Ash Wednesday 2026

SERMON BUMPER

Introduction

Ash Wednesday feels different than most church services.

There’s a quieter spirit about the room tonight. A slower pace. A more reflective atmosphere.

See — we’re not rushing to Easter just yet. We’re not jumping straight into the celebration. We’re pausing.

We are at the beginning of the season of Lent. And it invites us to do something we don’t always like to do. It invites us to look inward. To examine our hearts. To take our spiritual condition seriously.

Most of us live life moving fast.

We move from one responsibility to the next.

One conversation to the next.

One week to the next.

We celebrate the victories quickly — and we scroll past the hard things. We prefer encouragement over correction — and hope over honestly.

But Lent presses the pause button. It says:

Slow down.

Pay attention.

Look beneath the surface.

This season isn’t about pretending we have it all together. It’s about being honest about what’s broken — and bringing it to Jesus.

Tonight isn’t about shame. It’s about humility — and repentance — and letting God search our hearts. Tonight — at the beginning of this Lenten season — we’re beginning a series called “The Heart Matters” — that will carry us through Lent — into Holy Week — and where we’ll ultimately end up — as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

But before we can celebrate Easter — we have to first remember where we are right now. Ash Wednesday reminds us of something we often forget:

We are human.

We are fragile.

And we need grace.

We’re not self sufficient. We’re not spiritually complete. And we are dependent on the mercy of God. That’s not a weakness — it’s the beginning of transformation.

Scripture

In Isaiah Chapter 6 — the prophet is given a vision of the Lord seated on His throne. Look at it with me:

Isaiah 6:1–7 CSB

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. 4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.

Isaiah has an encounter with God — and his response isn’t confidence. It’s not pride. It’s not self assurance.

“WOE IS ME” GRAPHIC

His response is, “Woe is me.”

He realizes that standing in front of a holy God means coming face to face with his own brokenness.

Ash Wednesday invites us into that same moment of honesty. Not to feel hopeless — but to acknowledge our need for a Savior.

This night isn’t just another church tradition. It’s a heart posture.

Long before it became a date on the church calendar — ashes were a way for God’s people to express repentance. They were a visible sign of humility. A way of saying, “God, I need your mercy.”

Throughout Scripture — people sit in ashes during moments of grief — loss — and deep repentance. Ashes show up when people are honest about their brokenness — when they’re mourning over sin — when they recognize their need for God’s grace.

In Genesis Chapter 3 — after his sin in the Garden of Eden — God says this to Adam:

Genesis 3:19 CSB

19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.”

Over time — the church began using ashes at the beginning of Lent as a way to invite everyone into the same posture.

Not just the people who felt like they had failed the most — and not just the people who felt especially unworthy — but all of us. Because all of us need grace.

The ashes are a reminder of two important truths:

First — we are human. We’re fragile. We are dust. This life we live is temporary. Our bodies aren’t permanent. And we’re not in control like we think we are.

And second — sin is serious. It doesn’t just affect our behavior. It affects our hearts. It affects our relationships. And it affects our walk with God.

So Ash Wednesday asks us to slow down long enough to take that seriously. Not in a hopeless way — or a shame-filled way — but in an honest way. When we receive the ashes — we’re not trying to look spiritual. We’re not trying to impress anybody. We’re simply saying, “God, I need You.”

This is where Lent begins. With ashes.

Exposition

And Isaiah’s encounter with God shows shows us three things about why our heart posture patters.

“GOD’S HOLINESS REVEALS” GRAPHIC

The first is that God’s holiness reveals our brokenness.

In Verse 1 of our passage tonight, Isaiah tells us:

Isaiah 6:1 CSB

1 I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple.

God is high and exalted. Glorious and sovereign.

God isn’t struggling to stay in control. He’s not reacting to the world… He’s reigning over it. The hem of His robe fills the temple. Angels surround Him. And they are shouting His praise.

Look at Verse 4:

Isaiah 6:4 CSB

4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

God’s presence is overwhelming here. This isn’t a quiet worship moment — it’s a holy encounter.

And here’s what stands out: the more clearly Isaiah sees God — the more clearly he sees himself. God’s holiness doesn’t make Isaiah feel impressive — it makes him feel undone.

When God is lifted high — our pride is brought low. When God’s glory fills the room — our brokenness becomes obvious. Isaiah isn’t comparing himself to other people. He’s not measuring himself by human standards. He is standing in the presence of perfect holiness.

And holiness has a way of exposing what we try to hide. Not to humiliate us — or to shame us — but to humble us.

Ash Wednesday invites us to stand in that same light.

Not the light of comparison.

Not the light of performance.

But in the light of God’s holiness.

Because when we see God clearly — we see ourselves clearly. We realize that we’re not as strong as we pretend. Not as pure as we hope. Not as put together as we project. We need grace. We need mercy. We need a Savior.

