace.
• Disillusionment with judgmental church culture birthed a vision for a church that welcomes the broken, loves sinners, and lives like Acts 2.
• Same passage, same outline, now preached after 1,000 weekend messages and global expansion.

Main Points

Intensely Devoted

• Acts 2 believers were “persistently obstinate” in devotion—teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, awe, and miracles.
• Life.Church rejects casual, consumer Christianity:

  • “We don’t go to church; we are the church.”

• Story: Jerome (former drug dealer) and Shanna (former exotic dancer) encountered Christ, married, and became core leaders; Jerome has memorized 53 chapters of Scripture and personally led 500+ people to Christ.
• Spiritual consumerism (“a church that meets my needs”) opposes Jesus’ call.

  • “We are spiritual contributors, not spiritual consumers.”

• Church is a battleground, not a playground—fully engaged discipleship marks the future.

Irrationally Generous

• Acts 2:44-45 modeled selling possessions so none had need; Acts “two chapters over” shows zero needy persons.
• From day one Craig & Amy emptied personal savings and even took a home-equity loan to meet payroll.
  • Illustration: First offering in the garage—Pastor invited anyone in need to take from the bucket; a homeless man did.
• 2006: at peak debt, church decided to give all resources away for free (Open Network).
• Birth of the YouVersion Bible App—now on nearly half a billion devices, offered free because Craig once received a free Bible.
• Debt-free today; tens of millions of dollars given outside the church yearly.

  • “We will lead the way with irrational generosity because it’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Boldly Sharing Jesus

• Acts 2:47—“the Lord added daily.” First Life.Church service saw 7 salvations; now 700+ per week.

  • “We’ll do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ.”

• Innovations: first large-scale video teaching, multi-site campuses, digital evangelism.
• Map of 11 states, 36 locations with more on the way—even during a pandemic, because a divided world needs a united, radiant church.
• Rally cry:

  “We’re just getting started.”

• Identity statement:

  “We are faith-filled, big-thinking, bet-the-farm risk-takers. We will never insult God with small thinking or safe living.”

Key Truths

• The early church’s devotion, generosity, and witness remain the template for Life.Church.
• True discipleship is all-in participation, not spiritual consumerism.
• Radical generosity unlocks God-sized impact; you cannot out-give God.
• Innovation in methods is essential to reach people no one else is reaching.
• A united, loving church shines brightest in a dark and divided world.

Response

• Commit fully—treat church as your mission, not your hobby.
• Offer your resources, skills, and time for God’s use without reserve.
• Share the gospel boldly with coworkers, neighbors, and online connections.
• Memorize and live Scripture to deepen devotion.
• Reflect Jesus’ love in practical acts so no one around you is in need.

Closing

Pastor Craig and Amy asked the congregation to stand “for the part that honors God the most”—the gospel invitation. Hands rose across every location as people came just as they were, prayed for forgiveness, and stepped into new life. Craig reminded the church that size is irrelevant; it is a “micro-church with a mega vision,” committed to keep expanding until every “one” hears.

“As long as there’s one more person who needs Jesus, we’re just getting started.”

Prayer

He led the church in an eyes-open commissioning for believers, followed by the salvation prayer for newcomers:

“Heavenly Father, forgive my sins.
Jesus, save me, make me new.
Fill me with Your Spirit so I can live for You.
My life is not my own—I give it all to You.
Thank You for new life; now You have mine.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”