Sermon Archives

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the faithful suffer? Why do hard-working people lose their jobs? Why do good people get sick? Why do children rebel? Is there any hope to both humanity and this world’s fallen condition? Listen in as Pastor James talks about living faithfully when things aren’t easy and unveils the hope of God in hard things through Christ. 

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God is on a mission, and He has invited us to join Him. In doing so, we find meaning and purpose for our lives. Listen in as Davidson Jean-Rejouis teaches us from the first chapter of Genesis.

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There are little more confusing topics in the church, than the topic of hearing from God. You might have had experiences with some people saying, “God spoke to me.” Others saying, “God gave me a word for you.” Some people are constantly seeking signs from heaven or words of confirmation to know God’s will and make decisions. But is this the way that God intended for his people to hear his voice and know His will? The question is: Does God still speak, and if so, how? Listen in as Pastor James answers this question and talks about how God speaks and how we can hear his voice.  

Having a family is no easy calling. Mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, children, work, schedules, lists of to-do’s — so much happens throughout the week through sacrifice. So why would one go through all the trouble? On top of that, why would a family, on what is supposed to be one of the most restful, stress-free days of the week, take time to go to church? Listen in as Pastor James talks about the importance of family and about how, both through our physical and spiritual family, God intends to bless us and the world in the grace and knowledge of Christ. 

OUR NEW MOTTO:

“GOSPEL. FAMILY. MISSION.”

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“Discipleship” is a buzz word in Christian community. Many people use it, but oftentimes many have not experienced it, nor do they have a clear way of putting it to use. So what is discipleship anyway? Is there a purpose? What is the goal? Listen in as a Pastor James unveils our new vision statement, talks about what our church is seeking to accomplish, and reveals the method and goal of disciple making in our lives and faith. 

OUR NEW VISION:

“Making & Equipping Mature Followers of Jesus, for the Sake of God’s Glory, in Lilburn & the World”

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The church exists for Christ, and Christ’s mission when He came was to seek and save the lost. So how do we the church do this? How does Parkview Church, specifically think about and practice this? Listen in as Pastor James unveils our new mission statement and talks about how we as a church plan to intentionally engage people in this Bible belt culture that we live in.

OUR NEW MISSION:

“Creating a place for the wounded & weary to rest & be cared for by Christ & His people.”

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After 38 years of existence, Parkview church has seen its highs and lows. It has seen seasons of tears and rejoicing. It has seen seasons of plenty and little. The past four years of revitalization together have been fruitful. We are now in a season of growth. More leaders, more ministry, more children, and an increasingly healthy church with Christ at the core. But how did it happen? What was the strategy? Listen in as Pastor James tells the story of Parkview Church through Joshua 24 to remind us of our mighty and merciful God. 

In our current time in culture, one of the main messages that is embraced is: love is love. But is it really? The Bible says that God Himself is the definition of love. It’s important that we understand this because if the love we have does not start with God, Christ cannot be known. But with it, Jesus can be known and experienced by and through God’s people. Listen in as Pastor James talks about how God has set up the love of Christ to be lived among His people so that they would be blessed to grow in grace, mercy, and peace.

In 2 Samuel 9, we learn that God gives identity, but the problem is shame hides us and robs our identity. The good news is we don’t have to stay there because Jesus bore shame when he was crucified so that we would have our identity restored and now we can embrace truth and pursue community. Listen in as pastoral intern Dillon Bennett shares God’s Word with us.

We all encounter failure in our day-to-day life. It can cause us to doubt ourselves, our abilities, and our convictions. When it comes to our spiritual walk, when we sin, when our prayers are not answered the way we expected, when we see others in the church struggling, we need to hear truth and encouragement to help us persevere. God knows exactly what we are going through during those times. Listen in as Andrés Arráez teaches from 1 John 5:13-2, where God reminds us of His truth, so that we would be encouraged, be confident of our relationship with Him, and persevere. 

In the Christian faith, sharing one’s testimony (or story of hope) is common. A testimony must be obvious, true, believable, and ultimately found in the truth of the Scriptures. Did you know that the idea of testimony actually originates in God and that God himself has a testimony? So, what does He say? What does He want us to know? What is the main idea and summary? Listen in as Pastor James preaches from first John to review the testimony of God: Eternal life in Jesus Christ. 

According to research found in the US Library of Congress, counterfeit currency and pirated goods total around $1.7 to $4.5 billion year. As such, federal agents and local banks have techniques to recognize authentic currency from an inauthentic currency. They do this by studying the real thing. Listen in as Pastor James talks about how there is a real danger in an inauthentic/false Christianity, and how God by grace has given us the Scriptures to identify the real thing.

