Valley of Dry Bones: New Life Begins Now

Jul 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Standing in the Valley of Dry Bones

The valley of dry bones represents moments when defeat feels final. These bones are not anonymous—they belong to God’s people, scattered by disobedience and distraction. To walk among them is to confront the consequences of choices, not just circumstances. God invites Ezekiel to face the bleakness head-on, a necessary step before resurrection. This valley is not the end but a starting place for raw honesty. Only by staring at dry bones can we grasp the magnitude of what God might do next. [37:24]

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’” (Ezekiel 37:11, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life do you see “dry bones”—areas that feel beyond repair? What distractions or choices led you there?

Day 2: Speaking Life to the Impossible

God’s question—“Can these bones live?”—is not rhetorical. It demands faith in His power to resurrect what human effort cannot fix. Ezekiel’s answer defers to God’s sovereignty, but action follows: he speaks to the bones. Speaking God’s word is not magic; it is obedience. Just as creation burst forth at “Let there be,” our valleys shift when we declare truth. The act of speaking aligns our hearts with God’s possibility. [50:30]

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. (Ezekiel 37:7, ESV)

Reflection: What “dry bone” situation needs you to speak God’s promises over it today? Start aloud—what Scripture will you declare?

Day 3: Breathless Containers vs. Animated Life

Bones reassembled are just corpses without breath. Many live as “containers”—outwardly functional but spiritually lifeless. The breath of God (His Spirit) turns potential into purpose. Adam became alive only when God breathed into him; the dry bones became an army only after the four winds stirred. Life is not mere existence but the infusion of divine vitality. [59:10]

And he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” (Ezekiel 37:9, ESV)

Reflection: Are you a “container” or a living testimony? Where do you need the Spirit’s breath to reignite passion or purpose?

Day 4: Getting Up from the Mat of Defeat

Jesus didn’t just heal the paralyzed man—He told him to “get up.” Resurrection requires participation. The man’s muscles, atrophied for decades, responded to Christ’s command. Likewise, God’s word empowers us to stand amid our valleys. Staying on the mat perpetuates defeat; rising proves faith in the One who speaks. [01:02:16]

Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. (John 5:8–9, ESV)

Reflection: What “mat” have you been lying on—an excuse, a past failure? What step can you take today to rise in obedience?

Day 5: Knowing Who He Is, What He Said, What He Did

The sermon’s refrain—"then you will know I am the Lord"—anchors hope in God’s identity, not our circumstances. Israel’s restoration wasn’t about their merit but His faithfulness. To know Him is to trust His word and remember His past victories. Declaring these truths shifts focus from bones to the Breath-Giver. [01:11:43]

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:4–5, ESV)

Reflection: When facing impossibility, which truth do you need most: who God is, what He’s said, or what He’s done? Speak it aloud now.

Sermon Summary

Ezekiel sets the scene in a valley littered with bones, not just bones but very dry bones, the remains of God’s own people laid out like a one-and-done tournament loss with no second leg coming. The fall of Jerusalem has made impossibility feel final. The valley names what idolatry, disobedience, and even simple distraction always produce: a place where no human move can fix anything. God brings Ezekiel there on purpose and asks the question that exposes faith: can these bones live? Ezekiel defers to the Sovereign Lord, but the text expects a settled answer by now. God is in the resurrection business. If he formed a man out of dirt, he can call a people out of bones.

The Lord commands Ezekiel to speak. Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. As creation stood up when God said, so re-creation begins when God’s word is spoken and heard. Rattling starts, bones find bones, tendons and skin come, but there is still no breath. The text will not let anyone stop at a container. Adam was formed before he lived; the Spirit had to breathe. So God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, to call the four winds. When breath enters, the slain do not just exist, they live. The difference is everything. Death is not the worst thing for a worshiper of the living God. Being alive with no life is worse.

God identifies the bones. These are the house of Israel in Babylon. They say, our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, we are cut off. Their read is honest, but it is not final. What they say is not what God says. God promises to open graves, bring them up, settle them, and put his Spirit within them. Then you will know that I am the Lord. The refrain drives the chapter. Knowledge comes as God’s word is spoken, heard, obeyed, and the Spirit fills what the word forms.

