ORLANDO— Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, delivered a sobering message at the 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Orlando titled Audience of One. Gallaty called ministers, leaders and their spouses to lay down their pursuit of human applause and return to seeking the approval of God alone.

He began with a piercing question: “As a pastor, minister. or minister’s wife, are you seeking the approval of God or the applause of man?” Using the story of a young pianist who refused to take a bow until his teacher stood in approval, Gallaty illustrated that ministry must be lived for an audience of one.

Reading from Hebrews 11:5–6, he noted that Enoch “was approved as one who pleased God,” not his congregation, colleagues or community. “It doesn’t say he pleased his spouse, his boss, or his deacons,” Gallaty said. “He pleased God.”

From that foundation, Gallaty outlined three major truths about living to please God.

First, he said “You can’t please God and fear man at the same time.”

Drawing from Proverbs 29:25, Gallaty warned that the fear of man is a trap that silences pastors and tempts them to compromise. “Many of us know the voice of Instagram, Facebook, CNN, and NBC, but we don’t know the voice of God,” he said.

Recounting the story of evangelist Manley Beasley, Gallaty reminded pastors of the importance of getting alone with God. “He would take his Bible and a jug of water and say, ‘I’m going to the woods until I get a word from God,’” Gallaty shared. “Pastor, when was the last time you got a word from God?”

Next, Gallaty told Florida Baptists, “You can’t please God and promote self at the same time.”

Quoting Matthew 6:1, Gallaty warned against self-promotion in ministry. “I’m a recovering self-promoter,” he admitted. “There’s a fine line between glorifying God and glorifying self.” He reflected on his own climb up the denominational ladder and how God humbled him before pride took root. “The higher you climb that ladder, there’s no graceful way down,” he said.

Gallaty cautioned against allowing charisma to outshine character and giftedness to outpace godliness. “Don’t let fanfare overshadow faithfulness,” he said, lamenting, “There’s a lot of boasting of self online today and little brokenness over sin.” He challenged pastors to stop doing ministry for Jesus and start doing ministry with Jesus, warning, “The Bible has become a tool to use, not a treasure to behold.”

For his third and last point, Gallaty said, “You please God by faith.”

Using Exodus 17:10–13, Gallaty explained that the Hebrew word emunah for faith also means perseverance or steadiness. “Don’t think of faith as something we do one time. We are continually putting faith in Jesus” he said.

Closing his message, Gallaty shared how God used a season of silence and solitude to awaken him personally and spark revival at Long Hollow. “As I sat in silence before God, I asked Him to fix my church, my staff, my deacons, but God showed me the problem was me,” he said.

In just 15 weeks, more than 1,000 people were baptized in a move of God’s Spirit that began with repentance and stillness. “Every great movement of God begins by not moving,” Gallaty said.

He ended with an altar call of humility: “Come forward and repent … for seeking the approval of men, for speaking critically of others, for living for applause. Let’s return to living for an audience of one.”