Same circumstances but two different conclusions 

In Numbers 13 we read about two totally different view points and perspectives on the very same circumstances. The circumstance itself is not as much of a problem as the conclusion we place on circumstances. The 10 spies see the same things as Caleb and Joshua but come to two different conclusions. Joshua and Caleb came to a completely different conclusion about the land compared to the other 10 spies. For one group the problem was bigger than God.  Faith isn’t blind, faith isn't denial, faith can admit there are giants, and acknowledge there are fortified cities. Why then such opposing conclusions. Why did Caleb and Joshua believe they could take the land and the 10 spies believed that same land would devour them? Their viewpoints were rooted in thier identity, how they saw themselves. Caleb and Joshua saw themselves as conquorers and the 10 spies saw themselves as grasshoppers.  The 10 spies projected their personal conclusion's, their self interpretation, their assumption's onto the giants. "We are grasshoppers and thats how they see us too". It created a victim mentality, not a victor mentality. How we interpret ourselves will be how we interpret the world. How we interpret ourself is how we will interpret our circumstances. They viewed themselves as powerless victims, and that’s how they viewed their circumstances.  If we want to see the World like Joshua and Caleb we must first change our view of who we think we are. Too often we consider oursleves as weak, and irrelevant, then we project that upon our community too, they think we are weak, inconsequential too.  Caleb and Joshua broke out of the pack. Had a new perspective. Caleb and Joshua had a hope mind set. They acknowledged the presence of the giants and the challenges. But they saw the fruit, the possibility and the confident expectation that victory was theirs. They saw a truth that was higher than their circumstances. God loves to partner with people who are unreasonably optimistic. King David was unreasonably optimistic when he went after Goliath. David wasn’t realistic when he said he would cut the giants head of with a sword he didn’t yet have. 


Caleb silenced the people, whatever we talk about a lot we will see more of. The ten spies painted a picture of how difficult it would be. Painted a picture of the problems, and the obstacles. Need the lenses of Joshua and Caleb. Worry is imagining your future without God. Worry doesn’t factor in God. Worry is concluding "This is what it will look like if God doesn't show up". We paint a picture of God not being there. We use our imagination to undermine faith and create negative faith. Give your imagination over to the Holy Spirit. Filter your thoughts through the word, this is who God is, this is what God does. He is really good, and really big, and wise, and loving, and trustworthy. View all your circumstances through the lens of confident expectation. (Based on LDP 2 Believing God in My Circumstances, Video Conference October 2015)












 

Jamie Lee, 07/12/2015
Hello
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

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...

 

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.

Is there a dress code?

No! Please just be yourself and come dressed in your 'normal' clothes.

 

Will I have to join in?

Not at all!
You are free to simply observe or participate as much as feels comfortable for you.

 

Useful Links...

We have more information for you specifically if you…

 

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

Please feel free to contact us.