Wise People Tithe | Pastor Jake Sweetman

In this message, we look at Joel 2:28 and the promise of God: “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” Whether we are discouraged by how little we’ve changed or drifting because life has become comfortable, the invitation of God remains the same—to return, surrender, and depend fully on the Holy Spirit.Through Joel 2:28–29, Acts 2:1–21, Acts 1:8, Acts 4:29–31, Luke 6:24–25, James 1:2–4, and Philippians 1:6, this sermon reminds us that the Spirit of God is not reserved for a select few, but poured out on sons and daughters, young and old, weary and wandering, ordinary people called to make Jesus known.This message challenges us to ask:Am I discouraged because I thought I’d be further along by now?Am I drifting because I’ve become comfortable without God?Am I seeking approval, recognition, or security from what only Christ can give?Am I depending on my own strength or the power of the Holy Spirit?Have I surrendered every part of my life to Jesus?The Holy Spirit is given not to make us impressive, but to make Jesus known. God’s power fills His people for witness, boldness, surrender, and obedience.Scripture References: Joel 2:28–29; Acts 2:1–21; Acts 1:8; Acts 4:29–31; Luke 6:24–25; Matthew 5:1–12; James 1:2–4; Philippians 1:6. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this sermon, “Jesus Is Enough,” we study Colossians 1:15–20 and Paul’s declaration that Christ is supreme over creation, sufficient for salvation, and the fullness of God’s presence. Against the false teaching in Colossae, Paul points the church back to the gospel: not Jesus plus religious performance, spiritual experiences, angels, or extra requirements—but Christ alone.Through Colossians 1:15–23, Colossians 2:9–15, and Colossians 2:16–19, this message reminds us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the head of the church, and the firstborn from among the dead. In Him, God reconciles sinners, makes peace through the blood of the cross, and presents His people holy, without blemish, and free from accusation.Key Scriptures:• Colossians 1:15–20 — Christ supreme over all creation• Colossians 1:21–23 — Reconciled, holy, and free from accusation• Colossians 2:9–15 — Made alive with Christ and forgiven• Colossians 2:16–19 — The substance is found in Christ• Genesis 1:26–27 — Humanity made in the image of God• Philippians 2:6–11 — Christ’s humility and exaltation• Hebrews 1:3 — The Son as the radiance of God’s glory• Psalm 89:27 — The meaning of “firstborn” as supremacy• Matthew 5:45 — God’s kindness to the righteous and unrighteous• Acts 17:24–28 — God gives life, breath, and everything else• Romans 5:6–8 — Christ died for us while we were sinnersJesus is enough. He is not a supplement to religious effort; He is the fullness of God given to us by grace. In Christ, we have access to the Father, forgiveness of sins, resurrection life, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this sermon from our At Your Word series, we conclude Abraham’s journey of faith in Genesis 22, where God tests Abraham and calls him to offer Isaac on Mount Moriah. Through one of Scripture’s most sobering and powerful moments, we see that God tests His people not to destroy them, but to strengthen and purify their faith.Abraham’s declaration—“God himself will provide” (Genesis 22:8)—points us to Yahweh Jireh, the Lord who sees and provides. On the mountain of the Lord, God reveals His faithfulness, provides the ram in Isaac’s place, and ultimately points forward to the greater provision of Jesus Christ, the Son whom the Father did not spare for us (Romans 8:32).This message also connects Abraham’s sacrificial obedience to our own call to live by faith, surrender our hearts, and offer our lives—and our generosity—as worship before God.Key Scriptures:Genesis 22:1–14 — Abraham, Isaac, and the Lord who providesHebrews 11:17–19 — Abraham reasoned that God could raise the deadRomans 8:32 — God did not spare His own SonRomans 12:1 — Offer your bodies as a living sacrificeHebrews 11:6 — God rewards those who earnestly seek HimMatthew 6:21 — Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also1 Peter 1:6–7 — Tested faith is more precious than goldThemes:Faith is tested so it can be strengthenedGod provides at the place of surrenderGenerosity reveals and relocates the heartGod’s past faithfulness fuels present trustThe sacrifice of Isaac points forward to the cross of ChristFaith is generational: what walks in fathers can run in sonsThe Lord will provide. Even when life feels like it is falling apart, faith expects that God will be good. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this message from the “At Your Word” series, we look at Genesis 18:1–19 and ask: “God, what do You want?” Through Abraham’s encounter with the Lord near the trees of Mamre, we see that God’s will is not meant to trap us in fear or indecision, but to form us into people of faith—people who keep “the way of the Lord” by doing righteousness and justice.Genesis 18 shows us that God desires a people who worship Him extravagantly and trust Him outlandishly. Abraham’s generous hospitality in Genesis 18:1–8 becomes a picture of whole-life worship, while God’s promise to Sarah in Genesis 18:9–15 reminds us that nothing is too hard for the Lord. From Genesis 15:6 to Romans 12:1, we see that righteousness begins with believing God’s word and offering our whole selves back to Him.Key Scriptures:Genesis 18:1–19 — Abraham’s hospitality, Sarah’s laughter, and God’s purpose for AbrahamGenesis 18:14 — “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”Genesis 15:6 — Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousnessRomans 12:1 — Offering our bodies as living sacrificesMatthew 22:37–40 — Loving God and loving our neighborEphesians 5:18–20 — Worship and being filled with the Spirit1 Corinthians 12:4–11 — The Spirit working through the gifts of God’s people1 Corinthians 14:3 — Prophecy that strengthens, encourages, and comfortsGalatians 3:7 — Those who have faith are children of AbrahamLuke 18:8 — Will the Son of Man find faith on the earth?This sermon calls us to live with Abraham-like faith: worshiping God with our “muchness,” trusting His promises when they seem impossible, and walking in righteousness and justice as salt and light in the world. