Phil Wickham Resurrects a Classic with ‘What an Awesome God’

Phil Wickham released “What an Awesome God” this past Friday, a resurrection of one of Christian music’s most iconic anthems. Wickham, alongside co-writer Jonathan Smith, have created a new version built around the unforgettable chorus of Rich Mullins’ “Awesome God,” offering a nod to the past.

This release comes in a year that would have marked Mullins’ 70th birthday—a timely and poignant moment to revisit his legacy. Originally released in 1988, “Awesome God” became a foundational piece in the canon of modern worship. Its raw sincerity helped define an era of CCM that didn’t need polish to be powerful. It rocks much harder than you remember. In 2004, we named the original as the #1 greatest songs in Christian music history— while the list is over 20 years old, it is a distinction that still holds weight today.

Wickham’s version retains the heartbeat of the original but places it in a new frame. With pulsing production and a big choir sound, “What an Awesome God” translates the classic chorus for a new generation. “It’s hard to even describe what it means to me to share a small part of the legacy of this song,” Wickham said. “What started as a fun idea in the studio grew into an unexpected new take on the ‘Awesome God’ story. It has quickly become one of my favorite songs to sing with the church, proudly declaring each night how awesome our God is! I’m honored to share this song with you all, and I pray that in the midst of your day, it helps you recognize ‘What An Awesome God’ we serve!”

But Wickham isn’t alone in looking to the past to inform the present. There has been a steady wave of reimagined CCM classics. Josiah Queen’s haunting and heartfelt version of DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” has introduced that bold anthem of 90s youth group rebellion to a new TikTok-savvy audience. Meanwhile, for KING & COUNTRY breathed orchestral life into Michael W. Smith’s “Place in This World,” a ballad that once lit up the Billboard charts and helped define the sound of faith-based pop in the early 90s.

There’s a long tradition in the church of taking familiar melodies and reshaping them for the next generation. Hymns have been rewritten, reframed, and reinterpreted for centuries—and Christian music is finally leaning into that heritage. It’s about honoring the songs that shaped our worldview, our worship, and our lives. Songs like “Awesome God” endure because they were powerful then and still resonate now. A good song will always be a good song.

Wickham, who has been on a creative high since the release of his 2024 GRAMMY-nominated album I Believe, continues to build momentum. His recent single “The King Is In The Room” quickly rose to Top 20 on Christian radio. With a summer packed with dates alongside Brandon Lake on the Summer Worship Nights Tour—and the Air1 Worship NowTour following in the fall—Wickham seems to be in a season of both reflection and resurgence.

While you enjoy Wickham’s reinterpretation, make sure to revisit the original “Awesome God.” It’ll remind why it mattered in the first place.

ORIGINAL VERSION

NEW VERSION

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