Podcast
Cathedral
Hosted by Cathedral · EN
Welcome to the podcast of Cathedral, a church for the people of Los Angeles and Nashville. Our lead Pastors are Jake and Nicole Sweetman and we pray these episodes leave you encouraged, strengthened, and confident in God’s love and good plan for your life. To connect with us or find out more about Cathedral, visit www.cathedral-church.com/
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Episodes
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Thy Kingdom Come, My Will Be Done (The Quiet Creep of Pride) | Pastor Amara Ononiwu
2w ago00:33:18Tap to summarizeIn this powerful message on pride and humility, we explore how pride rarely storms the gates of our hearts—it quietly creeps in whenever our will begins to replace God’s rule in our lives. Drawing from both Scripture and personal testimony, this sermon calls us out of self-sufficiency and into honest dependence on Jesus.Key Themes & Scriptures:The spiritual danger of prideProverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction…”James 4:6 – “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Proverbs 28:26 – “Those who trust in themselves are fools…”Pride as self-centeredness and self-ruleGenesis 3 – Adam and Eve seeking wisdom apart from GodGenesis 11 – Tower of Babel: “Let us make a name for ourselves”Daniel 4:28–37 – Nebuchadnezzar’s boast and God’s humblingTim Keller and C.S. Lewis on pride as “the great sin” (cf. Mere Christianity)How pride blinds usProverbs 3:5–7 – “Trust in the Lord…lean not on your own understanding…Do not be wise in your own eyes.”James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word…Do what it says.”Psalm 139:23–24 – “Search me, God, and know my heart…”Mislabeling pride in our livesDefensiveness, control, comparison, isolation, and self-protectionCalling control “leadership,” avoidance “peace,” isolation “independence,” and stubbornness “conviction”Pride and our God-given purposeGenesis 1:26–28 – Made in God’s image, called to steward and fill the earthEphesians 4:11–16 – The body builds itself up in love as each part does its workHow pride steals glory from God, diminishes the beauty of the bride, and hinders our mission to the cityThe way of Jesus: humilityPhilippians 2:5–8 – Christ humbling Himself to the point of death on a crossBiblical humility as honest dependence, not self-hatred or false modestyTurning from self-rule back to the lordship of Christ through repentanceRepentance as a gift of graceJames 4:6–10 – Grace to the humble, drawing near to God1 John 1:9 – Confess, and He is faithful and just to forgiveJeremiah 29:13 – Seeking God with all our heartThis message invites you into a time of Holy Spirit–led self-examination, repentance, and surrender. Learn how to recognize the subtle language of pride, break agreement with unhealthy independence, and step into the freedom, beauty, and power of a humble, Christ-centered life. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →The Weight of Honor | Pastor James Crocker
3w ago00:44:08Tap to summarizeIn this message, “The Weight of Honor,” we explore how Scripture defines honor in a culture that often distorts it. Honor isn’t celebrity culture, blind loyalty, or manipulation—it’s recognizing the God-given weight, glory, and dignity He’s placed on every person (Psalm 8:4–5; Genesis 1:26–27).Tracing the biblical story, we see:We were created with honor (Psalm 8:4–5; Genesis 1:26–28)Humanity distorted honor through sin (Genesis 3; Genesis 4:1–10; Genesis 9:20–27; Genesis 37)Jesus restores honor (John 13:3–15; Luke 7:36–50; Mark 10:42–45)The church practices honor (Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 2:17; Philippians 2:3–4)All honor becomes worship to Jesus (Revelation 4:9–11; Revelation 5:12–13)Key themes in this sermon:Honor starts with seeing clearlyHonor recognizes the weight God has placed on people, not just what’s visible now (1 Samuel 16:6–7).Jesus calls identity and destiny out of imperfect people like Peter (Matthew 16:18; John 1:42).We’re urged to “consider” how to spur one another on (Hebrews 10:24–25) and to use our words to build up, not tear down (Ephesians 4:29; Proverbs 18:21).Honor takes responsibilityHonor doesn’t just hear; it responds in obedience and participation (James 1:22–25).Peter’s weary yet honoring “because You say so” (Luke 5:4–6) shows how honor treats God’s word and His assignments as weighty.The body of Christ is