Sermons on Ash Wedneaday:

Send Not To Know For Whom The Bell Tolls

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 7, 2010

Ash Wednesday gives us what may be our last Lenten opportunity to repent and turn back to God.

Ash Wednesday Homily 2010 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:2 The great bell called St Ferdinand at our diocesan cathedral tolls solemnly several times each month. Many years ago I heard the toll as my father’s casket was slowly pushed out toward its ultimate resting place. Each day the low sound of bells ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

C.p.r. For The Soul

Contributed by Jeffrey Wildrick on Feb 16, 2015

Examining Psalm 51, we see the pattern of Confession, Pardon, and Re-Creation (CPR) at work in David's life, and still effective for us today through the work of Jesus Christ. Preached on Ash Wednesday as an introduction to the season of Lent

Psalm 51; 2 Samuel 11-12 "C.P.R." Ash Wednesday INTRO: Today is Ash Wednesday, and throughout the world, Christians of many branches of Christ's church are observing this unique day in the Christian calendar. It is a day of penitence, and fasting. It is, quite frankly, a rather gloomy day. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-19

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Be Ye Reconciled To God

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Mar 9, 2017

The once-and-forever experience of true conversion, and the on-going necessity of being sanctified.

BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2. As an ambassador for Christ, Paul was pleading with the Corinthians - on behalf of Christ - that they go on being reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). We may feel that this is unnecessary: if we are ‘called out ones’ ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Making The Most Of Every Opportunity

Contributed by David Owens on Mar 25, 2024

Where did the Easter holiday come from? How do Christians and Churches navigate holidays in a way that takes advantage of what is on people's minds without creating religious holidays and traditions that are not biblically authorized?

A. One day an atheist was complaining to his Christian friend, “You Christians have your special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter and Jews celebrate their special holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur, but we atheists have no recognized special holidays. It’s just not fair!” 1. The ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Acts 17:23, Revelation 22:18-19, Matthew 15:8-9, 2 John 1:9, Jude 1:3-4, Matthew 7:21  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Sprinkling With Hyssop

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Mar 4, 2017

A Psalm of true repentance.

A SPRINKLING WITH HYSSOP. Psalm 51:1-17. In this solemn Psalm of repentance, we dive in (headfirst, as it were) with a plea for mercy. The verbs “have mercy… blot out… wash me… cleanse me” (Psalm 51:1-2) all appear to be in the imperative: but they are in fact plaintive pleas based in the fact ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Story Never Ends With 'ashes.'" Series

Contributed by Timilehin Daniel Olabiyi on May 12, 2025

This powerful quote by Elisabeth Elliot reminds us that no matter what challenges or hardships we face, God's plan for our lives is always bigger and better than we can imagine.

"Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God's story never ends with 'ashes.'" This powerful quote by Elisabeth Elliot reminds us that no matter what challenges or hardships we face, God's plan for our lives is always bigger and better than we can imagine. Elisabeth Elliot, a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Denomination: Apostolic

Go And Sin No More

Contributed by Charles Mallory on Feb 17, 2010

God's mercy and forgiveness requires our lives to be lived as sinless as possible.

JESUS NEITHER ACCEPTED SIN NOR CONDEMNED SINNERS. ANOTHER WAY TO SAY IT IS THE WAY WE’VE ALWAYS SAID IT, “HATE THE SIN, BUT LOVE THE SINNER.” JESUS DID NOT COME TO CONDEMN PEOPLE, BUT TO TELL THEM THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD IS FULL OF MERCY AND GRACE, EVEN WHEN WE SIN AND FALL ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Denomination: Free Methodist

Dancing With God

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Mar 5, 2009

Dancing with God begins when we realize that God chooses the music and the dance, but most importantly, God leads.