The gospel follows the same pattern. Sinners are not just bad, they are dead, but the spoken good news raises the dead. Faith proves itself the way a jumper proves a bungee: by jumping. So the text calls the church to speak God’s word over valleys, to trust the Spirit’s breath, and to stand up. Jesus did not ask the paralyzed man if he wanted to be healed; he asked if he wanted to be whole, then said, get up, and the man stood. Ezekiel’s army does the same. The call lands here: do you know who he is, do you know what he said, do you know what he has done? Say it, believe it, and live.

Key Takeaways

1. God steps into impossibility The valley is not an accident; God leads his prophet there and names the deadness. Israel’s losses are real, but they are not the last word. God chooses the most final-looking place to start new life so no one mistakes the source. Impossibility is the stage for his sovereignty. [38:32]
2. Speak the word, don’t mumble Dry bones respond to “hear the word of the Lord,” not to feelings or vibes. The power sits in what God has said, uttered out loud, believed in the heart, obeyed with the mouth. Silence keeps graves closed; proclamation rattles them open. Scripture is meant to be heard. [51:02]
3. Alive is not yet life Containers can be built without breath, and religion can build containers all day. Life arrives when the Spirit breathes, turning potential into presence and movement. Death is not the enemy that haunts the believer most; living without the life of God is. [54:15]
4. Call in the Breath Ezekiel must prophesy to the wind because the Spirit is not an automatic add-on to moral effort. Word forms, Spirit fills; both are commanded, both are gift. Prayer that summons the Breath is not theatrics, it is obedience to the God who animates. [55:18]
5. Get up and carry the mat Faith does not lounge in defeat; it stands when the word says stand. The man by the pool and the army in the valley both prove life by movement, not sentiment. Standing becomes a witness to those who prefer people safely stuck on the mat. [62:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[15:33] - Series update and Ezekiel 37 setup
[35:06] - One-and-done and exile despair
[38:32] - Valley of impossibility named
[43:14] - Israel’s defeats and why
[46:24] - Where is God in losses
[49:13] - Can these bones live
[50:30] - Speak to the bones
[52:06] - Hear, O Israel: the Word
[55:18] - Containers need Breath to live
[59:40] - Prophesy to the Breath
[61:18] - Alive with no life diagnosed
[62:53] - Get up and carry the mat
[70:48] - Then you will know

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (ESV)
John 5:6-9 (ESV)

Observation questions

In Ezekiel 37:3, God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” How does Ezekiel respond, and what does this reveal about his perspective on God’s power?
The sermon emphasizes that “alive is not yet life” ([54:15]). What two distinct stages of restoration happen to the bones in Ezekiel 37:7-10, and why is the second stage critical?
In John 5:6-9, Jesus tells the paralyzed man, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” What immediate action does the man take, and how does this mirror the response of Ezekiel’s army?

Interpretation questions

Why does God command Ezekiel to prophesy twice—first to the bones and then to the breath (Ezekiel 37:4-10)? What does this teach about the relationship between God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s work?
The sermon states, “Death is not the worst thing for a worshiper of the living God. Being alive with no life is worse” ([41:31]). How does this idea challenge common cultural views of success, comfort, or survival?
In John 5:6-9, Jesus asks the paralyzed man, “Do you want to be healed?” but the man responds with excuses. How does this interaction expose the difference between wanting relief and embracing true transformation?