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

What does God want for His people in a city that feels broken, expensive, scattered, and hopeless?In this sermon, we look at Genesis 18 and Abraham’s bold intercession for Sodom to discover what it means to love God by loving what God loves. God calls His people to walk in righteousness and justice, to intercede boldly for others, and to remain a faithful preserving presence in the world.Abraham stood in the gap for a city. Jesus, the greater Intercessor, stood in the gap for the world.This message challenges us to pray for our city, our neighbors, our families, our coworkers, and even those who seem far from God—believing that God still moves through a faithful remnant.Key Scriptures:Genesis 18:16–33 — Abraham intercedes for SodomGenesis 18:19 — The way of the Lord: righteousness and justiceMark 12:30–31 — Love God and love your neighborGalatians 3:7 — Those of faith are children of AbrahamJohn 15:15 — Jesus calls us friendsMatthew 5:13 — You are the salt of the earthProverbs 14:34 — Righteousness exalts a nationRomans 3:10 — There is no one righteousRomans 5:19 — Through the obedience of one, many are made righteousHebrews 7:25 — Jesus always lives to intercede for usIf this message encouraged you, share it with someone who needs hope for their city, their family, or their future.Subscribe for more sermons and biblical teaching. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this sermon, “Make Room,” we continue our At Your Word series with a message from Genesis 13:1–18, where Abram and Lot face a moment of apparent scarcity. The land could not support both households, and quarreling arose between their herders. But the crisis was more than a problem—it was a test of faith.Abram responds with open-handed trust, giving Lot the first choice of land, while Lot responds by sight, choosing what looked best near Sodom. Through this contrast, we are invited to examine our own response when it feels like there is not enough room, opportunity, provision, or space.This message calls us to trust God as Provider, resist fear-driven grasping, prioritize kingdom relationships, practice generosity, and believe that God can make room for His people.Primary Text:Genesis 13:1–18Scriptures Referenced:Genesis 12:1–20Genesis 13:5–7Genesis 13:8–9Genesis 13:10–13Genesis 13:14–18James 4:1–3Luke 16:9Deuteronomy 11:10–12Psalm 1:1Numbers 22–24Matthew 1:12 Peter 2:7–8Key Themes:Walking by faith, not by sightApparent scarcity vs. God’s provisionOpen-handed generosityTrusting God to make roomChoosing faithfulness over self-sufficiencyPrioritizing relationships over resourcesResisting spiritual driftAbiding in Christ and following His wayWhen life tempts us to grasp, God invites us to trust. Abram’s altar reminds us that even when we do not yet possess the promise in full, we can worship the God who is faithful to fulfill His word. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this message, we continue our series on faith through the life of Abram, focusing on Genesis 15:1–6 and the “crisis of comprehension”—those moments when we believe God’s promise but cannot understand how He will fulfill it.Abram is 85, still childless, and wrestling with the gap between God’s word and his present reality. Yet Genesis 15:6 tells us, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” This sermon reminds us that faith is not the absence of questions; faith is choosing to trust God’s character and word even when the “how” is unclear.Key Scriptures:Genesis 15:1–6 — Abram believes God’s promise2 Corinthians 5:7 — “We walk by faith, not by sight”Hebrews 11:6 — Faith that pleases GodPsalm 103:13–14 — God remembers we are dustLuke 1:18–20, 34–38 — Mary’s faith vs. Zechariah’s doubtGenesis 16:1–4 — Sarai, Hagar, and taking matters into human handsHebrews 12:6 — The Lord disciplines those He lovesPsalm 37:4 — Delight in the Lord and the desires of the heartMatthew 19:16–22 — The rich young ruler and surrendered devotionThis message explores how to ask honest questions without demanding proof, how to avoid “Plan B” compromises, how to receive God’s “no” as love, and how to stand on the assurance of His word when circumstances do not yet make sense.Faith rests not on what we see, not on our desires, and not on our ability to force outcomes—but on what God has said. