Luke's Gospel 2025 - Sermon Notes by Pastor Dwayne Beavers of Harvest Fellowship, A Calvary Chapel

  Sermon Title: “ Luke 4:1–13 of Christ: Jesus Is Enough” Text: Luke 4:1–13 Introduction: I want to read three verses before we begin. They are answers to the questions many ask—and today’s passage answers them for us: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) And (Hebrews 4:12): “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Are these passages more than good t-shirts, coffee mugs, and bumper sticker sayings? These verses should resonate in the hearts and minds of every believer as foundations of our faith! Have you ever wondered if Jesus truly understands what you’re going through? Can He really heal the damage done in relationships, overcome the shame of your past, or ever mend the ...

The Greater One Has Come Theme: Greater Than I Text: Luke 3:15–38 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. 18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. Introduction: Have you ever met someone who left you in awe — someone so gifted, wise, or powerful that you instantly knew they were operating on ...

  Prepare the Way: The Heart of Repentance Luke 3:1–14 “John the Baptist Declares Today!” Have you ever scrambled to get ready for a special guest—maybe your boss, a distant relative, or a respected leader? We clean the house, fix what’s broken, and prepare everything just right. We want our space ready for someone important to enter. That’s exactly what John the Baptist was doing in Luke 3. He wasn’t preparing a house, but hearts. His mission? To get people ready for Jesus—not with fluff or fanfare, but with a clear and urgent call: repent . John’s message was powerful, and it’s just as relevant for us today: 👉 True repentance produces fruit. 👉 God calls us to prepare our hearts so that Jesus can change our lives—forever—for His purpose. 1. The Mission of John the Baptist (vv. 1–6) Luke opens by listing leaders like Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. It was a time of corruption and darkness—both politically and spiritually....

  Amazed Luke 2:41–52 I remember back in the 80s and 90s, it was popular to ask, “Have you found Jesus?” Eventually, some of us started replying a little sarcastically, “I didn’t know He was lost!” Of course, Jesus was never actually lost. He always knew where He was and what He was doing. But there was a moment in history when Joseph and Mary might’ve thought, “We had one job—and we lost the Messiah!” Let’s look at Luke 2:41–52 and unpack what this story means for us today. A Glimpse Into Jesus' Childhood This passage gives us the only glimpse into Jesus’ boyhood years. At twelve years old—just a little younger than most of our youth group—Jesus stays behind in the temple during Passover, and His parents don’t notice until a full day’s journey away. That might sound shocking, but this wasn’t neglect. It was normal in their culture to travel with a large group of relatives and assume the children were with someone trusted. Still, when Mary and Joseph realized Jesus wasn’t ...

  “Istant Redemption, As Defined by God, Not by the Past: The Story of Anna” Luke 2:36–38 We’ve journeyed through Luke 2 and seen God work in powerful, personal ways. From answering Zechariah’s long-standing prayer to young Mary’s bold faith, the Holy Spirit has been highlighting people we might not expect—the faithful, the elderly, the quiet, the overlooked. And today, we meet Anna . She only gets three verses in all of Scripture, but what we find is a woman of substance , strength , and spiritual authority . At 84—or possibly 105, depending on how the Greek is read—she’s still living on mission. And she teaches us that we don’t have to be defined by our past. We don’t have to be defined by our pain. Anna was defined by God’s calling , not her trauma. Grace in the Temple Anna’s name means grace , and her life is a portrait of it. We learn she was from the tribe of Asher—likely a prosperous family. But after just seven years of marriage, tragedy struck: her husband died. No c...

  “Simeon, Salvation Has Come” (Luke 2:21–35) At Harvest, we love baby dedications. It’s a moment when parents stand before the church body and say, We will raise this child in the faith of Jesus. And in turn, the church surrounds that family in prayer and support, blessing their commitment. But today, in Luke 2, we’re looking at what might be the strangest baby dedication in history . When Simeon prays over baby Jesus, some parents might have wanted to say, Uhh, thanks... now can we have our baby back? Seeing Jesus When Others Missed Him We’re living in a time when more and more people walk into churches, hear Jesus preached, and walk out saying, “I didn’t really get much out of that.” That’s not a new problem—it’s exactly what was happening when Jesus first came. In Luke 2, Jesus—God in the flesh—is right there in front of people. But Caesar didn’t care. The philosophers weren’t interested. The religious leaders were too absorbed with themselves to notice. But Simeon didn...