Die to Live (Ash Wednesday)

Based on Matthew 6:16-21, this Ash Wednesday sermon centers on the paradoxical way of Christians: die to live--rooted in the Genesis curse: "dust you are, to dust you shall return." Pastor Petzold critiques our denial of mortality, our pursuit of fleeting "glitter" – material possessions and earthly validation – which ultimately fail to satisfy. The sermon calls for repentance, acknowledging our fragility and dependence on God, not worldly treasures. Fasting is presented as a spiritual discipline, a way to "die" to distractions and indulge in God, the true life-giver. The ashes, shaped as a cross, symbolize this paradox: our mortality redeemed by Christ's sacrifice. We die to self, to sin, and to fleeting pleasures, to embrace the eternal life offered through Jesus, storing up heavenly treasures. True treasure is found in Jesus’ forgiveness and righteousness, a gift, not earned. Ultimately, Christ promises to undo death itself, resurrecting us from the dust.