The Pathway of Joyful Worship

There is a joy that cannot be manufactured.
A joy that money cannot buy.
A joy that circumstances cannot steal.
A joy that grows out of a heart that sees God clearly and responds wholeheartedly.

David has led the people in sacrificial giving — and their hearts are full.

But instead of focusing on numbers, strategies, or construction timelines, David does the most important thing a leader can do:

He worships.

Because generosity without worship is fundraising. But generosity rooted in worship is revival.

Let’s walk through David’s prayer and discover the pathway of joyful worship.

1 Chronicles 29:10-17
10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
 
1. JOYFUL WORSHIP BEGINS BY SEEING GOD AS HE IS (vv.10–11)

1 Chronicles 29:10-11
10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

Notice a few things here:

Bless – At its root, it means to kneel and favor.

So, I see David here taking a posture of humility…maybe he goes to his knees in front of all the people and then he:

• Blessed – or Favored God – “Blessed are you – You are our FAVORITE! We lower ourselves to show you worth!”

Then, notice the names of God he uses:

• O Lord– this is the covenant name of God, Yahweh – I am that I am…this is the special name for God for Israel…the God of Covenant Promise who obligates himself to keep his promises.
• The God of Israel our Father – this is Elohim – that’s the term for the word “God” here. Elohim is the supernatural being who created and rules over the universe.

So, the beginning point of David’s prayer, as he begins with God…seeing him for who He is –is that God is both Personal and All Powerful!

Then he adds, “…forever and ever.”

He’s both personal – keeping his covenant promises, and All powerful ruling over all – and he is this way forever and ever!

That means that He, the Lord, is this way today!

Are you seeing God as both personal to you, and all powerful – sovereign over all things?

• Are you stuck?
• Are you feeling that God doesn’t know or notice you?
• Are you lethargic to life, to him, to the opportunities right before you?

Do you know that you don’t have to live this way?
 
He’s personal to you. He knows you. He picked you. He died for you. He Rose from the Dead for you. He is a God of covenant! A promise Keeper.

And He is also all powerful. He’s a Way Maker.

• He moves mountains.
• He parts the waters.
• He brings rivers in the desert.
• He lays me down in green pastures.
• He leads me beside still waters.
• He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Are you fighting Him and His leading?
 
Friend, you aren’t going to win that one! He’s all powerful!

Look at his character and nature and lower yourself to him. Take a knee before Him and recognize His great worth!

Look now at verse 11a.

1 Chronicles 29:11a
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.

Listen to these five words…

• Greatness
• Power
• Glory
• Victory
• Majesty

These are words for the Hall of Fame Inductees, for Presidents, for Kings.

Greatness – “Eminence” – the property possessed by something or someone of Great Importance

I did a leader training for denominational leaders of a different denomination…won’t tell you which one – but the first event was at the leader of the denomination’s church. He was on the stage, and everyone kept thanking him and using this term – “Your Eminence.”

I was like…that’s wrong. That’s just a man…there’s no Eminence there!

But, it wasn’t my party! They just brought me in to invest into their leaders, so I did that.

Power – Physical Strength
Glory --  Splendor; the quality of being magnificent or splendid.
Victory – Another word for Glory – the State of High Honor
Majesty – that quality which inspires awe

Majesty is that feeling you get when you are filled with awe as you look out over the mountain range at the end of a long hike…as you see the beauty of the Caribbean Sea on a perfect vacation. It’s an awe because of how God reveals himself to us.

Verse 11 concludes with:

1 Chronicles 29:11c
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

This almost sounds like the end of the Lord’s prayer –

Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever!

David is making sure that God and all Israel knows that the Lord is to be lifted over all things in our lives…in our homes, in our families, in our work, in our accomplishments, in our nation!

So, he begins with God — not with the people, not with the project, not with himself.

The most important thing we must do before we commit to this project, is make sure we have a proper view of the Lord God. If we want joy, we must be a people of worship and adoration.

Joy begins with adoration. It begins with beholding God’s character. Let’s look at this second principle.

2. JOYFUL WORSHIP RECOGNIZES GOD AS THE SOURCE OF EVERYTHING (vv.12–13)

1 Chronicles 29:12-13
12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
 
Have you acknowledged what David acknowledges?

