The Promise is Personal
Rev. Adam Hunley's sermon at General Conference 2025, emphasizing that God's promises are personal and available to every believer, rooted in Acts 2:37-41.
Text: Acts 2:37-41
Preacher: Rev. Adam Hunley
A Personal Testimony of Power
Rev. Hunley began by sharing his own testimony from when he was nine years old. Though raised in a Pentecostal pastor’s home and surrounded by miracles, signs, and wonders, there was a difference between being around something and experiencing it personally.
As a shy nine-year-old boy, he privately began seeking God for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without anyone praying with him or laying hands on him, he began to speak in a language he had never learned. This experience taught him that Pentecostal power is not about organization - it’s about Jesus.
The Central Message: Acts 2:37-41
Rev. Hunley focused on Peter’s response to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost:
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” — Acts 2:38-39
The key phrase that resonated throughout the message: “The promise is unto you” - it’s personal.
God’s Creative Power Through His Word
Rev. Hunley emphasized that our God is different from all other gods because He speaks. From the very beginning, God created through His word:
- The first time God ever spoke was in complete darkness
- God said “Let there be light” and light existed
- God didn’t explain the process - He simply spoke and it was
Key insight: God has creative power. He creates out of nothing. You don’t need to bring anything to God because He creates things that are not out of things that are not.
The One Thing God Cannot Do
In a surprising turn, Rev. Hunley declared that there is something God cannot do - He cannot lie. Using Numbers 23:19:
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Why this matters: If God is incapable of lying, then every word He has ever spoken will come to pass. Everything that has come out of the mouth of God will happen.
Broken Trust and Childlike Faith
Rev. Hunley addressed how human trust is often broken at a young age because people say one thing and do another. However, God is different - He cannot lie or change His mind.
The challenge is to come to God like a little child who believes every word, based on the unchangeable fact that God cannot lie.
God’s Covenant History
Rev. Hunley walked through God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises:
- Noah: God saved eight people through the flood as promised
- Abraham: God made nations from him despite Sarah’s barrenness
- Moses: God preserved Israel as a people - the only nation existing 3,000 years ago with the same name, religion, and God
- David: From his lineage came Jesus, the eternal King
The Revolutionary Change in Acts 2
Until Acts 2, God’s promises were limited to a specific region, bloodline, and family. But when Peter preached, he opened a door that had never been opened before:
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
This Jewish man preached a message no Jew had ever heard before - the promise was now for everyone, not just a limited group.
Personal Application: The Widow’s Faith
Rev. Hunley shared the story of the widow who was asked to make a cake for the man of God first, even though she only had enough for one last meal before she and her son would die.
The man of God’s request seemed rude and inconsiderate, but it came with a promise: “If you make me a cake first, you will live and see through all these issues.”
The challenge: She was going to die either way - the question was whether she would die without faith or die in faith. Sometimes we need faith to simply say, “The promise of God is for me.”
Healing and Forgiveness Available Now
Rev. Hunley called for witnesses of God’s healing power, and many stood throughout the congregation, testifying to God’s faithfulness to heal.
He also addressed the reality of shame and failure that people carry, acknowledging that everyone in the room has a story and carries things with them. But he reminded them of Paul’s words to the Corinthians:
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:11
The Personal Invitation
The sermon concluded with a powerful reminder that Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw people. That same spirit of compassion was present in the room.
The declaration: The promises of God are not for somebody else, not for someone in another place or time, not for a better person - they are personal. God sees you where you are, knows your name, and wants to fill you and heal you.
Key Takeaways
- Pentecostal power is about Jesus, not organization
- God cannot lie - every word He speaks will come to pass
- The promise of Acts 2:39 is personal and available to everyone
- God creates out of nothing through His word
- Past failures don’t disqualify you from God’s promises
- Healing and forgiveness are available now
- God knows your name and wants to meet you personally
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” — Acts 2:39
This message served as a perfect conclusion to General Conference 2025, reminding everyone that despite their background, failures, or circumstances, God’s promises are personal and available to each individual who will believe and receive.
Watch the full sermon here.