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Sermon Study Guide

WHAT GOD HAS
FOR ME,
IT'S FOR ME

Pastor Bernard HampPsalm 37:23-26 (KJV)October 18, 2026
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Sermon Summary

Pastor Bernard Hamp encourages the congregation from Psalm 37:23-26. The message calls listeners to remain faithful when other people appear to prosper and their own circumstances feel uncertain. God's care is not measured by comparison with a neighbor. The psalm points to ordered steps, a sustaining hand, and a testimony of faithfulness that can strengthen trust during a difficult season.

Pastor Hamp describes steps as a process of preparation. God can shape a person's character as well as open a door. The sermon asks whether we are ready to handle what we seek, including the responsibility to bless someone else. Through a delivery-and-pickup illustration, Pastor Hamp connects trust with faithful action, especially the work of loving others and resisting revenge.

The sermon also addresses setbacks: falling does not mean being utterly abandoned. Pastor Hamp urges listeners to keep their hand in God's hand and continue in prayer. His upside-down cake illustration pictures good things that are not yet visible during preparation. The closing encouragement is to remain patient through the process and allow God to continue His work.

Prepared from the supplied October 18 worship transcript. The study uses the Scripture reading and sermon from 55:14 through 1:22:30, ending before the invitation. Recording times refer to the full worship video. Illustrations summarize the teaching.

Read the Scripture (KJV)

Key Sermon Notes

1. Trust God instead of comparing

Psalm 37 speaks to the tension of seeing wrongdoers prosper. Pastor Hamp encourages listeners not to measure God's concern by another person's circumstances. Keep praying and remain faithful while waiting. The message directs attention toward God's care and timing rather than envy or discouragement.

Recording: 55:14-1:00:47

2. Let the steps become a process of growth

Pastor Hamp draws attention to the word steps in verse 23. He describes preparation that removes some habits and develops others. Before asking only when an opportunity will arrive, consider the patience, judgment, and character needed to receive it responsibly.

Recording: 1:00:49-1:02:30

3. Let a blessing reach someone else

The sermon asks whether a person can bless someone else while still having needs of their own. Pastor Hamp describes blessings that pass through a person for another person's benefit. Gratitude becomes practical generosity, rather than treating every resource or opportunity as something to keep.

Recording: 1:02:31-1:04:07

4. Respond with a faithful step

Using delivery and pickup as an illustration, Pastor Hamp explains that some situations call for participation and a faith walk. He makes the application concrete: love someone who has treated you poorly, resist revenge, and remain humble when responsibility or circumstances change.

Recording: 1:04:08-1:07:47

5. A fall does not have the final word

Verse 24 acknowledges a fall while declaring that the Lord upholds His servant. Pastor Hamp encourages people who feel judged by a setback. The sustaining hand of God gives them a reason to seek help, rise again, and continue rather than accepting another person's verdict as final.

Recording: 1:07:50-1:11:28

6. Remember the testimony of faithfulness

Pastor Hamp returns to the testimony in verse 25 and urges listeners to stay prayerful. His travel illustrations emphasize remaining connected to the One who leads and guides. Remembering past help can strengthen a present decision to keep trusting God during uncertainty.

Recording: 1:11:30-1:15:30

7. Remain merciful and open to God's care

The psalm closes this passage with mercy, lending, and blessing. Pastor Hamp encourages the congregation not to quit their post or limit what God can do. Receive the encouragement with a generous heart, continuing to serve while acknowledging the needs that still require help.

Recording: 1:15:35-1:17:39

8. Do not judge the finished work too early

In the upside-down cake illustration, the good things are hidden underneath during baking and appear on top when the cake is turned. Pastor Hamp uses this picture to encourage patience with preparation. Present tears and unfinished circumstances do not tell the whole story; keep trusting God through the process.

Recording: 1:17:45-1:22:30

Life Application

  • Read Psalm 37:23-26. Identify one situation in which comparison is weakening your trust.
  • Name one quality you can develop during a waiting season, such as patience, humility, or wise judgment.
  • Use one resource, skill, or opportunity to meet another person's practical need this week.
  • When you have a chance to retaliate, choose a measured and respectful response instead.
  • If a setback has discouraged you, ask for support and take the next faithful step rather than giving up.

Memory Verse

“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”

Psalm 37:24 (KJV)

The psalm acknowledges a real fall while pointing to the Lord's sustaining help.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for leading us and sustaining us. Help us trust You without comparing our lives with others. Shape our character while we wait, and teach us to use what we receive to bless someone else. When we stumble, help us seek support and rise again. Give us humility, patience, and courage for the next faithful step. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Online Submission

SERMON STUDY QUESTIONS

Enter your name, complete the questions, and press submit. Your answers and reflection will be emailed privately to New Enon Baptist Church for review.

1. What did Pastor Hamp emphasize about the steps in Psalm 37:23?
2. What assurance does Psalm 37:24 give about a person who falls?
3. What did Pastor Hamp teach about blessings that pass through a person?
4. Which response practices the sermon's teaching about handling responsibility?
5. What is the main lesson of the upside-down cake illustration?
6. EXTRA CREDIT — Which restaurant did Pastor Hamp mention in his delivery-and-pickup illustration?

This question comes from something Pastor Bernard Hamp specifically said during the sermon. Your answer will be included in the email for church review.