Canaan Fellowship

Bruce Hempel

  • Acts 17: Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens and Differing Responses to the Gospel

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    This sermon by Bruce examines Acts 17, focusing on Paul’s missionary journeys to Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. The message highlights the different responses to the gospel, from persecution to earnest searching, and draws parallels to modern challenges in sharing faith. Bruce encourages believers to be intercessors and ambassadors in a culture that often rejects biblical…

  • Giving God a Blank Check

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    This sermon by Bruce Hempel uses the metaphor of giving God a “blank check” to explore the nature of following Jesus. He examines the disciples’ journey, who left everything to follow Christ without knowing the future hardships, and encourages believers to trust God completely, even when faced with difficult teachings, trials, and persecution. [00:01:15] Giving…

  • Acts 1-15 Recap – What is Salvation?

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    This sermon by Bruce examines the biblical concept of salvation as presented in the book of Acts. He explores what it means to be saved, emphasizing that it involves repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. The message clarifies that salvation is a gift of grace received through faith,…

  • Acts 15: The Gentile Question – Consensus and Culture

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    This sermon by Bruce covers Acts 15, focusing on the Jerusalem Council’s pivotal decision regarding Gentile believers. The central issue was whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses to be saved. The council, through a process of testimony and consensus, determined that salvation is by grace through faith alone,…

  • The Eighth Beatitude: Blessed Are the Persecuted

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    Bruce Hempel continues his series on the Beatitudes, focusing on the eighth and final one concerning persecution for righteousness’ sake. He emphasizes that this teaching is meant to prepare disciples to respond faithfully when faced with opposition, viewing it not as a misfortune but as a blessing and a testimony. The sermon draws on examples…

  • The Lord’s Delight: We Are the Fruit of His Labor

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    Bruce Hempel shares two personal testimonies centered on understanding and experiencing God’s love. He reflects on how God’s love is not based on our performance but on our identity as His children, and how we, in turn, bring delight to God as the fruit of His labor and as His bride. [00:00:25] The first half…

  • Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep

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    Bruce Hempel preaches on the inseparable connection between loving God and loving others, using Jesus’s restoration of Peter as the central example. He challenges the common American ideal of a comfortable, self-focused life, arguing that true joy and meaning are found in sacrificially loving and serving others. The call is to look beyond our own…

  • The Beatitudes: Attitudes for Disciples

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    This sermon by Bruce Hempel focuses on the call to discipleship and the Beatitudes as the essential attitudes for followers of Jesus. He explains that being a disciple means learning to be like one’s master, a privilege extended to all people, not just a select few. The core of the message is an exposition of…

  • The Meaning of Baptism: Three Biblical Images

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    Bruce Hempel teaches on the significance of baptism, emphasizing it as a public declaration of faith and commitment to follow Jesus. He contrasts Christian baptism with John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance, highlighting three key biblical images of baptism. The sermon encourages believers to be baptized promptly and to view it as a spiritual reality,…

  • Lessons from the Early Church: Reliance on the Holy Spirit, Prayer, and Witnessing

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    Bruce Hempel delivers a sermon focusing on the characteristics of the early church as depicted in the Book of Acts. He emphasizes the importance of reading large portions of Scripture to understand the broader narrative and highlights key aspects of the early church’s development before Saul’s conversion. [00:00:05] Bruce greets the congregation and introduces his…