If 17 Years of Leading Linc Has Taught Me Anything

Scriptures:
Hebrews 11:1
Psalm 68:6
Isaiah 43:18-19

Seventeen years.

It’s a long time to be doing anything – let alone building church in a changing world. And yet, standing on the other side of nearly two decades of ministry, we can tell you this: we feel like we’re just getting started.

When we launched Linc Church with 14 people in a small room, we didn’t have a blueprint for the future. We had faith. We had a whisper from God and a willingness to say yes. And now, 17 years later, as we gather across multiple services, campuses, and generations, we look around and realize: faith brought us here – and faith will take us there.

1. Faith Got Us Here. Faith Will Take Us There.

Not strategy. Not hype. Not the best music or preaching.
Faith.

Faith is God’s delivery system. It’s how heaven touches earth. It’s how dreams turn into reality. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Which means it’s not wishful thinking – it’s a way of living. Faith looks like something today, even before you see it tomorrow.

We’ve seen that faith in action:

In families who stepped in and stayed when it was easier to leave.
In projects we couldn’t afford but believed for anyway.
In babies born into families who once felt barren – because we said we’d build the church with children.

Faith built this house, and faith will build the future.

2. The Destination Is Not Just Heaven – It’s Home.

For many, Christianity has been reduced to a ticket to heaven. But Jesus didn’t just promise a place in eternity – He promised home. A place where the lonely are set in families. A place where healing flows and purpose is birthed.

We don’t just call Linc Church a church – we call it family.

This isn’t just spiritual language. It’s reality. Today, there are over 35 families in our church with grandparents, parents, and children worshipping side by side. God is writing a generational story, and we’re watching it unfold every Sunday.

And for those who never knew family – who came from brokenness or dysfunction – this house has become something holy. A refuge. A table. A home.

3. Never Grow Tired of the New.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after 17 years, it’s this: God is always doing something new. And we must never grow tired of it.

New can be uncomfortable. New can be disruptive. But new is where God moves.

As Isaiah 43:18–19 says:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

We’ve seen it in church plants, in new buildings, in unexpected opportunities. What feels like the finish line is often just the launchpad for what God wants to do next. So we keep dreaming. We keep building. We keep saying yes.

Looking Ahead

We’ve just begun preparations for a new season of expansion – land, building projects, a future for our children and their children. But more than bricks and plans, we are building with faith.

So here’s the invitation:

Make this house your home.
Let faith shape your steps.
Don’t grow tired of the new.

Because if 14 people could dream and build this…
Imagine what this could become.

We love this church.
And we are going forward – together.

Welcome home. Welcome to the family. Welcome to the future.

Discussion Questions

What does “Faith got us here, faith will take us there” mean to you personally?
Can you think of a moment in your life where faith carried you into something new?
In what areas of your life is God inviting you to trust Him more fully right now?
What would a faith-filled response look like?
Read Hebrews 11:1.
How does this verse challenge or encourage your understanding of faith?
The message said “the destination isn’t just heaven, it’s home.”
What’s the difference between attending church and belonging to a spiritual family?
How have you personally experienced “home” at church – or how do you desire to?
What does it mean to you when the church is described as family?
Psalm 68:6 says, “God sets the lonely in families.”
How can we be intentional about creating a family culture in our group and church?
“Never grow tired of the new.”
Have you ever resisted something new that God was doing in your life or in church? What happened?
Read Isaiah 43:18–19.
What “former things” might God be asking you to let go of in order to perceive the new?
What “new thing” do you sense God doing in your life – or in our church right now?
How can we partner with Him in faith?
Of the three points – Faith, Home, and New –
Which one spoke to you most? Why, and what is your next step in response?

Activation:

Faith: You were never meant to live by sight alone. The life of a believer is a life of faith – rooted in trust, not just evidence. Faith got you here. Faith will take you there.
- This Week: Start each day by declaring: “I walk by faith, not by sight. What God started, He will finish.”
  Let that be your lens – even when things feel uncertain.
Family: Church is not a service to attend – it’s a family to belong to. The beauty of spiritual family is that no one walks alone. We are not just going to heaven – we’re becoming a home.
- This Week: Text someone in your church family a message of encouragement. Let them know:
  “You’re not alone. This is your home.” Create moments of belonging with small words of love.
Future: God is not recycling the past – He’s doing something new. The next chapter won’t be a repeat – it will be a rebuild. Don’t grow tired of the new. Lean into it.
- This Week: Ask God this: “Where are You leading me that I’ve been resisting?”
  Write down the first “new” that comes to mind. Then write: “I say yes.”

Watch the full message and explore more on our YouTube & Podcast channels

THE LINC COLLECTIVE