Worship Services Featured

What Do People Want

02 Jan 2026 • 3 min read

Scripture References

Opening prayer of gratitude for God’s faithfulness and for pardon through Christ’s blood.
Continuation of the post-Christmas Philippians series; sermon dovetails with last week’s focus on Great-Commission-minded “resolutions.”
Central inquiry: “What do people really want, and how are those desires met in Christ?”

Pastor tracked every request/question he received in one week; discovered six universal longings.
Parallel drawn with Psalm imagery (“deer pants for water”) and Isaiah’s warning about spending on what does not satisfy.
Anchor text (Phil. 4:11–13, 19): Paul’s secret of contentment and God’s pledge to supply “all your needs according to His riches in glory.”

Frequent pastoral request, especially in urban ministry: immediate need for meals or grocery money.
Biblical examples: Egypt’s famine (Gen 41-47); crowds wanting to crown Jesus after being fed (John 6).
Christ’s declaration, “I am the bread of life”—only He ultimately quenches physical and eternal hunger.

Typical questions: misplaced “verses” (e.g., “Cleanliness is next to godliness”), curiosity about the Ark, etc.
Knowledge can edify or “puff up” (1 Cor 8:1).
True liberating knowledge = abiding in Christ’s teaching (John 8) and knowing God personally, not merely intellectually.
Caution against prideful learning and AI/technology that increase pace but not peace.

God designed communal life—families, friendships, church fellowship.
Illustration: wide front porches of older neighborhoods vs. isolated back-deck living today.
Jesus calls disciples “friends” (John 15:13–15) and models sacrificial companionship.
Warning: bad company corrupts; choose friends who cultivate Christ-likeness.

Premarital counseling observations: genuine affection vs. emerging coldness when criticism takes root.
Love involves risk (100 %/100 % commitment), yet God’s love is unwavering and initiatory (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19).
Counsel couples toward reconciliation, not “how to divorce.”

Self-image anxieties (nose too big, too tall/short, aging).
Distinction between external glamour and inner spiritual beauty; latter is God-crafted.
“Artificial beauty” (make-up, filters) contrasted with authentic Christ-formed character.

Culture equates happiness with accumulation—cars, homes, brands.
Rockefeller anecdote: “Just a little more.”
Jesus’ parable of the rich fool: possessions cannot secure the soul (Luke 12:16-21).
True happiness flows from what possesses us—Christ, not commodities.

Every human longing—material, intellectual, relational, emotional, aesthetic, existential—is ultimately met in Jesus.
Contentment is learned (Phil. 4) as believers rely on Christ’s enabling strength.
God’s “inexhaustible account” supplies needs, not necessarily greeds, according to His glorious riches.

Daily acknowledge specific desires; surrender them to Christ in prayer.
Engage in Scripture intake to pursue true knowledge of God, not trivia.
Cultivate Christ-centered community: invite neighbors, share meals, attend small groups.
Practice self-giving love—serve spouse, family, and church without score-keeping.
Refocus on inner beauty: ask the Spirit to reveal and heal hidden blemishes.
Simplify possessions; practice generosity as an antidote to consumer-driven “happiness.”

God alone satisfies every legitimate want; outside of Him, pursuits prove empty.
Invitation: receive or renew commitment to Christ at the year’s outset.
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper: tangible reminder that Jesus’ broken body and shed blood secure forgiveness and fullness.

Benediction thanked God for another “trip around the sun” to worship the Son.
Petition for transformation into Christ’s image and empowerment to serve a world “that desperately needs Jesus.”

Chorus: “If You Want Joy, Real Joy, Wonderful Joy, Let Jesus Come into Your Heart.”

Recorded Sunday, January 4th, 2026
Message by Pastor Tim Ward
Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13, 19