Application questions

The sermon describes “valleys of impossibility” as places where “no human move can fix anything” ([39:34]). Where in your life (relationships, habits, circumstances) does impossibility feel final? What would it look like to speak God’s Word over that valley this week?
Ezekiel’s bones needed both structure (flesh/skin) and breath to live ([55:18]). Are there areas where you’ve settled for “containers” (religious routines, moral effort) without inviting the Spirit’s breath? How could you actively depend on Him this week?
The paralyzed man in John 5 had to physically stand and carry his mat to prove his healing ([01:02:53]). What “mat” (old identity, victim mindset, or visible sign of defeat) might God be calling you to pick up and walk away from?
The sermon warns against “living without the life of God” ([54:15]). What practical step could you take to move from merely existing to living—like prioritizing prayer, serving others, or sharing your faith?
Israel’s defeat came from distraction and disobedience ([46:54]). What subtle distractions (busyness, fear, comfort) might be keeping you from fully hearing and obeying God’s Word?

Sermon Clips

41s

#FaithInAction

“``How do you know what's the greatest demonstration of your belief that God can make dry bones live? Well, what's your greatest demonstration that you believe the bungee cord strapped to your feet will hold you before you jump off the bridge? You jump. What's the greatest demonstration that you believe the parachute that you packed is going to open before you get out of the plane? How do you prove you believe the parachute? You jump. How do you prove you believe that God can bring these dry bones back to life? You speak. You speak truth. You speak God's word.”

37s

#NewLifeNow

“Because you're like, oh, that's very dramatic. No. It's biblically true. For me to die, Paul said, it's for me to gain. Like, I get to go be with Christ. So death for me and for you followers of Christ, that's not the worst thing. Might be the best. What is the worst thing for a follower? A person who worships the one true God, being alive with no life. Far worse, and you'll see that today. So new life can be lived before before the new heaven and the new earth arrive.”

40s

#WordQuickenSoul

“That's the power of God's word. That you need to be more than alive. You need to have life. You're never gonna have life if you don't have his breath. And what you need desperately is his breath. Baby, you need his breath because you're still dead in your trespasses. You've never been forgiven. You've never heard the gospel like you're hearing it now, and it's beginning to quicken your soul. God's doing in you what you're gonna see in a second. Maybe you are saved and you're just living a life that is like dry bones. You're in the valley of impossibility. You don't know how you got there and it really doesn't matter.”

53s

#RiseFromDefeat

“Ezekiel spoke and something happened and there's a message in there for the Israelites and there's a message for the church. So the big idea is new life can be lived. Now, number one, that's that's primary. You got to believe that God's in the resurrection business. You gotta believe that God can take nothing and do something with it. The very God of Genesis chapter one verse one and verse two is still alive and well, and that he can produce new life can be lived. You gotta be willing not to just lay down in your defeat. You gotta be willing to get back up on your feet as you'll see today and continue to live. Because is there anything worse than death? Yes. Mhmm. Being alive with no life.”

44s

#UnashamedGospel

“Do you believe that you could speak the gospel to a coworker and their dead bones could come back to life? That the power of the gospel is in the speaking and in the hearing? That if you declare the gospel that it will not come back void. Well, how will you know if you believe that? When you start telling people about Jesus. When you believe that the power of the gospel Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of God to the salvation of all who believe. To the Jew first and then the Gentile. It's exactly what it says right there. I'm unashamed Romans one sixteen.”

51s

#ListenSpeakLive

“Do you trust the power of that word? And God said, listen, there's an alternative to this, and what I say has more power than what you believe. Then you my people, you will know that I'm the Lord. The whole purpose of this book. Then you will know. Then you will know. Then you will know. Then you will know. Then you will know. How do my people know that he is God? Because when he starts speaking back into your life, things begin to change radically. When you listen to the word, you heed the word, you hear the word, you speak the word, all of a sudden, life begins to happen for you. You feel the spiritual muscles begin to rise up within you.”

51s

#WalkInNewLife

“He did. And he grabbed that mat and walked the rest of his life with that mat. He finally runs into the religious and what do you think they say to him? Why are you carrying that mat on the Sabbath? You deserve to be beaten to death with that mat. Because some people, they'll never understand what life looks like. They were fine when he was alive in that condition. But when he started demonstrating life, it freaked them out. And this is the reality. You gotta get up on your feet. You cannot continue to lay in your defeat. You gotta get up on your feet, prove through faith the power of that redeeming word, get up and start walking.”