One of the most well-known phrases used in our culture is: love is love. This phrase is subjective, and the one who claims to have love is left to define it. But what about God? How does He define love? Listen in as a Pastor James preaches from 1 John 4 and demonstrates that love is not love, but rather that God is love and how through Jesus, God’s love is far greater and infinitely more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

We live in a post-modern, post-truth, post-Christian world. We are inundated in social media with an unlimited number of self-proclaimed teachers giving us the answers to the world problems. More and more, we hear that we are to look to our feelings, our hearts, and our preferences to guide us through life and that there is no absolute truth. Listen in as Andrés Arráez teaches us ways to discern false teachers and truth from error as presented in 1 John.

A recent survey was done to understand the shift and view of church in American Christianity. 1,300 people were interviewed that claimed to hold orthodox views of God and His Word. Ninety percent of those no longer attended church. The survey concluded that it wasn’t church hurt or bad experiences that kept them from attending church, but rather they believed that they could find God elsewhere. So why did God give us the church? Listen is Pastor James seeks to answer this question from 1 John 3:11-23.

Studies show that a father’s impact on the overall well-being of his children is more than substantial. His presence and role affect their person, health, and future. The Bible also gives God this title. Did you know that Jesus called God “father” more than 150 times in the gospels? This is important because whether we know it or not, we all consciously or subconsciously end up projecting our stories and experiences with our earthly fathers upon God. But God is different. He is perfect and gentle. He is gracious and unchanging. Listen in as Pastor James talks about the significance of God the Father in our life and faith, and how His love and presence is meant for us to flourish and be set free. 

We pursue Christ because He has already pursued us. We are to press on in Christ, even when the adversities of life are overwhelming. We mature in Christ as we pursue Him everywhere we live, work, and play. Listen in as Jeremy Prather teaches us from Philippians.

Unfortunately, one of the experiences within the church is witnessing some of its members fall and drift away from the faith. It breaks our hearts. It gets us thinking and stimulates questions. After all that we have seen to be good and true, what are we supposed to think about those who’ve left the faith? More importantly, concerning us, how we are to persevere and be assured that we will be kept? Listen in as Pastor James unveils the hope of the gospel in light of these thoughts and questions from 1 John 2:18-27.

Jesus makes it clear in the Scriptures that as we, His people, live in this world, we are not to be of it. But this is a hard task. Everyone is familiar with the luring temptations of evil and the temporary gratification offered through “things.” So how do we stay faithful? How do we resist temptation? How do we keep our eyes fixed on the prize while at the same time living in a world that is really good at distracting us and calling us away from God? Listen in as Pastor James brings us through 1 John 2:12-17 to unpack these questions.

As Christians, one of our greatest responsibilities is to love. This by itself is hard, but loving our enemies or those we are in tension with… that’s even harder. So how do we do this? What does God give us as a key to holiness, and what grace does He give us to do this? Listen in as Pastor James talks about the prize and power of Christ in the role of relational love. 

***This sermon can indeed be viewed. Click on the bottom “Watch on Facebook” under the blurb about being unavailable. 

Our life stories impact us more than we know. This is specifically seen in past relational dynamics that we had with our fathers. Whether we know it or not, what inevitably happens is that, as we think about or walk in relationship with God, we are tempted to project the past experiences of our story upon Him. This often happens when we mess up and sin. What does the Bible say God is like when we sin? Listen in as Pastor James answers this question and explains how the love of God the Father through Christ the Son is perfect and unchanging. 

With true and authentic things, there are often the threats or competition of inauthentic versions, imitations, or copies of things that are advertised to be something that they aren’t. This idea also applies to Christianity. So, how do we know that our faith is real? What marks does the Bible give us to help answer this question? Listen in as Pastor James preaches from 1 John 1:5-10 and talks about how to tell if our faith is true. 

How does a church stay a church? It is possible for a church to start with holy ambitions, right beliefs, and godly practices but eventually lose sight of the gospel. There are many reasons this can occur. Listen in as Pastor James talks about three key elements that keep a church a church, knitted together and united in Christ. 

When God made man, He intended him to live. Death was not the way it was supposed to be. However, through sin, death entered into the world and ruined the story of humanity. Some people live their lives seeking to avoid death. Others know it’s coming and seek to preserve their life as much possible, but the Bible says that the wise person meditates on death often. Listen in as Pastor James preaches on Jesus’ resurrection and how God uses it as a resolve and final hope to our story. 