Here are three things right here that David acknowledges and the moment you begin to acknowledge these things in your life you look at your resources through the lens of STEWARDSHIP versus the lens of OWNERSHIP.

David Acknowledges…

• God owns everything
• God gives everything
• God sustains everything

Here is what is key -- This truth frees your heart, because…

What you give is simply returning what was already God’s.

Listen to Matthew Henry’s great commentary on this passage. I believe he has a fresh insight for us.

David was now old and looked upon himself as near his end; and it well becomes aged saints, and dying saints, to have their hearts much enlarged in praise and thanksgiving. This will silence their complaints of their bodily infirmities, and help to make the prospect of death itself less gloomy. David’s psalms, toward the latter end of the book, are most of them psalms of praise. The nearer we come to the world of everlasting praise the more we should speak the language and do the work of that world.[1]

One of the things that I have noticed with both my dad and my father-in-law, as that the older they have gotten, the more sensitive to the things of God they have become. They are more apt to shed a tear; they reflect on things that matter more; they have a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

Shouldn’t that be the case? That those of our church community that have walked with Jesus for 40 or 50 years are closer to the things of God and the heart of God than those of us younger in the faith?
 
Some of our saints at our West U campus have been members there since the 1950’s. They are full of joy at the prospect of what we are attempting to do in the life of our church. They are hoping to lead the way…they have led the way…and they are full of praise!

The closer we get to eternity, the closer we should be to the heart of God. And the more we praise and adore our Lord, the greater our joy will be.

The United States is currently in the midst of what economists call the Great Wealth Transfer—a historic shift of assets from older generations to younger ones. As members of the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers age, trillions of dollars in financial assets, real estate, businesses, and investments are being passed down to Generation X, Millennials, and eventually Gen Z. Various financial research firms estimate that tens of trillions of dollars—potentially more than $80 trillion over the next two decades—will change hands through inheritances and estate transfers. This is not just a private family matter; it represents one of the largest reallocations of capital in modern American history, with implications for philanthropy, housing markets, entrepreneurship, church giving, and nonprofit sustainability.

This transfer is significant because younger generations tend to invest, spend, and give differently than their parents and grandparents. They often prioritize digital assets, impact investing, social entrepreneurship, and causes aligned with their values. Financial advisors, churches, and nonprofit leaders are increasingly aware that this shift will reshape how generosity, stewardship, and legacy planning are discussed.

Matthew Henry notes that David in his old age gave joyfully. And, as we talked about last week, David led the way…the leader went first.

But let me also show you something. Many senior adults…those who have so much of this wealth that will be transferred -- so many of them have the mindset that when I die, I will give it away then. I will give some to the church, some to charities that I love, and some to my children.
 
And that is wonderful. The scripture tells us that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.
 
But what I want you to see is this: David didn’t wait until he died to give. Because when you do that, you miss the joy of seeing what is happening with your gift.

David didn’t miss out on the joy of generosity on this side of heaven. He didn’t hold it until his last breath and then release it after his heart stopped.

No, he released it on this side of heaven, and joy and praise was the fruit of the journey. He wasn’t conditioned by his financial advisor to hold it until the end, then give it out.

His financial advisor, the Lord, had been generous to him. And in return, he was generous.
As I mention this wealth transfer, I don’t know if you heard the second part of that information. The article I referenced mentioned that leaders in philanthropy, the church, etc, are going to see a shift in how giving takes place.

You see, the speculation is that the younger generations don’t give…at least they don’t give like their parents or grandparents did. These givers are less institutional and more cause driven.
 
Let me talk to our younger generations for a moment: If you don’t learn to give now, and find the joy in giving, and the faith-building in giving, there be far less joy in your life, your marriage, your home, and in your journey than if you learned to be a faithful, cheerful, willing giver.
 
Older saints, you have the privilege, and I would even say, responsibility, to lead with generosity because of your view of God, your walk with God, your love of God.

Younger saints, you have a responsibility to learn from your elders and not discard their faithfulness, but instead, see how they model giving in the here and now in order for the work of God’s house to be established, strengthened, sustained, and flourishing.

