Come to Life! Children’s Message on Ezekiel’s Vision of Dry Bones
Main Objective: How can we put life into things? Can we bring things to life out of nothing? Aside from a few simple “magic” tricks, it is impossible for us as humans to bring things to life, but our God gives hope, renewal, and new opportunity! This message discusses the vision of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones, reminding us that God has a plan in all things. He can bring the dead back to life and gives us new life in Jesus. With Him, we have hope!
Law/Gospel Theme: Sometimes we try to do things on our own power, and life becomes exhausting. We want to feel powerful and capable, but in the end, we only have life because God gives it to us! We can hope in the most hopeless times because our hope is in Jesus. He defeated death so that we can have new life. Ezekiel saw dry bones coming to life and had hope for God’s people of Israel. We know that we have hope for things in our lives, because God gave His Son for all people!
Optional Materials: Balloon, rocks or inanimate objects, skeleton toys or “bones” (dog bones, plastic, etc.)
Bible Passage: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. Use your judgment and ideas to best serve students.
More Bible Teaching Ideas on Ezekiel for Kids: Don’t miss the kids Bible lesson, full Sunday School lesson, Bible craft ideas, and children’s sermon lesson.
Children’s Sermon on the Valley of Dry Bones
Greet the children and discuss how things have life…
Hello, children of God!
Have you ever tried to bring something to life? I like to read fairy tale stories and myths sometimes, and it’s always exciting when something (or someone!) gets brought to life, especially things that shouldn’t be. Well, what if I told you that I could bring something to life? Are you ready to watch it? Here goes… Take a balloon and blow air into it. Let it go flying after it’s full of air. Okay, okay…I guess that wasn’t REALLY bringing something to life. But I did put air into this and it changed. I made it move, after all!
Well, what do you think would be the least likely object to come to life? Hold up examples as described. Maybe a rock? A loaf of bread? A piece of paper? How about a skeleton? Usually we think of skeletons as symbols of death. A skeleton is stripped of all life and basically has no hope. Unless it’s a silly Halloween show, skeletons aren’t going to get up and start moving around. But there’s a story in the Bible when that very thing happened!
There was a prophet named Ezekiel who spoke for God. Sometimes God gave him interesting visions about things that were going to happen with His people, the nation of Israel. In one of these, Ezekiel saw a valley full of dry bones. Not even skeletons, just a bunch of old, dried up bones. God asked him if the bones could live. Ezekiel probably didn’t even know what to say, but he responded that God would know if the bones could live again. God told Ezekiel to speak to the bones and prophesy over them. So he did. To his amazement, the dried bones put themselves together, and flesh covered them up! Then God commanded him to speak to the bones again, and breath came into them, and they came to life as a great army! God told Ezekiel that this was what He would do to His people. Things seemed rather bleak and hopeless, but God wanted them to know it wasn’t the end. He still loved them and was with them, and He would bring them back to life again. The breath of God made amazing things happen and made the impossible possible.
God gives us the same promise. He is the one who can make things new and breathe life into us. There might be times when we feel discouraged, or sad, or even hopeless. But with God, all things are possible. No matter what happens, His spirit can bring us back to life. He is the one who gives us life in the first place, both physically and spiritually. He is the one who can revive us when we are tired or upset. He promises to always be with us and to make all things new. We know that we can talk to Him anytime and that He cares. We know that He sent His son to die for our sins. That’s a lot better than blowing air into a balloon. If God can make dry bones into an army, imagine what He can do in our lives! So if you get to feeling sad or hopeless, remember that you have the God of all hope on your side!
Why don’t we pray now and thank God for giving us life?
Prayer:
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for being our hope, no matter what happens
Thank you for giving us new life!
Help us to trust in You
And have peace in your presence.
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Bible Verses/story to Reference:
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 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. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then 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.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 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.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” -Ezekiel 37:1-14