Because the death of Jesus on the cross has eternal significance for every single human being that has ever and will ever live, it is incumbent to everyone to personally wrestle with the meaning of Jesus’ death. To help us do that, we need to understand the reason, the result, and the response to Jesus’ death on the cross. While people have had different responses to Jesus’ death on the cross, the question is what is our individual response? Listen in as Andrés Arráez  teaches us from the book of Mark.

Faith in Jesus Christ leads to a life that seeks to bring glory to God in everything you do. This includes how we communicate. As we seek to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, we must pursue communication that reflects the character of Christ. Listen in as Dr. Stephen Estock teaches us from Colossians.

***This sermon can indeed be viewed. Click on the bottom “Watch on Facebook” under the blurb about being unavailable. 

***This sermon can indeed be viewed. Click on the bottom “Watch on Facebook” under the blurb about being unavailable. 

One of the most encouraging things about Jesus in the Bible is that He invites all people to Himself. No matter the person, no matter the story, the amount or severity of sin, no matter situation or circumstance, Jesus, with arms wide open, says come. But people come to Jesus for all different reasons. They come with different requests, needs, desires, motives, and sometimes even demands. So the question is: “Does Jesus treat everyone the same?” Listen in as Pastor James answers this question from the gospel of Mark. 

Because we are sons and daughters of the Most High God, who is kind to the ungrateful and evil, you and I are called to think and act differently. To have a Kingdom of God mindset, not a mindset focused on self. Being in Christ, we can love our enemies and represent God well as His ambassadors in the midst of hate and persecution. Listen in as Andrés Arráez concludes the two week message, Loving Our Enemies.

As children of God, we are called to reflect His character and represent Him as His ambassadors before a lost and hurting world. We need to have a Kingdom of God mindset rather than a mindset of kingdom of self. Therefore, we need to know how God wants us to respond when we are hated and persecuted for the sake of Christ. In this two-part sermon, we will first go over how to reflect God’s mercy to those who are our enemies, and next Sunday we will cover how to love our enemies when they persecute us for the sake of Christ. Listen in as Andrés Arráez teaches us how to love our enemies.

At the beginning of each Sunday morning, we take time to read from the Scriptures in order to remind ourselves of the person and character of God. The reason why we do this is because we recognize that the idea of approaching a holy, righteous, just, and infinite God can be intimidating. After having imperfect weeks full of sin and shame and pain and doubt and skepticism and failure, etc., we wonder how is this God going to respond as we approach Him? Listen in as Pastor James answers the question “What makes Jesus Approachable?”

There are certain people called “faith healers” who gather crowds and stir people’s hope in God’s blessings and their healing. Usually paired with a financial gift, the offer is that a miracle is waiting to happen and blessing is about to come, but did Jesus really teach this? What happens if the miracle or blessing does not come? Is God still good? More importantly, is there still good news available for us? Tune in as Pastor James preaches from Mark 7:31-37 and talks about “The Priority of the Gospel in Supernatural Encounters with God”. 

***This sermon can indeed be viewed. Click on the bottom “Watch on Facebook” under the blurb about being unavailable. 

Although beggars aren’t all that common in our culture, they are still around. When encountered, many people pass by and won’t even look at them. But how about Jesus? In Mark 7, Jesus encounters a begging woman who asks Him to help her sick daughter. The way Jesus interacts with her is interesting. In fact, some might even say His words are offensive. But what do they mean? Listen in as Pastor James teaches on this and talks about “The Mercy of Christ for God’s World Mission.”

***This sermon can indeed be viewed. Click on the bottom “Watch on Facebook” under the blurb about being unavailable. 

Being crucified with Christ broke the power of sin over our lives. Being united with Christ empowers us to live in newness of life, and the love of God motivates us to live a life pleasing to Him and to reduce the discrepancy between who we are and how we act in our daily lives. Listen in as Andrés Arráez teaches us about “Reducing Discrepancy.”

In the South, Christianity is everywhere…on people’s lawn signs, on billboards, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and even in passing conversations. It’s safe to say that if you don’t go to church, you at least know someone who does, or at a minimum, can tell a story of an interaction with a religious person. So how do we interpret what we are seeing? What is valuable in God’s eyes and worthy of taking note? And, is there anything in religious culture that simply is waste of time? Tune in as Pastor James answers this question from Mark 7:1-23.

Whether we know it or not, we all bring certain ideas and expectations to church…ideas and expectations concerning what the church should look like, sound like, feel like, and especially ideas and expectations about the people. But, how does the Bible describe the church, and in what ways should the gospel influence how we see ourselves and others as we come to church? Listen in as Pastor James preaches from Mark 6:25-51 on “God’s Intentions for Us as Works in Progress.”

