Podcast Summary

Podcast: Life.Church with Craig Groeschel
Episode: What God Really Wants From You This Year | A Church That Pleases God: Part 1
Date: January 4, 2026

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode, led by Pastor Craig Groeschel with support from Pastor Sam, launches a new year and a new message series called "A Church That Pleases God." Pastor Craig reflects on his 30-year ministry journey, sharing how his deepest desire for Life.Church—and for everyone listening—is to become a church that ultimately pleases God, not just one that achieves worldly success metrics like size, innovation, or influence. The episode focuses on the first of five qualities of a church that pleases God: reverence, or having a proper "fear of the Lord" and living in sincere obedience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reflecting on What Matters Most

• Pastor Craig shares that his priorities for the church have deepened and matured over the years.
  • “Above all else, what kind of a church do you want to pastor? … I want to pastor a church that pleases God above all else.” (01:25)

God’s Love vs. God’s Pleasure

• Many believers accept that God loves them, but are less certain God is pleased with them.
• Analogy: A loving parent is not always pleased by their child’s actions.
  • “We love our children all the time, but we’re not always pleased with the decisions that they make. And the same would be true for God…” (02:59)
• The difference is illustrated by God’s declaration over Jesus at his baptism: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (03:31)

What Pleases God?

• A church that pleases God is made up of people whose lives are pleasing to God.
  • “A church that pleases God is made up of people who are pleasing God. Guess what that does for you? That puts you on the line with me.” (04:19)

Five Qualities for a Church That Pleases God (outlined for future weeks):

1. Reverent
2. Faith-filled
3. Bold
4. Unified
5. Loving
   • Today’s focus: A reverent church pleases God.

Deep Dive: What is Reverence?

(06:04 - 09:25)

• Reverence means a holy and reverential fear of the Lord, living with sincere obedience.
  • “A reverent church fears the Lord and lives with a sincere obedience to Him.” (06:07)
• Not a terror-driven fear, but an awe—an overwhelming sense of God’s holiness, goodness, righteousness, and power.
  • “Reverence for God isn’t a fear that drives us away from God, but it’s an awe that draws us to Him.” (08:21)
  • “He alone is worthy of our first and our best, our gifts to use for Him. He should be the first thing on my mind when I wake up…” (08:43)

Key Challenge for Listeners

• Don’t just think about what you believe—look at how your life speaks about your view of God.
  • “What does your life say you believe about God?” (09:25)

High View vs. Low View of God

(10:36 - 13:32)

Low View:

• Treating God and His word casually
• Ignoring conviction, justifying sin
• Selective or minimal obedience

High View:

• Taking scripture seriously—letting it conform you to Christ’s image
• Repenting quickly and sincerely
• Obeying God no matter the cost
  • “Because I have a reverent view of God and His Word, I want to obey him. No matter what.” (13:25)

The Danger of Familiarity: Cultural Christianity

(13:40 - 20:00)

• Many believe in God without revering Him—faith becomes overly familiar.
  • “It’s not that you’ve rejected God. You’ve just reduced him.” (14:10)
• Citing the story of Simon the Pharisee vs. the "sinful woman" (Luke 7:44-47), Pastor Craig contrasts treating Jesus casually vs. responding with awe and costly worship.
  • “Same Jesus, two entirely different responses. The Pharisees treated him as common…The woman knelt down and treated him as holy. She was in awe.” (19:11)

Personal Story: Losing and Rediscovering Awe

(22:19 - 25:59)

• Pastor Craig shares times when ministry became routine and he lost his “awe" for God.
  • “Somewhere along the way, in the routine of it all, somehow the holy moments started to feel familiar. And I didn’t lose my faith. I lost my awe. And it’s a dangerous place to be.” (23:38)
• Through hardship, he was reminded of God’s immensity.
  • “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.” (25:44)

The Practical Call: Raising Our View of God

(27:01 - 31:38)

• Identify where you have grown casual in your faith (language, media, worship, judgmental attitudes, taking God's word for granted, etc.).
  • “Where has God become casual to you instead of holy?” (27:06)
• Call to repentance and change.
  • “God’s word is living and it’s powerful. I’m going to show you what Paul said in Philippians 2…work hard to show the results of your salvation…obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” (29:00)
• God works within us, giving us both desire and power to please Him.
  • “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” (30:10)

Final Invitation

(33:56 - 36:36)

• For anyone who realizes they are living with a casual approach or who doesn't truly know God—or doesn’t live under Christ’s lordship—a public call to surrender fully to Jesus.
  • “This is a fully surrendered life to the lordship of Christ. If he died and rose again for me, that demands everything in me. Jesus, I surrender my life to You.” (35:08)
• Corporate prayer of salvation/recommitment, led by campus pastors.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pleasing God:
  • “I want to pastor a church that pleases God above all else.” — Pastor Craig (01:25)
• On Familiarity:
  • “It’s not that you’ve rejected God. You’ve just reduced him.” — Pastor Craig (14:10)
• On Response to Jesus:
  • “Same Jesus, two entirely different responses. The Pharisees treated him as common... The woman knelt down and treated him as holy...” — Pastor Craig (19:11)
• On Awe:
  • “I didn’t lose my faith. I lost my awe. And it’s a dangerous place to be.” — Pastor Craig (23:38)
• God’s Work in Us:
  • “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” — Pastor Craig (30:10)
• Repentance and Surrender:
  • “This is a fully surrendered life to the lordship of Christ.” — Pastor Craig (35:08)

Key Timestamps

• 00:22 – Opening reflections, what kind of church to pastor
• 01:54 – The difference between God’s love and God’s pleasure
• 03:14 – Jesus’ baptism: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
• 04:43 – Five qualities of a church that pleases God introduced
• 06:07 – Definition of a reverent church
• 08:21 – Reverence draws us to God, not away
• 13:07 – Obeying with reverence, no matter the cost
• 14:10 – Dangers of cultural Christianity
• 15:29-19:38 – Luke 7 story: Pharisee Simon and the sinful woman
• 23:38 – Personal confession: losing awe in routine
• 25:44 – Restoring holy awe in hardship
• 27:01 – Reflecting on areas of familiarity or casualness in faith
• 29:00 – Philippians 2: Work out your faith with reverence and fear
• 30:10 – God works in us, gives desire and power to please Him
• 33:56 – Call to spiritual inventory, repentance
• 35:08 – Salvation and full surrender invitation

Conclusion

The message urges listeners to move away from casual, familiar faith and approach God with deep reverence and awe—not just in belief, but in daily living. Pastor Craig’s challenge for the new year is to elevate our view of God, let Him shape our desires and actions, and, together as individuals and as a church, become people who please God above all else.