Captivated by joy (Preach notes)

The search for joy, and the discovery of something of great value is a foundational motivation for all people. In the parable of the treasure and the pearl (Matthew 13:44-46) Jesus tells a story about two men who find what they had always wanted, and they pull out all the stops and go to any extreme to get it. We notice that the exchange was not motivated by a threat, or motivated through a command. Rather in joy because of the great value, they made a great exchanged captivated by the vision to have the prize.

We receive Christ and His Kingdom in the same way, He shows us His beauty, value and worth and in comparison to what we behold in Him everything else looks comparatively less (Philippians 3:7-8 Loss compared To Christ). We embrace the joy, delight, pleasure of prizing, valuing the invitation to have the most Loving, kind, trustworthy person driving my 'car' (ruling over me, for me) for me. Jesus is of superior value because He invites us into His abundant limitless LIFE. As John Piper says "It’s as if a poor child entered a toy store and the owner said: you can have the best and most expensive toy in this store if you want it more than anything else".

The motivation for following Jesus is joy, and Jesus’ great value. Even if it did cost me everything the trade is not sad if I get Christ. The foundation is not sacrifice but His love. And Jesus does not motivate through control, punishment, or rules. Rather we see Him and get compelled, captivated and motivated by joy. He is Infinitely wonderful. And so we Abandon ourselves to Him and His love.

The Kingdom is not suppression of desire but freedom from slavery. Freedom from making something else our saviour that ultimately leads to feeling like this “If I don’t have that I’m nothing” Pretty much anything else you trust other than God will eat you alive and make you its Slave. Repentance is to say "I let go of that being my identity/saviour/validation in order to embrace freedom and joy

Jamie Lee, 12/10/2015

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Planning your Visit

New to Church?

Welcome! Whether you've just moved to the area, or have lived here all your life, we hope our website helps you to find out everything you want to know about our Church.

Some key information about the church...

When & where does the church meet?
What should I expect when I visit the church?
What happens to the kids at church?
Is there a dress code?
Will I have to join in?
I have more questions, how can I get in touch and ask them?

Where & when does the church meet?

The church meets every Sunday at 11:00 am for our Sunday Service. There is plenty of free parking around the CCK building. We are walking distance from Plumstead Train station and local buses. It’s good to get to the meeting 15 minutes early to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee before the service starts.

We meet at the church building in the middle of Plumstead

The address is:

46 Lakedale Road
Plumstead
London
SE18 1PS

You can see a map on our contact us page.

What should I expect when I visit the church?

You will receive a very warm welcome particularly from our Welcome Team who will be able to answer your questions and direct you to where you need to go.

Sunday is special because it’s the main opportunity in the week for the whole church family to gather, worship God, enjoy his manifest presence together, minister to one-another, receive encouragement and exhortation from God’s word and be refreshed by God’s Spirit and one-another’s friendship and support.

There will be approximately 45 mins of singing with opportunity for church members to pray, prophesy or read a passage from the bible. After the notices there will be a preach, we take time to understand the bible’s message and how this can teach us about God, about ourselves, about the world that we live in and about what authentic Christian lifestyle looks like in practice. At the end of the preach there is always a chance to respond.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are served after the service where there is plenty of time to meet new people and ask more questions.

What happens to the kids at church?

As a family church we are thrilled to have people of all ages involved in our Sunday morning meetings. Typically, after worshiping together for 30 minutes or so, the children and young people will leave for their own activities.

We have a fantastic programme for the kids at the Church for ages 0–14. Children stay with their parents at the start of the service as we worship (sing songs!) together for the first part of the morning. Someone will announce when the children need to go to their programme.

For more information about what happens in the children's work please visit the relevant age groups for you under church life.

Captivated by joy (Preach notes)

Planning your Visit

New to Church?

Some key information about the church...

Where & when does the church meet?

What should I expect when I visit the church?

What happens to the kids at church?

Is there a dress code?

Will I have to join in?

Useful Links...

I have more questions, how can I get in touch and ask them.