And that realization isn’t a threat to our faith… it’s the foundation of it. Holiness doesn’t push us away from God — it draws us toward Him. Because only when we see our need do we reach for His grace.

And that leads us to Isaiah’s response. Because once he sees God clearly — he can’t ignore what’s happening in his own heart.

“OUR SIN DESERVES” GRAPHIC

The second thing this passage shows us is that our sin deserves serious reflection.

After Isaiah sees the holiness of God — he finally speaks. Look at Verse 5 again:

Isaiah 6:5 CSB

5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.

What he says is simple — honest — and unfiltered. He doens’t soften the moment here — he doesn’t try to explain himself — and he doesn’t make excuses. He simply acknowledges the truth:

I am broken.

I am sinful.

I am not okay on my own.

And he recognizes that this isn’t just a personal issue — it’s a human issue.

Sin doesn’t only affect individuals. It affects families. And communities. And nations. And churches. Isaiah sees clearly that standing in the presence of a holy God means taking his sin seriously — not casually or lightly.

Ash Wednesday invites us into that same kind of seriousness — so that we can be honest with God — and ourselves — about where we stand. This time of Lent forces us to slow down — to reflect — to examine our hearts — and to repent.

The ashes we’ll receive soon is a reminder:

We are dust.

Life is fragile.

And we are real.

And pretending otherwise doesn’t make us stronger — it just makes us less honest.

But the good news is — Isaiah’s story doesn’t end with despair. God doesn’t leave him undone. He moves toward him.

And that’s where hope enters the picture.

“GOD’S GRACE OFFERS” GRAPHIC

The third thing we see in this passage tonight — is that God’s grace offers real redemption.

Isaiah’s story doesn’t end with “woe is me”. God doesn’t leave him in his brokenness. God doesn’t walk away from his confession. God moves toward him. Look at Verses 6 and 7 again:

Isaiah 6:6–7 CSB

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.

This is one of the most beautiful moments in the entire passage.

Isaiah acknowledges his sin. He confesses his brokenness — and God responds with grace.

Holiness exposes sin — but grace removes it.

God doesn’t say:

“Try harder,”

or “Do better,”

or “Clean yourself up first.”

God says, “Your guilt is taken away.”

Ash Wednesday is honest about our brokenness. But it is not hopeless.

Yes — sin is serious.

Yes — repentance matters.

Yes — humility is necessary.

But grace is greater. We don’t look at our sin so we can stay stuck in it. We look at our sin so we can bring it to Jesus. Because the same God who reveals our need is the God who meets us with mercy.

The coal touches Isaiah’s lips because that’s where he confessed his sin… and God brings healing to the very place of his brokenness. Grace doesn’t ignore sin — it redeems it.

And Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are dust. But it also reminds us that we are deeply loved. We’re not just broken people. We are redeemed people.

And that’s why we can walk through Lent with humility and hope.

Closing

Now, there’s one detail in Isaiah’s vision that’s easy to overlook. In Verse 1, Isaiah says:

Isaiah 6:1 CSB

… the hem of his robe filled the temple.

In ancient times — the length of a king’s robe mattered. The longer the train of the robe — the more victories that king had won. Each added layer represented conquered enemies — and defeated opposition — and triumph after triumph.

A long robe meant a powerful king.

So when Isaiah sees the hem of God’s robe filling the temple — he is seeing the greatness of God’s victory.

Not just over nations. Not just over enemies. But over everything that holds us back.

God has defeated sin. He’s defeated shame. He’s defeated regret. He’s defeated fear. And in just six weeks — we’ll celebrate how He has defeated death.

The train of His robe is long because His victory is complete. And that means no matter what you are carrying into this season — God is greater.

As we walk through Lent — we do so with honest hearts. We take sin seriously. But we take God’s grace even more seriously.

That’s why I want to encourage you to lean into this season. Consider fasting. Consider giving something up.

Not as a religious obligation. Not as a spiritual competition. But as a way to make room for God.

Maybe it’s something small. Maybe it’s something significant. But let it be something that helps you slow down — and listen more closely — and seek God more intentionally.

Because Lent isn’t about losing something. It’s about gaining clarity. It’s about remembering what matters most.

Tonight — we begin this journey with humility. With honesty. With hope.

Because in the face of a holy God — sin can’t be ignored.

But through Christ — there’s redemption.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer

Almighty and Eternal God — on this sacred day — we come before You marked with ashes — a humble Cross of dust.

May it be for us:

a map leading our hearts back to You

a reminder of the earth from which we came,

and a promise to walk in Your grace.

Through this Holy Lent,

turn our prayer into lanterns in the darkness,

our fasting into space for Your presence,

our almsgiving into hands that extend Your love.

From dust — You called us into life. In these forty days — call us once again from wondering to wonder — and from shadow to light.

In Christ’s name we pray — Amen.

Ashes