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this sermon from Genesis 12:1–4, we begin the series At Your Word by looking at the call of Abram and what it means to walk by faith. Abraham’s story shows us a better way to live—not by the pattern of “see, desire, take” seen throughout Scripture, but by the way of faith: hear, trust, obey.From Genesis 3:6 to Genesis 6:1–2, Joshua 7:20–21, and 2 Samuel 11:2–4, Scripture reveals the destructive pattern of human desire apart from God. But in Genesis 12, Abram hears the word of the Lord, trusts His promise, and obeys His command.This message explores how faith responds when God speaks, how worship confronts idolatry, and how God’s mercy meets us when we fail.Key Scriptures:Genesis 12:1–4 — God calls Abram to goGenesis 12:6–8 — Abram builds altars in CanaanGenesis 12:10–15 — Abram goes down to EgyptGenesis 13:1–4 — Abram returns to the altarGenesis 3:6 — see, desire, take in the gardenGenesis 6:1–2 — desire and taking before the floodJoshua 7:20–21 — Achan sees, covets, and takes2 Samuel 11:2–4 — David sees and takes BathshebaRomans 10:17 — faith comes by hearingJohn 10:27 — “My sheep hear my voice”Romans 14:23 — whatever does not proceed from faith is sinMatthew 28:18–20 — go and make disciplesGalatians 5:6 — faith working through loveThemes in this message:Walking by faith, not by sightHearing, trusting, and obeying God’s WordResisting the pattern of see, desire, takeWorshiping Jesus in the land of idolsEnduring hardship inside the will of GodReturning to God after failureThe mercy and faithfulness of the LordAbraham’s life reminds us that faith is not merely what we believe—it is how we live when God speaks. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this sermon, we continue exploring the biblical foundation for tithing—this time through the lens of righteousness and justice. From Proverbs 8:17–21 to the life of Abraham in Genesis 14–15, we see that honoring God with the first and best is not merely a law-code practice, but part of a well-ordered relationship with God that predates the Mosaic Law.Wisdom walks “in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice” (Proverbs 8:20), and Scripture shows that righteous people honor God with their wealth. Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek in Genesis 14:17–20, acknowledging God as his deliverer and provider. Jacob followed this pattern in Genesis 28:20–22, vowing to give God a tenth of all he received.This message traces how tithing connects to righteousness and justice—tzedakah and mishpat—from Abraham to Israel to the New Testament church. The tithe provided for those serving in God’s house (Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 18:3), supported the vulnerable among God’s people (Deuteronomy 14:28–29; Isaiah 1:17), and carries forward in New Testament generosity through the support of gospel ministry and care for those in need (Galatians 6:2–10; 1 Corinthians 9:13–14; 1 Timothy 5:3–8; 2 Corinthians 9:9).Key Scriptures: • Proverbs 8:17–21 — Wisdom walks in righteousness and justice• Genesis 18:18–19 — Abraham called to teach righteousness and justice• Genesis 14:17–24 — Abraham tithes to Melchizedek• Genesis 15:1 — God is Abraham’s shield and great reward• Genesis 28:20–22 — Jacob vows to give God a tenth• Numbers 18:21 — The tithe provides for the Levites• Deuteronomy 14:28–29 — The tithe supports the vulnerable• Galatians 3:29; 5:14; 6:2–10 — Abraham’s children fulfill the law of Christ• 1 Corinthians 9:13–14 — Gospel ministers supported by gospel giving• 1 Timothy 5:3–8 — The church cares for those truly in need• 2 Corinthians 9:9 — Generosity as enduring righteousnessRighteousness walks a path that abundantly provides. This sermon calls us to trust God, honor Him with our wealth, and participate in the flourishing of His church and His people. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!

In this sermon, Pastor Jake teaches on the biblical wisdom of tithing from Proverbs 3:9–10: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops…” Rather than asking, “Am I required to tithe?” this message reframes the question: “What is the wisest thing I can do with the money God has entrusted to me?”Rooted in Proverbs 3:1–10, this sermon explores how honoring God with the first and best of our increase is an act of trust, worship, obedience, and discipleship. Tithing is not merely a financial practice—it is a spiritual formation practice that trains our hearts to depend on God as Creator, Sustainer, and Provider.Key Scriptures:Proverbs 3:1–10 — Trusting the Lord, honoring Him with wealth, and receiving His provisionProverbs 1:7 — The fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdomProverbs 24:16 — The righteous may fall, but they rise againGenesis 1:1 — The meaning of “first” and the principle of firstfruitsDeuteronomy 28:8 — The Lord’s blessing on barns and work2 Chronicles 31:5–10 — Israel bringing tithes and firstfruits to the house of the LordMalachi 3:10 — Bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse2 Corinthians 9:6 — Sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly; sowing generously and reaping generouslyPhilippians 4:17–19 — Giving as a fragrant offering and God supplying every needIn this message:Tithing is presented as wise living, not merely religious obligationProverbs 3:5–6 shows that financial obedience begins with trustFirstfruits giving teaches us to give God the first and best, not leftoversSacrificial generosity is worshipGod’s commands are expressions of His love and faithfulnessThe local church is the biblical context for consistent, worshipful givingGenerosity forms us into people who trust God more deeplyThis sermon is a call to close the discipleship gap through obedience: to begin or renew the lifelong pattern of returning the first portion of our income to the Lord in faith, gratitude, and worship. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!