called to play its part so the whole church is built up (Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Nehemiah 3).Honor creates courageOur response to leadership affects how leaders lead (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13).Honor provides trust and room for courageous, Christlike leadership—strong enough to lead, humble enough to wash feet (John 13:3–15; Mark 10:42–45).We’re invited to watch our words and examine our hearts (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 10:19; James 1:19–20).Honor coversGod covers Adam and Eve even in their failure (Genesis 3:7, 21).Shem and Japheth cover Noah’s shame while Ham exposes it (Genesis 9:20–27).Jesus restores Peter privately and recommissions him (John 21:15–19; Luke 22:31–32).Love “covers” a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8) – not by ignoring truth, but by holding truth and dignity together (Galatians 6:1–2).Ultimately, all honor is worship. When we honor God, spiritual leaders, coworkers, family, and even the overlooked, we are recognizing the weight He has placed on them (Colossians 3:23–24; Matthew 25:40). Honor is the way of the kingdom—an unshakable kingdom that will outlast every earthly nation (Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 11:15). 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →Loveless in Babylon (Revelation 17 + 18) | Pastor Jake Sweetman
4w ago00:32:01Tap to summarize🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →Holy Work (HSC) | Pastor Sam Picken
Jun 2300:34:27Tap to summarizeIn this message, discover how God calls every believer into “holy work” empowered by His Spirit—not just inside the church, but in creativity, business, parenting, and everyday vocation.Drawing from Colossians, Ephesians, and the sweep of the biblical story, this sermon explores:The sacred nature of workWork in Eden before the fall – Genesis 1:26–28; 2:15Co-laboring with God in His mission – 1 Corinthians 3:5–9Making disciples as the core “work” of every believer – Matthew 28:18–20; John 15:1–8Living in the fifth act of God’s storyCreation, Fall, Israel, Jesus, Church, New Creation – Genesis 1–3; Exodus 19–20; Jeremiah 31:31–34; John 1:14; Acts 1:8; Revelation 21–22Our place in God’s unfolding drama – Acts 13:36; Ephesians 2:10In Christ: the engine of holy workFully mature “in Christ” – Colossians 1:28–29; 2:5–7, 9–10Firm faith in Christ vs. hollow tradition – Colossians 2:8–17Abiding in Christ for lasting fruit – John 15:4–5A New Testament view of SabbathSabbath as a shadow; Christ as the substance – Colossians 2:16–17Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath – Matthew 12:1–8; Mark 2:27–28Rest not as a rigid day but a Person we live in – Matthew 11:28–30; Hebrews 4:1–11Power for the assignmentStrenuously contending with His energy – Colossians 1:28–29 (NKJV/NIV)Dunamis and energeia: resurrection power at work in us – Ephesians 1:18–20; 3:16–21You will receive power and be My witnesses – Acts 1:8Calling creatives and business leadersCommissioning creatives to disciple through art, music, and media – Exodus 31:1–5; Psalm 33:3Commissioning marketplace leaders as kingdom builders – Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 11:25; Luke 16:10–12Learn why vision is the antidote to sin (Proverbs 29:18), why mature Christians go to church full to leave empty in service (2 Timothy 4:6–8), and how to live a life of costly, joy-filled obedience that ends each day exhausted but deeply at rest in Christ. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →Spirit Filled, Spirit Led (HSC) | Pastor Fillmore Bouldes
Jun 2300:42:57Tap to summarize🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →Heaven Sent (HSC) | Pastor Jake Sweetman
Jun 2300:41:23Tap to summarizeIn this message, Pastor Jake unpacks Acts 19:1–10 to show how the early church multiplied through ordinary disciples clothed with extraordinary power. Beginning with Paul’s encounter with the “about twelve” in Ephesus, we see the clear biblical distinction between repentance, water baptism, and Spirit-empowerment for mission (Acts 18:24–28; Acts 19:1–7; Luke 3:16).Drawing on Luke–Acts, Pastor Jake explains how Scripture contrasts John’s baptism of repentance with Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:15–17; Acts 1:4–8; Acts 2:1–4, 38–39). He highlights how Luke consistently describes the Spirit’s work as being “filled,” “receiving,” “poured out,” and “coming upon” (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 8:14–17; 10:44–48; 19:6), emphasizing that this is an ongoing, available gift—not a one-time religious formality.This sermon calls listeners to:• Move from being mere beneficiaries of the gospel to empowered agents of the gospel (Acts 8:4; 11:19–21; Romans 10:14–15).