7 Ash Wednesday Sermon Ideas to Prepare for Lent
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, which leads to Holy Week and Easter. It's an important chance to prepare your members for what will come over the next few weeks.
So I've put together several sermons on Ash Wednesday to help you out! Below are the 7 best Ash Wednesday sermon ideas. Feel free to use them as you prepare for the big day.
Embracing Repentance
What to cover in this sermon:
- Call to Repentance: Call the people to return to God with all their hearts, emphasizing a genuine turning away from sin and a sincere commitment to righteousness
- Wholehearted Repentance: "Rend your hearts and not your clothing" suggests that God desires a true and deep repentance from our innermost being, going beyond mere outward displays
- Fasting and Mourning: Fasting is a physical manifestation of the inner repentance
- Compassion of God: Highlight the compassionate and merciful nature of God. Despite the people's sins, God is gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love
- Hope in God's Forgiveness: The promise that God is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love" offers hope for forgiveness and restoration when the people genuinely turn to Him
- Relationship and Covenant with God: Joel 2:12-13 underscores the importance of the people's relationship with God and their commitment to the covenant. Repentance is not just an isolated action but a restoration of their connection with God
Example Illustration:
We've all made mistakes. Share a time in your life when you hurt someone and made restitution with them. Really emphasize what you learned about God, forgiveness, and repentance through that experience.
If the person you repented to is still in your life or at your church, go a step further and give them the mic so that they can share their side. That way your members can hear what it's like to forgive and restore.
Dust to Dust: A Reflection on Human Fragility
What to cover in this sermon:
- Mortality of Humankind: Go back and read about Adam and Eve's disobedience, emphasizing that humans are destined to return to the dust from which they were formed
- Connection to Creation: Genesis 3:19 reinforces the connection between humanity and the created world, as humans are made from the dust of the earth
- Fallen Nature: The verse is part of the aftermath of the Fall, signaling the introduction of death and decay into the world due to sin, revealing the broader narrative of the consequences of disobedience
- Reminder of Sin's Consequences: "You are dust and to dust you shall return," serves as a continual reminder of the consequences of sin and brokenness
- Humility and Humankind's Frailty: Despite God's creative power, humans are mortal and dependent on God
- Reflection on the Human Condition: Prompt reflection on the human condition, inviting individuals to consider their mortality and the transient nature of life
- Hope and Redemption: This verse sets the stage for the broader biblical narrative that includes God's plan for redemption
Example Illustration:
Use imagery of ashes and dust to convey the humility in recognizing our mortality and the need for redemption. It's not called ASH Wednesday for no reason!
The Wilderness Experience
What to cover in this sermon:
- Spiritual Testing: Matthew 4:1-11 narrates Jesus being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Explore the theme of spiritual testing and the challenges faced by your members
- The Nature of Temptation: Focus on how the devil tried to entice Jesus to satisfy His physical needs, test God's protection, and gain worldly power
- Scripture as a Weapon: Jesus responds to each temptation by quoting scripture. Encourage your people to use the power of God's Word as a weapon against temptation and a source of strength
- The Humility of Jesus: The fact that Jesus, the Son of God, faced temptation in a humble and human form reveals the depth of His identification with humanity.
- Resisting Worldly Temptations: The temptations presented to Jesus involve worldly power, fame, and material wealth. Explore the concept of resisting the allure of worldly desires and staying true to God's purpose
- Spiritual Discernment: Highlight the importance of spiritual discernment and an accurate understanding of God's Word to resist false teachings and temptations.
- Victory over Temptation through Obedience: Jesus emerges victorious over every temptation by relying on God's Word and staying obedient to God's will
Example Illustration:
As your members prepare for Lent and choose what to fast from, it's important to give them what they need for the 40-day journey. Relate Jesus' time in the wilderness to our own Lenten journey, highlighting the strength gained through fasting and relying on God's word.
The Prodigal's Return
What to cover in this sermon:
- Forgiveness & Reconciliation: The father's response to the prodigal son's return reflects God's grace and eagerness to forgive those who repent
- Repentance & Redemption: The prodigal son's journey from squandering his inheritance to repentance and return illustrates the theme of repentance and redemption
- Unconditional Love of God: The father's unconditional love for both of his sons, despite their different actions, mirrors God's unwavering love for all of humanity
- The Father's Longing: The father in the parable is portrayed as actively looking for the return of his wayward son. Emphasize the idea that God actively seeks a relationship with those who have strayed and is ready to welcome them back
- Celebration of Repentance: The parable concludes with a celebration for the repentant son, emphasizing the joy that comes with the redemption of a lost soul
- The Elder Son's Need for Grace: The elder son's attitude reveals the need for grace even among those who may appear outwardly obedient. This challenges notions of self-sufficiency and underscores everyone's need for God's mercy
Example Illustration:
Drawing parallels between the prodigal son's return and our return to God is perfect for Ash Wednesday homilies or sermons. For this illustration, you can either share a personal story of wandering and returning or emphasize that we are all prone to wander.
