This lesson preview is pulled from the 5-lesson Easter Series from Wonder Ink. It is flexible and can be used in large group/small group and in classrooms. Download and view the full 75-minute lesson + the family event preview here.
LESSON AT A GLANCE: Ezekiel and the Dry Bones
WONDER TRUTH: God Has Good News for His People
SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 37
GOD’S BIG STORY: God shows Ezekiel a vision reassuring the prophet that God still had good news for His people—He would bring them back to Him and put His own Spirit of life in them.
WORD OF WONDER: He saved us. It wasn’t because of the good things we had done. It was because of his mercy. He saved us by washing away our sins. We were born again. The Holy Spirit gave us new life. —Titus 3:5 (NIrV)
CURIOSITY (15 MINS) | Large Group or Small Group
An object lesson, experiment, or activity that sparks curiosity, encourages exploration, and gets kids thinking about the wonder of God.
- Welcome Question: What good news have you heard lately?
- Curiosity Questions
- STEM Activity: News, Good News, Best News!
- Declaring God’s Wonder
BELIEF (25-35 MINS) | Large Group
A deep and interactive dive into Scripture that guides kids into knowing God more deeply, exploring His big story in the lesson of Ezekiel and the Dry Bones, and marveling at His wonder.
- Prayer of Invitation
- God’s Big Story: Hear It, Watch It, Experience It!
- Connecting the Wonder Truth
- In Awe of God’s Wonder
- Word of Wonder: Titus 3:5
FAITH (15 MINS) | Small Group
An intentional conversation that helps kids see the wonder of God’s story and how it connects to their own, emboldening their faith and fostering a deeper understanding of their place in God’s kingdom.
- Word of Wonder Activity
- Discussion Questions for Younger and Older Kids: Ezekiel and the Dry Bones
- Small Group Prayer Time
IDENTITY (10 MINS) | Large Group or Small Group
An interactive worship response activity that creates space for God to remind kids of these core truths: I am known, I am loved, I am led, and my life can tell of God’s wonder.
- Responding in Worship: Dry Bones Directed Prayer
- Blessing Your Kids
Wonder Ink’s 3-year, 52-week children’s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God’s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.
INVITATION FOR LEADERS
We invite you to pause, listen, and shift your gaze toward the Father …
One of the great things about social media is witnessing others’ good news. Marriage proposals, pregnancy announcements, and gender reveals are so fun to watch. The joy in the moments is palpable through the screen, sometimes for people we don’t even know personally!
Good news energizes and reminds us that there is still good happening in our broken world.
Take a moment to read Ezekiel 37:1–14. In this passage, the prophet Ezekiel embodies the power of the Lord. Before God spoke to him, Ezekiel knew the power of the Lord was upon him, even though he was in a faraway, unknown place surrounded by dry, silent bones. When you walk in unfamiliar territory, God still has good news for you. He walks alongside you up every hill and mountain and through every valley. You never walk alone.
Through you, He also brings bring good news of hope restored to others. God has good news for His people through His people. Your testimony of God’s good news can help others navigate their personal valleys.
- Have you ever experienced good news amid a personal trial?
- Where have you seen hope restored because of God’s good news?
- Who needs to hear of God’s good news in your life?
With God’s power, Ezekiel spoke life into the dry bones. But guess what? The same power lives inside you. You can speak life into situations that seem helpless. You can celebrate the good news of hope restored.
DID YOU KNOW? FOUNDATION BUILDING BLOCKS: Ezekiel and the Dry Bones
WHO?
Ezekiel was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah. Because God’s people were in danger of judgment, Ezekiel was called to do unusual things like eating a scroll and lying on his side for over a year to get the people’s attention.
WHAT?
Ezekiel had many visions related to God’s judgment and restoration. Ezekiel prophesied about God’s restoration after the exile. He proclaims that God would send His Spirit to make a way for Israel to actually follow God’s commands (Ezekiel 36:24–32).
WHERE?
Ezekiel received the vision about the dry bones when he and the Israelites were exiled to Babylon. This prophecy came during the 70-year exile when the Israelites felt like all hope was gone. But through Ezekiel’s vision, God shares an image of new life!
WHEN?
Babylon chipped away at the nation of Judah over a few years, but the final defeat of Jerusalem and exile to Babylon came in 586 BC. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s temple along with the city. The people were in exile for 70 years.
CONNECTING TO GOD’S BIG STORY
The vision in Ezekiel 37 shares God’s plan to restore Israel but also points toward the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus. His victory will bring new life to those who trust in Him, and His Spirit brings His followers life and joy!
DIVE IN: Ezekiel and the Dry Bones
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