• Pray prophetic promises into fulfillment, like Daniel did with Jeremiah’s word (Daniel 9:1–3; Jeremiah 29:10–14; 1 Timothy 1:18–19).• Renounce divided allegiances and rival spiritual powers—crystals, tarot, horoscopes, new age practices, and manipulative anger—as modern forms of sorcery (Acts 19:18–20; Ephesians 4:26–27; 1 Corinthians 10:20–21; Galatians 5:19–21).• Seek fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit amid opposition, as in Acts 4:23–31, recognizing that God empowers soldiers, not spectators (Ephesians 6:10–18; 2 Timothy 2:3–4).Through the story of Ephesus becoming a missional hub—so that “all who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10; cf. Colossians 1:6–8; Revelation 2–3)—Pastor Jake casts vision for churches today as apostolic centers in cities and regions, multiplying campuses and works by the Spirit’s power, not human ambition (Zechariah 4:6; Acts 13:1–3).If you hunger for more than comfortable Christianity and long to see bold proclamation, spiritual gifts, repentance, and city-shaping impact, this message will call you to the altar of availability, to be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →Equipping Everyone To Equip Everyone | Pastor Sam Picken
Jun 2300:43:56Tap to summarizeIn this message, Pastor Sam Picken from C3 Assembly in Toronto unpacks a robust, biblical vision of discipleship and equipping in the local church, drawing primarily from Ephesians 4 and the “net‑mending” call on every believer.Built around Ephesians 4:11–16, this sermon explores how Christ gives apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up… attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Pastor Sam clarifies that:Christians are born again in a moment (John 3:3–7; 2 Corinthians 5:17), fully righteous in Christ (Romans 3:21–26),But disciples are made over time, moving from spiritual infancy to maturity (Hebrews 5:12–14; 1 Corinthians 3:1–3).Using the language of Ephesians 4:14, he contrasts mature disciples with “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves” of culture, ideology, and deceitful schemes (John 10:10; Colossians 2:8). The message calls believers to resist a me‑centered, consumer Christianity (Luke 9:23–25; Mark 8:34–36) and embrace a life of surrender, holiness, and mission.Pastor Sam lays out a holistic view of discipleship that includes:Personal devotion and prayer (Matthew 6:5–13; Acts 2:42)Weekend services and corporate worship (Hebrews 10:24–25; Psalm 122:1)Godly friendships and groups (Proverbs 13:20; Acts 2:46–47)Serving on teams and submitting to leadership (Mark 10:43–45; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 4:10)Drawing on the Greek word for “equip” (katartismos) in Ephesians 4:12, he illustrates discipleship as mending, repairing, and strengthening nets—restoring people to purpose (Matthew 4:18–22), arranging their lives according to God’s design (Romans 12:1–2), and helping them become “useful to the Master” (2 Timothy 2:20–21).Throughout the sermon you’ll hear:A prophetic encouragement for a young couple to step into calling and strict training (1 Corinthians 9:24–27)A challenge to shift priorities—finances, time, and relationships—toward the kingdom (Matthew 6:19–24, 33; 2 Corinthians 9:6–8)A call for every believer to move from only receiving to also pouring out (John 7:37–38; Acts 20:35)Anchored in John 6:35, Jesus as the “bread of life,” Pastor Sam describes discipleship as one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread. Every conversation, text, coffee, and small group becomes an act of sharing that bread and mending the net so others can step into fullness of life in Christ (John 10:10; Colossians 1:28–29).The message closes with Romans 15:13, praying that the God of hope would fill believers “with all joy and peace as you trust in him,” so they overflow with confident hope through the Holy Spirit—and join God’s work of equipping everyone to equip everyone. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →Follow the Smoke (Revelation 15:1-8) | Pastor Jake Sweetman