A Call to Fast and Pray
What to cover in this sermon:
- Sincerity in Fasting: Jesus emphasizes the importance of sincerity in fasting, discouraging the hypocritical practice of making one's fasting evident to others
- Motivation Behind Fasting: Fasting should not be done for public approval or recognition but rather as an intimate expression of devotion to God
- Spiritual Discipline: Fasting is presented as a spiritual discipline—a voluntary act of self-denial to seek God
- God's Recognition: Although Jesus discourages seeking recognition from others, the passage also implies that God sees and rewards the sincere and heartfelt efforts made in secret
- Fasting as a Means of Humility: Engaging in secret fasting highlights the theme of humility. By choosing not to draw attention to one's spiritual practices, individuals express humility before God, recognizing their dependence on Him
Example Illustration:
Fasting and prayer are core elements of the Lenten season. Instead of an illustration, end the sermon with a call to action. Start a 40 day fast at your church this year! Encourage members to join you as you choose something important to give to God between Ash Wednesday and Easter. You will be amazed at the spiritual growth that will happen as a result of your church fasting and praying together!
Bearing Fruit in Repentance
What to cover in this sermon:
- Fruit of Repentance: Emphasize the importance of genuine life change as evidence of true repentance
- Internal Transformation: The call for fruit goes beyond outward actions and rituals, emphasizing an internal transformation of the heart and mind
- Action as Proof: John the Baptist suggests that actions speak louder than words. Mere verbal acknowledgment of repentance is not sufficient
- Challenging Religious Hypocrisy: Addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees, John confronts religious hypocrisy. He warns against relying on religious status or affiliation without genuine repentance and a transformed life
- Preparing the Way for the Lord: John's ministry is not only about baptism but also about preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. Use this call to urge your members to prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus
- The Urgency of Repentance: The image of the axe at the root of the trees conveys a sense of urgency. Repentance is not to be delayed
Example Illustration:
Springtime approaches quickly after Ash Wednesday. Your members will see plants in bloom soon.
Fruit trees and plants are perfect metaphors for repentance and faithfulness. For your Ash Wednesday sermon, point to local crops and gardens to illustrate what it means to bear fruit.
The Cross: A Symbol of Redemption
What to cover in this sermon:
- The Power of the Cross: Emphasize that, despite appearing foolish to the world, the message of the cross is the power of God for salvation
- Salvation Through Christ's Sacrifice: The verse underscores the significance of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as the means of salvation
- God's Counterintuitive Plan: Instead of relying on human achievements or wisdom, God chooses the path of the cross—a symbol of humility and sacrifice.
- Division between Believers & Unbelievers: Challenge individuals to either accept or reject the central tenet of Christian faith—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus
- Boasting in the Cross: Focus on humility and recognition that salvation is not achieved through human wisdom or effort but through the work of God on the cross
Example Illustration:
Does someone on your leadership team have an experience when they shared the Gospel with someone and that person thought the idea of Christ dying for us sounded ridiculous? If so, give them the mic so they can share with with the members.
Other Ash Wednesday Sermon Ideas
Below are some other helpful passages to use in your Ash Wednesday message:
Journey through the Wilderness of Temptation
Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting and praying before he began his public ministry. This is why Christians spend 40 days fasting and praying for Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday.
Reflect on the symbolism of Jesus' journey through the wilderness, drawing parallels to the temptations we face and the strength we gain through relying on God's Word.
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.
Lamentations and Hope: A Reflection on Brokenness
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, 40 days of fasting, mourning, contemplation, and prayer. Explore the theme of lamentation and the hope found in God's faithfulness, emphasizing the beauty that can emerge from brokenness.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
The Crossroads of Mercy and Justice
Discuss the balance between God's call for justice and the abundance of His mercy, encouraging the congregation to embody both in their daily lives.
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with your God?
From Ashes to Beauty
Though Ash Wednesday is a day to contemplate our mortality, it's worth underscoring that message with hope.
Illustrate the transformative power of God's grace, using the imagery of turning ashes into beauty.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
Seeking the Kingdom First
Discuss the distractions of the world and the importance of a focused and intentional journey with Christ. Then include a call to action to join you in fasting during Lent to practice seeking God's kingdom first.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Helpful Tips for Crafting an Impactful Ash Wednesday Sermon
- Connect with Your Congregation - The point of Ash Wednesday is to spend the day contemplating our mortality and frailty. Share your own weaknesses and struggles and help your members reflect on their own.
- Use Visuals: If you do not sprinkle ashes or paint a cross on anyone's forehead, at least bring a small bowl of ashes to use as a visual aid
- Encourage Personal Reflection - Provide moments for personal reflection during the sermon, allowing the congregation to connect the message with their own spiritual journey
- End with a Call to Action - Conclude the sermon with a call to action, encouraging the congregation to take meaningful steps in their Lenten observance, such as fasting
Use these Ash Wednesday Sermons to Prepare for Lent
The Lenten season is about to begin! Use these Ash Wednesday sermon ideas to help you prepare for the day and prepare your members for Lent.
May your Ash Wednesday help humble your church and prepare your hearts for the coming Messiah!
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Matt
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