35s

#TrustGodsWord

“As all things came into existence by this phrase, and God said, let there be. So you and I have to have trust, not in a name it, claim it, nonsensical way like if you say Cadillac every day for thirty years, you're gonna have one in your driveway. That's that's utter nonsense. But do you believe the power of God's spoken word? If you believe it, then you have the silly willingness to stand in a valley of dry bones and God says, speak to them.”

60s

#SpeakToBeSaved

“You're dead in your sin. I'm not saying you're bad. You're dead. Because you're dead spiritually, because that's the consequences of sin. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. But, the gift of God is everlasting life. And God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, to live a perfect life and die a painful death. But praise God almighty, he raised himself from the dead on the third day to prove that he was God. And now, it's incumbent on you to demonstrate faith, belief, trust in that truth, and commit not only your sin to Christ, but your eternity to Christ. And if you speak with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, believing that in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. Now, you don't have to say it exactly like that, but you could just say, hey man, listen, there's a God and you're not him. He sent his son and died because he was gonna kill you instead. Now, you either believe that and go to heaven or you don't believe it and go to hell.”

70s

#ValleyOfImpossibility

“So in Ezekiel 37, what we see is God's response to those experiences in life when impossibility becomes a reality. That's what the valley of dry bones is, is that it's this moment of one and done. You're literally in the valley of impossibility. And the reason they're in the valley of impossibility is because of their own choices. It isn't because of what happened to them, it's because of what they continued to do for so many years. Because of their own disobedience, excuse me, their own idolatry, they just end up in this terrible place. this is this is life. This many of us and and you'll you're gonna end up in in this valley of dry bones on multiple occasions. And it doesn't have to be epic failure, but it's the valley of impossibility is what I would call it. That you reach the point where you real realize there's no human movement that can do anything about your space in life.”

50s

#ImmediateHopeNow

“So often this passage is used for future understanding, the the final resurrection of the dead, the rapture of people. It's really not pointing to that. It's not pointing to anything future. Ultimately, there's a little bit of an an echo in it, certainly. What's it talking about? Future hope? Future life? Eternal life? No. Immediate. That what you see in this valley is those people in Babylon. They're alive, but they have no life now. They're in a foreign land. They don't have a temple. They don't have a city. They don't have their own homes. They're they're alive, but they don't have any life. What I'm using this example for is the people that are currently alive.”

64s

#SpokenWordHeals

“And Jesus just asked him a question. You certainly don't wanna ask him if he wants to be healed. That's evident. Do you wanna be whole? And that's the word hygiene in the Greek. Same almost identical spelling. That's wholeness. That's wellness. That's shalom. And Jesus didn't even wait for him to answer. He looked at him and said, horrible thing to do to a human being that hasn't walked in thirty eight years. Get up. Right? It's like, that's unkind. I mean, think about that. You see somebody in a wheelchair, you know, is physically incapable of getting up and you walk into their life and say, get up. Like, dude, that's unkind. Not if you're Jesus. And immediately, the guy stood to his feet. Now, that guy's alive, but do you think he has life? How did that life enter those paralyzed bones? Through the spoken word.”

38s

#FromNothingToSomething

“And the only way you're gonna begin this journey of new hope and new life is to renew your faith in God's ability. If God could have taken a pile of dirt and made a man, why can't he take a pile of bones and produce new life? If you truly do worship the from nothing something God, the God who had an absolutely nothing, made everything from nothing, then from the everything he made, he grabbed a pile of dirt and he fashioned and formed a man. Then he can take our dry bones, if you will, in the valley, and he can do something with them.”

56s

#GodResurrectionBusiness

“So, he asked me, he said, son of man, here's a huge question. This has got to be the question that you're willing to hear and that you're willing to answer. Can these bones live? That's the question. And that's the question that needs to be posed not only to Ezekiel, but to you and I. Now, answers the question, you alone know sovereign Lord. I don't even have an answer to that question. And I can understand why he didn't have an answer. There wasn't a lot of resurrection up to that point. We very little, if any, to be quite honest with you. You've got Ezekiel, Elijah, that kind of thing, but you ought to have an answer to this question. Crossland people, can these bones live? Well, there's only one answer. Because God's in the resurrection business.”

