Sermons on Ashes:

Ash Wednesday: Response To Temptation

Contributed by Larry Brincefield on Feb 25, 2004

This sermon uses 1 John 2:16 (NKJV) to identify the 3 types of tempation that Eve, Christ, and us faced/will face. 1. Lust of the flesh. 2. Lust of the eyes. 3. Pride of life.

Wednesday, February 25, 2004 Title: Ash Wednesday: Response to Temptation Text: 1 John 2:16, Gen. 3:6, Luke 4:1-13 Introduction 1. Today is Ash Wednesday. This begins a 40 day period of reflection, prayer, and fasting... focusing on Jesus Christ and His life and sufferings leading up to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:16, Luke 4:1-13

Denomination: Nazarene

Ash Wednesday: Confronting Sin

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Mar 10, 2011

A talk given at our evening Ash Wednesday service. Jesus's death on the cross has paid the price for our sins but our bad habits, bad behaviour and the things that trip us up still need to be confronted.

A young man once visited the great German preacher Martin Luther to ask for his advice. He said that he was constantly plagued by wrongful desires and lustful thoughts and did not know what to do. Martin Luther’s reply was typically blunt and to the point. He said, “You can’t stop ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-10

Denomination: Anglican

Ash Wednesday Reflection 2014

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Mar 4, 2014

The end does not justify the means. God is interested more in our motives tahn what we set out to achieve

Ash Wednesday 2014TSL and WSMM 05-03-2014 Story: A Korean Pastor told me this story many years ago, when he came to Switzerland and spoke at a Christian meeting in Sandoz, a Swiss company for which I used to work. In the 4th century AD in Korea a man had two sons. The elder rose to become ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

Denomination: Anglican

"from Ashes To Glory"

Contributed by Dr. Addanki Raju on Mar 9, 2026

The Journey of Human Life

From Ashes to Glory The Journey of Human Life (Homily for Retreat / Lenten Preaching) ________________________________________ 1. Introduction: The Meaning of Ashes My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Every year, on Ash Wednesday, the Church places ashes on our foreheads and says: “Remember ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:19

The God Who Exchanges Ashes For Beauty Series

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Oct 12, 2025

God specializes in transforming sorrow into joy, shame into glory, and ashes into beauty for those who trust Him.

THE GOD WHO EXCHANGES ASHES FOR BEAUTY By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: Isaiah 61:1-3 Key Verse: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Red Heifer Water (Numbers 19)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Nov 22, 2024

What does the ashes of a red heifer mixed in water have to do with baptism and Jesus? Let's look at Numbers 19.

Is death the ultimate result of sin? Do hatred, verbal abuse, lust, lying, ignoring the needy and greed ultimately cause our own destruction? Does cleansing us from sin involve someone dying for us? Is this dramatically pictured in the water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer? Let’s review ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Embracing Ash Wednesday: A Call To Reflection, Repentance, And Renewal

Contributed by Ronald Moore on Feb 12, 2024

A call to embrace Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent

As we gather on this sacred day of Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of our mortality, our human frailty, and our utter dependence on God's grace. Today marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent, a period of forty days set aside for reflection, repentance, and renewal. It is a time when we ...read more

Scripture: Joel 2:12-13

Denomination: Anglican

Confession: The First Step Towards Wholeness Series

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Feb 18, 2021

Ash Wednesday's confession of sin is our first step towards wholeness

February 17, 2021 Ash Wednesday Hope Lutheran Church Rev. Mary Erickson Psalm 51:1-17; Confession: The First Step towards Wholeness Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. Today we turn the corner and a new season stands before us, ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Your Cross Has Arrived

Contributed by Bruce Lee on Jun 4, 2025

Lent is a the 40 days, (not counting Sundays) from Ash Wednesday till Easter.

Your Cross Has Arrived “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34 Intro: This week we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ash Wednesday: A Gracious And Merciful God

Contributed by Garth Wehrfritz- Hanson on Feb 29, 2016

Sermon based on Joel 2:1-2, 12-17. The importance of turning to God, repenting. One of the most important descriptions of God in the Hebrew Bible is that God is gracious and merciful.

Ash Wednesday Yr C, 10/02/2016 Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson “A gracious and merciful God” A young employee secretly misappropriated several hundred dollars of his business firm’s money. When this action was discovered the young man was told to report to the ...read more

Scripture: Joel 2:1-17

Denomination: Lutheran

Ash Wednesday: Confronting Our Sins, Embracing Our Vulnerabilities

Contributed by Fr. Rian Adams on Apr 6, 2020

Ash Wednesday sermon about confronting our sins, but how that is a call to vulnerability by the Holy Spirit

Ash Wednesday: At one time Advent was my favorite season of the church year. The happiness, the joy of anticipation, the hope of a manger, the birth of a child… it all added a hopeful newness to my soul. But our culture ruined Christmas with the rabid consumerism and those lame made for TV ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

Denomination: Episcopal

Create In Me

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

A simple, but memorable sermon for Ash Wednesday.

INTRO Ash Wednesday — it’s kind of a solemn day. It’s the start of Lent —a word which means “spring” in German. But more than this, it’s the time each year when we intently focus on the path Christ Jesus laid out for us to follow — to be true to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:10-12

Denomination: Lutheran

The Battle Is The Lord's

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jun 28, 2008

Joshua, Pt 4

THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S (JOSHUA 5:13-6:5) Once upon a time, there was an officer of the Royal Navy named Captain Bravado who showed no fear when facing his enemies. One day, while sailing the Seven Seas, his lookout spotted a pirate ship approaching, and the crew became frantic. Captain Bravado ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"Take The Mark"

Contributed by Gerald Roberts on Feb 25, 2015

The Bible teaches us in Ezekiel we need a mark that identifies us as his. So God desires us to be marked this ash Wednesday as one of His.

“Take The Mark” Ezekiel 9:1-11 (Ezekiel 9:4-6) "And the LORD said to him [one of the four cherubim], 'Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark [literally, "a tav"] upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 9:1-11

Denomination: Methodist

Return To The Lord

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Jun 20, 2019

We are right to emphasize that God loves us, but we too easily forget that because he loves us he wants us to be the best we can be and calls us to a deep repentance.

Return to the Lord Isaiah 1:12-20 Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Rev. Stephen Aram We live in a time when the church really emphasizes the mercy and grace of God. How many times have you heard it said that God loves us just the way we are and that he will be there any time we call? And ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:12-20