But more than you simply watching and observing, I want to challenge you to look at our Big God. I want to challenge you to look at his character. I want to challenge you to realize that God:

• Abounds
• Provides
• Goes Before You
• Blesses You
• Keeps You
• Promotes You
• Favors You
• Shines a light on you.

When I moved Brady to Atlanta in the summer of 2023, we were talking about next steps…his love of Emma and his desire to establish his home with her. We were talking about the journey ahead and I challenged him.

I said, “Big Jack...start tithing now…don’t wait for some day to tithe. You won’t ever feel you can afford it. But listen to me…this is how God invites you join him in what He is doing. This is how God tests you. You see, when you tithe, you trust the Lord for your daily bread. And he will highlight your labor. He will grow your faith. He will put a spotlight on you. Your bosses will say, ‘There is just something about Brady that I can’t put my finger on’…and then you will get promoted faster…you will be trusted more…you will be established by God himself in the marketplace.”

Now, let me show you where I am coming from, as some of you need to start your giving journey…

Malachi 3:6-10
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

In this prophetic message, Malachi the prophet speaks for God. He says:

• The Lord doesn’t change…But our narrative in North American Christianity is that God doesn’t expect you to tithe any longer. But again, his character and nature is, “I the Lord do not change.”
• Cain brought an offering when he got around to it. Abel brought the firstborn of the flock. – this was before the Law, as it is the next scene in the garden.
• Abraham brought a tenth to the Priest, Melchizedek…This too is before the law…but Abraham brought a tithe.
• Jesus never invalidated the tithe.

1. 
   
   1. Hebrews is the book that speaks of Jesus being a greater sacrifice…and all that he is greater than. If anywhere in the New Testament we expect to see it invalidated, it is in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 7, which lists tithing 5 times, but it isn’t ever stated that it has ceased. 

Many people tonight, and next Sunday will bring a commitment over and above their tithe. They will bring a commitment beyond 10%, as this journey is asking people to move beyond the tenth, and pour out blessing back on the Lord for the blessing that has been poured out on them.

Remember, Malachi 3:10?

Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

You say, how can you know that the people will bring more than the tithe to give to the house of the Lord for this initiative?

Because the People of God who have been tithing have been testing God year in and year out…and guess what? Year in and Year out God has been opening the windows of heaven and pouring down blessings upon them!

They will come confidently, they will come joyfully. They will come and they will rejoice because they have tested and tried God, as He has invited them to, and He has yet to fail them.

But, if you just can’t get there…and you need a little more push, let me show you what Tithing Promises to do for you:

Tithing Promise 1:

• The Curse is Broken – Malachi 3:9

You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

• 
  
  • 1.  V. 9 -- The curse is broken.  Tithing breaks the curse of greed and the curse of poverty.
  • Verse 9 says, “You are under a curse. . .”
  • Did you know that the curse of greed and poverty say the exact same thing?
    • Greed says, “If I had more, I would be happy.” 
    • Poverty says, “If I had more, I would be happy.”
    • Greed and poverty say the same things.  And Tithing breaks that curse and helps you discover contentment.
  • Tithing also breaks the curse of Self-Godness – I have made this money on my own and can do with it as I please. 
    • God has given you your very breath, your mind, your health, your strength, your passions, your ability to make wealth.
    • Tithing recognizes that He is God and I am not and it breaks the cursed thinking that I have done this on my own.

Tithing Promise 2:

• The Curse is Broken
• Tithing Releases God’s Bounty – Malachi 3:10

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

When I honor God with my first, it releases his resources to meet my needs.

Financially – God will meet your needs and also bless you.  He wants to bless you.

Relationally – Because it takes faith to tithe, that faith also filters through in every area of my life.  As a result, I am more gracious with others.

Spiritually – 2 Cor. 9:6 tells us that he who sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and he who sows generously reaps generously.

V. 10 of 2 Corinthians 9 shows me the benefit of my generous sowing:  “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”
 
Your spiritual imprint and impact and influence will increase as you honor God with your first fruits.