In the Gospel of Mark, Mark the author, clearly differentiates between the crowds that followed Jesus and the disciples. Some in the crowds followed Jesus because he was a good preacher, others because He did miracles, and others because He had become popular. But how about the disciples, why did they follow Jesus? What made them distinguishable amongst the crowds? Tune in as Pastor James preaches on the true marks of Christian discipleship. 

In our ever-changing culture and world, there are certain challenges that the Christian faces in the mission of speaking and embodying truth. So, what should the faith-filled person expect as they endeavor upon this mission, and how do God’s promises give assurance of His love and support? Tune is as Pastor James preaches on “The Call & Cost of Following Jesus.”

In the Gospel, we have been given a rich inheritance in Christ that is ours now and for eternity. But what about those that have no inheritance in Christ? What posture and heart are we to have towards them? Listen in as guest preacher Tony Thomas shows us the heart of Jesus towards those without this present inheritance and how He calls us to pursue them with His great love in the book of Joshua. 

When a celebrity returns home to his or her own town, he or she is often accepted and warmly welcomed for who they are and the things they have accomplished. However, in Mark chapter 6 as Jesus, the Son of God, returns to His home town Nazareth, He faces cold hearted rejection. What does this mean for us? Tune in as Pastor James teaches on “The Reality of Christ & Our Kingdom Mission.”

When you think about God being an all powerful God, what comes to mind? Is it His all-sufficiency? Is it His infiniteness? Is it that the Scriptures say that the whole earth sees Him and trembles and the mountains melt like wax before Him? All of these things are very good, but the best news concerning God’s power to us is His intimate mercy. Tune in as Pastor James teaches on this through the person and work of Jesus in Mark chapter 5:21-43.

Whether we know it or not, our life stories have shaped us into who we are and how we view, practice, and experience life. The families we come from play a big part in this, both the good and the bad. The good news of the gospel is that once we recognize the brokenness in our past, Jesus doesn’t tell us to disregard our families, story, culture, or place of origin, but with hope He redeems and makes all things new. Listen in as Pastor James elaborates on this idea in Genesis chapter 49. 

As the story of Jacob comes to a close, he becomes an instrument of the blessings that flow from the grace of God. In proclaiming a blessing on Joseph and his sons, Jacob (under his God-given name “Israel”) provides insight into the mysterious ways of God. God is not bound by human standards of blessing. Instead, God grants favor according to his gracious and merciful nature. In those divinely gracious standards, we have everlasting comfort and hope. Tune in as Dr. Stephen Estock teaches us from Genesis chapter 48.

God reigns and rules in the heavens, and at the same time, He loves and cares for us. However, it’s hard to take our theology and bring it down to earth to the small stuff. But what if we did? What if we believed and embraced the fact that God cares about the smallest details in our lives and families and that there is nothing about any of it that He says, “Eh, I’m too busy for that.” Tune in as Pastor James teaches on this truth from Genesis chapters 46 & 47.

The topic of forgiveness is not something reserved just for Christians, but one for all people. Studies conclude that unforgiveness and holding onto grudges damages, not only our psychological health, but our physiological health as well. So how do we forgive and experience true peace and freedom in the face of hard memories and people? Listen in as Pastor James preaches on the restoring power of Christ through forgiveness, and how to be healed in both the body and soul. 

It’s right for us to care about how we look on the outside, but the inside is what matters most. So how do you see yourself, and what do you look at to make sure you’re seeing yourself well? Listen in as pastor James preaches on Genesis 44 and asks the question “How do you see yourself before God?”

Why are we as humans tempted to show favoritism to some and not others? When we do, how does it affect people and the social environments we are apart of? Tune in as pastor James teaches on Genesis 37 and shows the impartiality of God and His saving work for us in Christ.

The Christian life is filled with completion and complexity. God is faithful to His promises and will bring them to completion in our lives. We are prone to wander away from God and can bring sin and complexity into our lives.

It’s easy in church culture to presume certain things about faith. One of the more common assumptions found in contexts like ours is knowing the answer to the question: “What does it mean to be a Christian and live for God?” Tune in as pastor James reveals how this is not just a question for seekers but something that even the most mature believer keeps reminding themselves of and living through.

The world is more broken than we can imagine. Pain and sorrow are part of the human experience. So, what are we supposed to do with it, and how are we supposed to think about it all? Well, it is necessary for Christians to embrace the sorrow in order to truly appreciate the hope found in the gospel. Jesus is the one who fills our tears and pain with hope for glory. Listen is as pastor James talks about how “The Wounds that Mar Us Bring Us Hope for Glory.”

*This week’s topic was a challenging one. It includes themes of sexuality and abuse.