Dancing with God Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21 The Reverend Anne Benefield Geneva Presbyterian Church, Ash Wednesday February 25, 2009 Introduction: The passage we will read tonight is the traditional reading for Ash Wednesday. It focuses our attention on the three disciplines of Lent: Praying, Fasting, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-21

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Create In Me A Clean Heart

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 21, 2015

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart These, O' God, you will not despise. Create in me a clean Heart O' God! (Updated February 2023)

Psalm 51 ... designated for today ... is one of the few psalms ... where we are given ... the historical background ... that led to the writing of this Psalm. The inscription reads, ..."A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him, ... after he had gone into ...Bathsheba." That ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 51:17, Romans 3:23, Psalm 51:1-13, 2 Samuel 11:3-15, 1 John 1:7, Romans 10:9, Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:22-24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalm 103:12  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

All The World Is A Stage

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Nov 28, 2013

The deed is done before the all-seeing God. His approval is reward enough in itself.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE. Matthew 6:1-6; Matthew 6:16-21. “All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare reminds us, “and all the men and women merely players.” “And one man,” continues the playwright, “in his time plays many parts…” Jesus’ teaching on almsgiving, prayer and fasting in the Sermon on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:16-21, Matthew 6:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Discipline Of Fasting

Contributed by Ian Hyde on Feb 23, 2020

Ezra the scribe knew his people needed to prepare their hearts for the difficult and dangerous journey ahead. In this sermon we look at why we as the church are called to fast and pray together, especially during the season of Lent.

A FAMILY ON THE MOVE For our family, there is rarely any experience more stressful than preparing for a trip back to Iowa to visit our parents. The kids are always excited about the prospect of staying in motels, of visiting with Grandma and Grandpa, of going out to eat at restaurants, and of ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 8:21-23, Nehemiah 1:1-6, Jonah 3:5-10, Joel 2:12-13, Psalm 35:11-14, Psalm 69:9-12, Matthew 6:16-18, Acts 13:2-3  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Nazarene

The True Meaning Of A Lenten Sacrifice

Contributed by Ryan Ferwerda on Mar 9, 2019

Most people attempt to give something up for Lent. But is what we give up for Lent beneficial to us or to God?

This past Wednesday, the collective whole of the Christendom observed Ash Wednesday. A day in the church year when we are reminded of our mortality, but more importantly, reminded of our reliance on God, both for life in this world and for life in the next. This day is the mark of the beginning of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-17, Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21, Joel 2:1-2, Joel 2:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 6:1-10  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Woes Upon The Privileged Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Jul 29, 2017

God loves us, but we are not saved by His love; but by the death and resurrection of Christ, and by faith in Him. Jesus taught that faith and repentance are two sides of the coin, we call salvation.

Harmony of the Gospels -AD 28- Galilee (21) Woes Upon the Privileged (Genesis 19:24) Matthew 11:20-30 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; (Genesis 19:24) God saw to it that Lot was safely inside Zoar, and then the rain came. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:20-30

Denomination: Baptist

How Can I Tell You About Jesus When I Am Afraid?

Contributed by Randy Rodenborg on Mar 28, 2006

Max is a Jr Higher who hates the locker room, and is now likely to be picked on for having a ash cross on his head after the Ash Wednesday service. It ends with a call to pray for others and submitting yourself to God to use you to lead others to Him.

Max hated the locker room. It wasn’t a mild dislike, like the days he would rather not go to science or choir. Max really dreaded walking into the locker room and confronting first the smelliness of the locker room and then those small lockers. These lockers were really just baskets that you could ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:54-61

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Your Life Is Not About You, But Jesus' Life Is

Contributed by Richard Schwedes on Feb 4, 2008

A short Ash Wednesday Sermon that encourages us to see that your life is not about you, but Jesus’ life is

Ash Wednesday has always presented me with a problem. As I read and research the scriptures for Ash Wednesday I get the feeling that God is saying, Hey Richard, hey Ray, hey….(and mention others) wake up to yourself, life is not about you, there are more important things in your life than ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran