Canaan Fellowship

Bruce Hempel

  • 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…

  • Courage in the Face of Opposition

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    Bruce Hempel delivers a sermon on courage in the face of opposition, emphasizing the need for believers to boldly shine their light for Christ despite persecution or societal pressure. He connects this theme to earlier messages on the “fear of man” and the disciples’ denial of Jesus, urging listeners to rely on the Holy Spirit…

  • The Hallmark of Christian Faith

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    Bruce Hempel discusses the hallmark of Christian faith as love within the early church, emphasizing how this love was demonstrated through radical generosity, unity, and care for one another. He highlights Jesus’ commandment in John 13:34-35 and shows how this was lived out in Acts, where believers shared possessions and met each other’s needs. The…

  • The Early Church: Growth and Opposition

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    This sermon by Bruce Hempel begins with a personal reflection on the importance of friendship, shared through a story of a lifelong friend, before transitioning into a detailed exploration of the early church’s development as described in the Book of Acts. Bruce connects the ministry of Jesus to the events following His resurrection, emphasizing the…