Curry's Chapel Church
20260218 Ash Wednesday

  • 1 – Gathering & Prelude

    Soft, reflective music as people enter.
    Count Down
    It’s a God Thing
    VIDEO: Ashes

    SERMON 1 — Dust: Where Grace Begins

    2 – Call to Worship

    An invitational opening of humility and hope.
    SLIDE: Leader

    Leader:

    Tonight we begin a journey
    — from dust to dawn.
    From the places where life feels messy,
    to the places where God brings new light.
    Come as you are.
    Come with your dust.
    Come with your questions.
    Come with your hope.
    SLIDE: People

    People:

    We come to meet the God who forms us, forgives us, and leads us into life.
    SLIDE: ♫ Music Video

    3 – ♫ Music Video — “Come as You are”

    SLIDE: Prayer of Reproach

    4 – A Prayer of Reproach

    God, You formed us from dust and breathed life into us. You know our fears, our failures, our hopes, and our hidden places. As we begin this journey, meet us in our humanity. Shape us again by Your grace.

    5 – Scripture Readings

    SLIDE: Scripture Genesis 3:19
    Genesis 3:19 NLT
    19 ... For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
    SLIDE: Scripture Joel 2:!2
    Joel 2:12 NLT
    12 That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts...
    SLIDE: Scripture Joel 2:13
    Joel 2:13 NLT
    13 ... Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate...
    SLIDE: Message Title

    6 – Message

    Opening
    Tonight feels different, doesn’t it? It’s quieter. Slower. More honest. Ash Wednesday has a way of pulling up a chair and saying, “Let’s talk about what’s real.”
    And what’s real is this: We are dust. Not in a depressing, “you’re nothing” kind of way. But in a God‑isn’t‑finished‑with-you kind of way.
    Genesis 3:19 says, “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” And Joel 2:12–13 says, “Return to me with all your heart… for He is gracious and compassionate.”
    Dust and grace. That’s where Lent begins.
    A Conversational Walk Into the Text
    When God says we’re dust, He’s not insulting us. He’s reminding us of something freeing:
    Dust is workable. Dust is shapeable. Dust is the raw material God loves to use.
    Think about it—God didn’t start creation with marble or gold. He started with dirt. And He breathed life into it.
    If God can do that with dirt, imagine what He can do with you.
    Illustration: The Potter’s Wheel
    I once watched a potter work a lump of clay. It wasn’t pretty. It wobbled. It sagged. It flopped over like it had given up on life.
    And the potter just smiled and said, “Oh, this is the good part.”
    The good part? It looked like a clay crime scene.
    But he said, “This is where the shaping happens. This is where the vessel becomes what it was meant to be.”
    Friends, God does His best work with dust. Not with perfection. Not with polish. With dust.
    A Little Humor to Break the Tension
    A kid once asked me, “If we’re made from dust, does that mean God has to dust us every week like furniture?”
    I told him, “Well, some of us collect more dust than others.”
    But the truth is— God isn’t dusting us off. He’s shaping us. Breathing into us. Calling us back to Him.
    The Heart of Ash Wednesday
    Ash Wednesday is not about guilt. It’s about honesty.
    It’s the one night we stop pretending we’ve got it all together. We admit we’re fragile. We admit we’re flawed. We admit we need God.
    And God meets us right there.
    Joel says, “Return to me with all your heart… for He is gracious and compassionate.” Not “Return to me once you’ve cleaned yourself up.” Not “Return to me when you’ve fixed everything.” Just… return.
    Dust returning to the One who shaped it.
    Illustration: The Broken Bowl
    There’s a Japanese art called kintsugi— when a bowl breaks, they don’t throw it away. They fill the cracks with gold.
    The bowl becomes more valuable because of the broken places.
    Ash Wednesday is God saying, “I see your cracks. I see your fractures. And I’m not throwing you away. I’m filling you with grace.”
    SLIDE: Application

    Application: What Do We Do With Our Dust?

    Tonight, I want to invite you to do three simple things:
    1. Acknowledge your dust.
    Where are you tired? Where are you struggling? Where are you pretending?
    2. Bring your dust to God.
    Not your excuses. Not your defenses. Just your dust.
    3. Let God breathe into it.
    Let Him shape you. Let Him forgive you. Let Him begin something new.
    This is the beginning of the journey— From Dust to Dawn. From brokenness to resurrection. From ashes to hope.
    But it starts here. With dust.
    A Gentle Closing Story
    A pastor once said, “God loves you right where you are… but He loves you too much to leave you there.”
    Ash Wednesday is God whispering, “I’m not done with you. Let’s begin again.”
    Closing Prayer
    Lord, We come to You tonight as dust— fragile, imperfect, and deeply loved. Take our broken places and fill them with Your grace. Shape us. Renew us. Breathe life into what feels empty. As we begin this Lenten journey, lead us from dust toward dawn, from sorrow toward hope, and from death toward resurrection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
    SLIDE: ♫ Music Video

    7 – ♫ Song of Response — “Be Still My Soul”

    SLIDE: Invitation

    8 – Invitation to the Imposition of Ashes

    Leader:
    Tonight we receive ashes not as a mark of shame, but as a reminder of truth:
    We are dust
    — and God meets us in the dust.
    We are human
    — and God loves us in our humanity.
    We are fragile
    — and God is faithful.
    Instruction:
    Come forward as you are able.
    As the ashes are placed on your forehead or hand, you will hear these words:
    ‘Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return — but you are loved by God.’
    SLIDE: Imposition with ♫ music audio

    9 – Imposition of Ashes

    Impose the ashes to the congrgation

    10 – Prayer of Confession & Hope

    SLIDE: Prayer of Confession - Leader

    Leader:

    God of mercy,
    we confess that we have wandered,
    we have resisted Your love,
    we have tried to hold ourselves together on our own.
    But You meet us in the dust.
    You lift us, shape us, and breathe life into us again.
    SLIDE: Prayer of Confession - People

    People:

    From dust to dawn, lead us by Your grace.
    SLIDE: ♫ Music Video

    11 – ♫ Music Video — “Great are You Lord”

    Something gentle but hopeful — a hint of dawn.
    SLIDE: Word of Sending

    12 – A Word of Sending

    Leader:
    Go into this season knowing:
    You are dust
    — but beloved dust.
    You are human
    — but held by God.
    You are beginning a journey
    — from dust to dawn,
    from brokenness to beauty,
    from darkness to resurrection light.
    May the God of grace bless you in your journey
    AMEN!
    SLIDE: End sequence

      • Genesis 3:19NKJV

      • Joel 2:12NKJV

      • Joel 2:13NKJV

Curry's Chapel Church
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