EZEKIEL GAVE HOPE (EZEKIEL 37)

• If your child likes to color and do activity sheets, print off the Bible story coloring and activity pages.   
• Have your child open their Bible and find Ezekiel 37. Explain that Ezekiel is part of the Major Prophets division of the Old Testament. Challenge your child to remember the difference between major and minor prophets. (It’s the length of the books, not the importance.) Then help them learn the other books in the same division. (Isaiah–Daniel)

DURING THE GATHERING – WORSHIP AND LEARN TOGETHER

AFTER THE GATHERING

Watch Together to review the kingship of Hezekiah and Josiah:

READ & DISCUSS TOGETHER

READ TOGETHER:  Ezekiel 37:11-1

DISCUSS TOGETHER: 

• What did God show Ezekiel? (a valley filled with bones, Ezek. 37:1-2)
• What did God do with the bones? (caused them to reconnect, grow flesh, and come back to life; Ezek. 37:4-10)
• What was God’s message to His people? (God would bring them back to life and fill them with His Spirit, Ezek. 37:13-14)
• When did this prophecy come true? Guide your child to think about the two different fulfillments of this prophecy. God did bring His people back to their land as He promised. Also, God sent Jesus to die for sin and rise again to give life to believers.
• What is our ultimate hope? Guide your child to think about our hope for the future. We know God is faithful, and He has promised to send Jesus back to earth. At that time, all of the damage sin has caused will be undone. We will be completely free from sin in every way. No matter how bad things may seem, we know that Jesus is victorious over sin. 
• When does our life with God start? Direct your child to see that our new life with God starts right away. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sin and makes us new. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us and begin healing the damage sin causes. We gain God’s power to love Him, obey Him, and share the gospel.
• CHRIST CONNECTION:  Apart from Jesus, we are like the dry bones Ezekiel saw. God showed Ezekiel His power to make dead people alive. We see God’s power at the cross. Jesus died to save sinners. God raised Jesus from the dead, and He gives us eternal life.

PRAY TOGETHER

Lord, even when Your people were far from home in the land of Babylon, You were with them. You gave them hope through Your prophets. God, make us aware of Your presence. We look forward to one day being home with You forever. Amen.

MEMORIZE:  

Go to the NCC website for more resources and to download the smartphone app and turn on the “Children’s Mode.”  The children’s-mode questions and answers have also creatively been put to song to help kids memorize it.

WATCH AND SING TOGETHER:

WORSHIP TOGETHER