Jun 1500:38:02Tap to summarizeIn this sermon, Pastor Jake unpacks Revelation 15 and invites us to “follow the smoke” of God’s presence through the wilderness of this age. Drawing rich parallels between Revelation and the Exodus story, he shows how the same fire that judges evil (Revelation 15:1, 7–8; Exodus 9–12) becomes protection and sanctuary for those who stand in the “burned over place” of the cross (Isaiah 53:4–6; Galatians 2:20).Key themes include:New Exodus & the WildernessSee how Revelation presents the church as God’s people on a wilderness journey (Revelation 12:6, 14; 15:2–4), echoing Israel’s path from Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 14–17; Deuteronomy 8:2–3). We are learning to guard our allegiance to the Lamb (Revelation 14:1–5) and resist the dragon, the beasts, and Babylon (Revelation 12–13; 17–18).Plagues, Justice, and the Prayers of the SaintsExplore how the seven bowls of wrath (Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1–21) mirror the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7–12) and are connected to the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–5). God’s judgment is His measured, righteous response to evil (Romans 2:5; 2 Peter 3:9–10) and His answer to our longing for justice (Luke 18:1–8).Sea of Glass & Song of Moses and the LambJohn’s vision of the sea of glass glowing with fire (Revelation 15:2) recalls Israel standing safe on the far side of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21–31). At the very center of judgment imagery is worship: the people of God singing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Revelation 15:3–4; Exodus 15:1–18; Psalm 98:1–3). Worship and presence are inseparable (Revelation 4–5; John 4:23–24).Smoke, Glory, and the Way InThe temple filled with smoke (Revelation 15:5–8) points back to God’s glory filling the tabernacle and making it unenterable (Exodus 40:34–35) and the temple scenes of Isaiah and Ezekiel (Isaiah 6:1–7; Ezekiel 10:3–4). Pastor Jake shows how this is not exclusion but invitation: the Lamb is both sacrifice and high priest (Hebrews 4:14–16; 9:11–14; 10:19–22), the only way into God’s presence (John 14:6).From there, the message presses home three Spirit-formed works in our wilderness journey:Provision – Learning dependence as God provides in supernatural ways (Exodus 16–17; Matthew 6:25–34; Philippians 4:19). True maturity is not independence from God but joyful reliance on Him (John 15:5).Protection – Living boldly in a world where the dragon wages war on the church (Revelation 12:17; 13:7), yet knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:31–39; John 10:27–30; Psalm 91:1–4).Preparation – Allowing the wilderness to expose and sanctify our hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2; 1 Peter 1:6–7; James 1:2–4). Through community, correction, and surrender, we are being formed into a people ready for honorable use (2 Timothy 2:20–21) and for the age to come (Revelation 21:1–5).If you’re walking through fire, wrestling with dependence, or facing spiritual opposition, this message calls you to stand in the finished work of Jesus, follow the smoke of His presence, and trust His provision, protection, and preparation in the wilderness. 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →The Coming Crisis (Revelation 14:6–13) | Pastor Jake Sweetman
Jun 800:33:56Tap to summarizeIn this sermon, Pastor Jake unpacks Revelation 14:6–13 as a discipleship manual for life in a culture drunk on self-worship. Revelation, from the Greek apokalypsis—“unveiling” (Revelation 1:1)—is shown not merely as an end-times roadmap, but as God’s revelation of heavenly reality breaking into everyday life.Walking through Revelation 13–14, this message contrasts the deceptive “unholy trinity” of dragon, sea beast, and land beast (Revelation 12–13) with the “eternal gospel” proclaimed by an angel in mid-heaven (Revelation 14:6–7; Matthew 24:14). You’ll see how modern idols of autonomy, comfort, and success mirror the seductions of Babylon—a symbol for every culture that builds its own kingdom in defiance of God (Revelation 14:8; 17–18; Genesis 11:1–9; Jeremiah 51:6–8).Key themes include:The Eternal Gospel & Coming JudgmentThe angel’s global call: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7; Acts 17:30–31; Hebrews 9:27).Judgment spoken as certain and imminent, underscoring God’s mercy in warning (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16–18).Babylon’s