75s

#GodsWordOverFear

“Are you dried up? You're just spiritually in in an absolute desert rather than an oasis. Their conclusion is correct. Is their hope gone? It pretty much should be. Because what they were hoping for is not gonna happen. US men's soccer team is not winning the World Cup. And these people were not coming back to a fortified city. They weren't coming back to the glorious Temple Of Solomon. That hope is gone and they feel cut off from God. Okay? This is how they feel. And so, therefore, this is what I want you to say to them. One more powerful spoken word. This is what they say. What matters more than what we say? What God says. What matters more than what you think? What he thinks. What matters more your evaluation of where you're at or his evaluation of where you're at? What matters more, your hopelessness or his powerful? Incredible word.”

40s

#ChristIsLordNow

“And if you don't, today's the day. Jesus Christ is Lord. He came and lived a perfect life, died a painful death, raised himself again from the dead, ascended into heaven. He's now seated at the right hand of the father. He's coming again to judge the living and the dead. Not the alive, not the good, not the bad. The living. Because you can be alive with no life, and that is far worse an enemy than death. Because you're gonna live forever in that condition separated from God the Father.”

57s

#ExamineYourValley

“So the truth is, for Ezekiel, God had had him examine this whole valley. And you gotta be willing to examine yours. You gotta be willing to walk amongst the dry bones against the defeat of examine the defeat. And this must have happened years ago because they're in an ounce of flesh on any of these things. And so, takes courage. It takes courage to walk into that valley, take full responsibility for what you see, know that ultimately, I put myself there. Through a series of choices, distractions, I just forgot to follow the Lord. I got into a season of life, and the next thing you know, here I am in a valley. And I'm being defeated by things in life that a follower of Jesus Christ should have victory over. And I'm not having victory over them. Why is this happening?”

46s

#WordBringsHealing

“They say, this is God talking to Ezekiel. This is what the people are saying in Israel. They say, our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, and we're cut off. This is the mantra of people facing impossibility. They're drawing conclusions that are partially correct, I guess. Our bones are dried up. This is what David said. Remember when he sinned with Bathsheba? And before the prophet Nathan came to him in his unconfessed, unrepentant condition, he wrote in the book of Psalms that his bones were rotting within him. Until what happened? Nathan came and spoke a word to him.”

60s

#DontSettleForDeadness

“There is there anything worse and hopeless than death? Yeah. Being alive with no life. Like, you're not an animated human being. You're not experiencing the fullness for which God created you. You're living in the valley of impossibility. And surely, it's okay to question God and be like, if you're really God, why am I in the middle of this? Generally speaking, if you're in the Valley Of Dry Bones, you lost a battle you should have won. Period. And why you lost that battle that you should've won? Surely, God, I guess he could in his sovereign authority do anything he wants, allow that defeat that he might get a greater victory like he did with Christ. But most of the time, the Valley Of Dry Bones is where we end up because we get distracted or we're living disobedient.”

37s

#FromDeathToLife

“There's a valley that's still out there today and that's the valley of unsaved people. We were all dead in our trespasses and sins and here's the good news, if God could have taken you while you were dead in your sins, he can still take you while experiencing death in this life, where you're just not experiencing the vibrant life. You're in the you're in the valley of impossibility, where you just can't see a way for anything to possibly change. In fact, if you think about Israel, it's the very moment that follows an utter and tragic defeat. Their city has been destroyed.”

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Valley of Dry Bones: New Life Begins Now

Devotional

Day 1: Standing in the Valley of Dry Bones

Day 2: Speaking Life to the Impossible

Day 3: Breathless Containers vs. Animated Life

Day 4: Getting Up from the Mat of Defeat

Day 5: Knowing Who He Is, What He Said, What He Did

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Valley of Dry Bones: New Life Begins Now

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