Again, we are looking at the Promises of God when we tithe. Here is what we can bank on:

Tithing Promise 3:

• The Curse is Broken
• Tithing Releases God’s Bounty
• Tithing Rebukes the Devourer – Malachi 3:11

I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.

• God says, “I will deal with the devourer.”  You see, tithing removes the authority that Satan has. We see that God does amazing things to guard us and protect us against what is coming against us.
• 
  
  • In my life, the enemy is rebuked off of my kids
  • The enemy is rebuked off of my business and my contracts
  • The enemy stops robbing my time and my creativity.

Tithing Promise 4:

• The Curse is Broken
• Tithing Releases God’s Bounty
• Tithing Rebukes the Devourer
• Tithing Highlights the Laborer – Malachi 3:12

Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

• You will be seen by others.
• God allow us to be seen, to be given opportunity, promotions, contracts, that we would not have otherwise gotten. 
• You are noticed and highlighted.
• Tithers get noticed by bosses, clients, and influencers.  These in authority can’t put their finger on it, but they are attracted to us in some way.

 
Tithing Promise 5:

• The Curse is Broken
• Tithing Releases God’s Bounty
• Tithing Rebukes the Devourer
• Tithing Highlights the Laborer
• Tithing Provides Blessing for God’s People – Malachi 3:10

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.

• The tithe meets the needs of the church’s ministry
• It enables the pastors and staff to be paid for their labor.
• It enables us to do the ministry we do week in and week out.
• It provides for parking, coffee, childcare, counseling services, our benevolent ministries and missions ministries.

When He knows your heart, you discover his heart and that he is working for you in ways you didn’t even know.

Now here is what is true…I want all of that for you. This is why I am in my son’s ear before he starts his first job in the marketplace…Brady…God will honor you…God will bless you…God will prosper you…God will protect you…Brady, your faith will grow…your trust in the Lord will increase.

I’m not teaching you anything I’m not teaching my own children. I want their prosperity…your prosperity…our prosperity together. And when you Start Your Giving Journey…When you grow in this grace of Giving…there is joy!

Will you use Pathways to begin your giving journey? Test God in this!

Let’s look at principle 3.
3. JOYFUL WORSHIP FLOWS FROM HUMILITY (vv.14–15)

1 Chronicles 29:14-15
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.

“But who am I… that we should be able to offer willingly?”

This is the heartbeat of worship:

• I don’t deserve the opportunity to give
• I don’t deserve the resources to give
• I don’t deserve the joy of giving

And then notice how David harkens back to Israel’s history – “For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were…”

When you listen to people’s giving testimonies, notice how many of them harken back to their humble beginnings. Notice how they reference a moment when they were young…when they had to walk by faith…and their story is one of God’s great faithfulness!
Application: My friend, everything is grace. The humble heart is the joyful heart.

Principle four…
4. JOYFUL WORSHIP CONFESSES GOD AS OWNER (v.16)

1 Chronicles 29:16
O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.

This is our campaign theme: “All this abundance… comes from Your hand…Everything Belongs to You!”

Here is what this says to us:

• Everything we bring was God’s before it was ours.
• It says…God supplies the resources, the ability, and the desire to give.
• It shows us that Seeing God as Owner eliminates fear — if it’s His, He will continue to provide.

And then here is an image for us to consider when we consider what this verse says to us:

• Worship is most joyful when we see ourselves as channels, not reservoirs.

Last Principle…
5. JOYFUL WORSHIP PURSUES UPRIGHTNESS OF HEART (v.17)

1 Chronicles 29:17
 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.
 
God tests us through the journey of giving. It’s a spiritual journey, first. God tests:

• Motives…intentions…desires…and affections as He…
• 
  
  • evaluates the heart before the hand.
  • And as He shows us that Motives matter more than amounts.
• Joyful worship requires integrity, sincerity, and pure motives, as God takes pleasure in upright, willing hearts.

David leads the people into joyful worship by lifting their eyes:

• to God’s greatness
• to God’s provision
• to God’s ownership
• to God’s grace
• to God’s pleasure

Joyful worship is not about money. It is about seeing God clearly and giving freely.

  [1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 580). Hendrickson.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at our CityRise Bellaire campus. Check out the full message below!