Wine & the Dragon’s Wrath“The maddening wine of her adulteries” (Revelation 14:8; 17:2) as a picture of seductive passion (thumos) that is actually wrath in disguise (Revelation 12:12).How cultural norms around money, sex, power, and achievement quietly reshape our worship (Romans 1:21–25; 1 John 2:15–17).Allegiance, Worship, and Everyday LifeBabylon as a worship category, not an income bracket (Matthew 6:19–24; Luke 4:5–8).Redeemed success: the same “pearls and gold” that corrupt Babylon adorn the New Jerusalem when used for God’s glory (Revelation 18; 21:18–21).Bold Witness in “Midair”The angel’s visible, audible witness (Revelation 14:6) as a picture of the church as “a city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14–16; Philippians 2:14–16).Practical boldness: sharing your story, praying for others, and living publicly for Christ (Acts 1:8; Acts 4:29–31).Patient Endurance & Spirit-Empowered Faithfulness“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God” (Revelation 14:12; Revelation 1:9; 13:10).The blessing over those who “die in the Lord” and finish their race well (Revelation 14:13; 2 Timothy 4:7–8; Matthew 24:13).How simple, ongoing obedience opens our ears to the Spirit’s voice (John 14:15–17; Galatians 5:16–25).The message closes with a clear invitation to transfer your allegiance from the doomed city of Babylon to the eternal kingdom of the Lamb (Revelation 17–19; 21–22), trusting the One who loved you and gave Himself for you (Romans 5:8; Galatians 2:20). 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →From Pilgrims to Pioneers | Elijah Lamb
Jun 100:38:01Tap to summarizeIn this sermon, we explore why the Trinity isn’t a theological side note but the very center of Christian faith, shaping how we understand God, creation, the cross, and life in the Spirit.Beginning with God’s self-revelation as “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14) and the doctrine of divine aseity, we look at what it means that God is utterly self-sufficient—and why our cultural obsession with radical independence is a distortion of our created design (Genesis 1:26–27; Psalm 100:3).From there, we unpack the profound claim that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). If love necessarily involves a lover and a beloved, then only a triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—can be love in Himself from all eternity (John 17:24). We consider creation as both creatio ex nihilo and creatio ex amore—God making all things out of nothing and out of His overflowing love (Psalm 33:6; Psalm 136; Colossians 1:15–17; John 1:1–3).We then trace how the same self-giving love revealed in creation is unveiled at the cross. Jesus’ crucifixion is not God acting “out of character,” but the clearest revelation of who God has always been (John 8:28; Romans 5:6–8; Revelation 13:8). The Father, Son, and Spirit act inseparably in salvation just as in creation: the Father sends, the Son is sent, and the Spirit conceives, empowers, and applies Christ’s finished work (Luke 1:35; John 1:29–34; Hebrews 9:14).Next, we look at Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit as God’s way of bringing us into His own triune life of love (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1–4; Romans 5:5). By the Spirit, the Father and Son “make their home” with us (John 14:16–23), so that we now remain in Him and He in us (1 John 3:24; John 15:1–11). God’s love doesn’t sit still; it “compels” us outward in mission (2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Matthew 28:18–20).Finally, we connect this to the movement from pilgrims to pioneers:Like the crowds in Acts 2, we ascend as pilgrims to encounter God in worship and community (Psalm 24:3–6; Hebrews 10:24–25).Filled with the Spirit, we are sent out as pioneers of the gospel to the nations, carrying the same self-giving love we see in Father, Son, and Spirit (Acts 2:5–11; Acts 8:4; Romans 10:13–15).The message concludes with a clear invitation to repentance, faith, and full surrender to Jesus (Mark 1:14–15; Romans 10:9–10; Ephesians 2:8–9), and a prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit to live in and live out the eternal love of God (Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:22–25; Jude 20–21). 🌐 Follow Us:- Website: cathedral-church.com- Instagram: instagram.com/cathedral.church- New to faith? Sign up for our 5 week daily devotional!
Transcribe →