I Just Need A Second Wind - Dr. Oscar Williams

Summary

The Potter’s House Podcast

Episode Title: I Just Need A Second Wind – Dr. Oscar Williams
Date: July 12, 2026
Speaker: Dr. Oscar Williams

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Episode Overview

In this powerful sermon, Dr. Oscar Williams explores the biblical account of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14), centering the message on the theme of renewal—“I just need a second wind.” Through vivid imagery and dynamic delivery, Dr. Williams draws parallels between the elements of nature, our spiritual vitality, and the way God revives what seems lost, broken, or lifeless. He challenges listeners to prophesy over what feels dead in their lives and to believe in the restoring, enlivening power of God's Spirit.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Elements of Nature as Metaphors for God’s Character

Dr. Williams opens by explaining how understanding God through nature enriches our spiritual life.

• Water: Symbolizes cleansing, sustenance, and spiritual thirst-quenching.
  • "Water is the first requirement of life. Nothing survives without it. Water cleanses, water quenches, water sustains, and water flows." (07:57)
  • References: Jeremiah 2:13, Psalms 23:2, John 4 (Jesus and the Samaritan woman).
• Fire: Represents purification, transformation, and consuming power.
  • "Fire gives light and warmth... fire transforms." (10:15)
  • References: Exodus 3:2 (burning bush), Deuteronomy 4:24, Daniel 3.
• Earth: Stands for stability, growth, and foundation.
  • "Earth is the foundation, what our feet stand on, our stability, the thing that doesn't move." (12:13)
  • References: Psalms 24, Deuteronomy 32:40, Psalms 18:2.
• Wind: Unique because it moves and affects all the other elements.
  • "There is no picture for the wind. It has no color, it has no shape. ...The wind is indicated by what it moves." (14:31, 16:28)
  • Wind is a metaphor for God’s Spirit (the ruach), His breath, and life itself.

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2. The Power and Mystery of Wind/Spirit: Ruach

• In both Hebrew and the biblical context, “ruach” means spirit, breath, and wind.
  • "If you want to know where the wind is, you have to look at what’s moving." (16:28)
  • Wind seeks out the “low places” to bring balance and vitality: "If you in a low place, the wind is looking for you." (17:47)
• The wind is God’s personal touch—He works all things around us, but the wind is what He puts in us.

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3. Calling Beyond Comfort: The Prophetic Ministry of Ezekiel

• Ezekiel, a priest by birth, is called into uncomfortable, even unclean, places.
  • "My title keeps me in the pulpit, but my calling keeps calling me to communities that people ran away from." (22:33)
• Serving God may require us to leave the “mountain” and step down into the “valley”—to the heart of the problem and to people in need.
  • "Some callings you have to come from up here to... see." (23:51)
  • Echoes Christ’s incarnation: Jesus came down to the “unclean places” to redeem humanity.

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4. The Dry Bones: Understanding Spiritual Exhaustion

• Dry bones represent lives hollowed out by trauma, grief, neglect, and spiritual isolation.
  • "Every bone used to be a body." (29:59)
  • Spiritual dryness often comes from being “uncovered”—cut off from community, left in isolation, or repeatedly wounded by life.
  • "Dry bones crack easy. Dry bones get offended easily. Dry bones get mad easy." (31:44)
• Dr. Williams notes the danger of outsiders offering solutions without entering into the hard places themselves.

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5. God’s Questions: For Our Self-Examination

• God asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?"—not for information, but to prompt self-examination.
  • "God only asks questions not for His benefit, but for you to see your posture and where you really are." (33:49)
• Sometimes, past losses and “broken spirits” (referencing Ezekiel’s loss of his wife; Proverbs 17:22) render us unable to muster hope.
  • "Sometimes in ministry, the call is so uncomfortable that if we knew what it cost, we may have never answered the call." (37:36)

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6. The Word and Prophecy: Activating What Seems Dead

• God’s solution isn’t dependent on our certainty, but our obedience and faith.
  • "He said Ezekiel son of man prophesied to the bones and tell them hear the word of the Lord. Wait a minute. Bones don't have ears. ...But the word is powerful enough itself." (42:56)
• Listeners are exhorted to speak life into situations even when they appear unresponsive.
  • "Prophesy to the thing that looks like it’s not listening and say, I don’t care how dead you look ... you gotta hear the word of the Lord." (44:03)
  • "All you need is a suddenly." (46:07)

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7. Formation Before Fulfillment: God’s Process

• God “forms” before He “fills”—the order of restoration matters.
  • "He said, that’s because you don’t know my formula. I don’t fill it until I form it." (51:27)
  • This echoes creation and how spiritual restoration is a process.
• The “second wind” is what ultimately brings full restoration:
  • "The only reason those bones are still in the valley with no life is because they just need a second wind." (52:43)
  • "Everywhere you turn, I decree and declare that everywhere you turn, the wind is coming your way." (53:07)

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8. The Call to Live Again: Restoration and Community Commission

• Powerful, repeated calls to “live again” conclude the sermon.
  • "The wind has come so that you can live again... I command you to live." (57:23, 60:09)
  • Audience is commissioned to walk around, speak to others, and declare life and hope.
• Revival, joy, and hope are not only for the individual but for the whole church community.
  • "I'm pulling you out of the valley. It's time to live, it's time to dance again." (57:43)
  • "Find you seven people and tell them I command you to live." (59:47)
• The act of “prophesying to the wind” is both personal and collective empowerment for transformation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Mystery of Wind:
  "There is no picture for the wind. It has no color, it has no shape. ...But I wonder what the wind looks like. It must be why Jesus says the wind comes and you never know where it's coming from." (14:31)
• On God's Reach in Our Lowest Times:
  "If you in a low place, the wind is looking for you." (17:47)
• On the Cost of Ministry:
  "Sometimes in ministry, the call is so uncomfortable that if we knew what it cost, we may have never answered the call." (37:36)
• On Speaking to Dead Situations:
  "Prophesy to the thing that looks like it’s not listening...I don’t care how dead you look. ...You gotta hear the word of the Lord." (44:03)
• On Revival and Community:
  "Find you seven people and tell them I command you to live." (59:47)
• On God’s Faithfulness to Restore:
  "Everywhere you turn, I decree and declare that everywhere you turn, the wind is coming your way." (53:07)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening Scripture & Theme Introduction: 05:50
• Elements of Nature and God’s Character: 07:57 – 14:31
• Transition to Wind as Spirit: 14:31 – 17:47
• The Calling of Ezekiel (Priest/Prophet and the Valley): 18:05 – 25:30
• Reflection on Spiritual Dryness: 29:07 – 34:50
• Personal Loss and Ministry Fatigue: 34:50 – 37:36
• Prophetic Call and Activation: 42:35 – 46:07
• Formation Before Fulfillment: 50:44 – 53:07
• Call to Live Again / Community Mobilization: 57:07 – 60:12

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Tone and Language

Dr. Williams's language is passionate, direct, and imbued with spiritual urgency. The sermon is interactive and commands response, with frequent exhortations to the congregation to repeat affirmations, prophesy, and “pull” one another out of the metaphorical valley. The tone blends encouragement with challenge, and the delivery is rhythmic, motivational, and highly engaging.

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Summary

This episode calls believers to confront the valleys in their lives—the spaces of spiritual dryness, grief, and disappointment. Using Ezekiel's vision as both warning and promise, Dr. Williams insists that God is able to send a “second wind” wherever it is needed, bringing new life even when all hope appears lost. The central message: no matter how fragmented, discouraged, or lifeless you feel, you are called, through God’s Spirit and the power of prophetic declaration, to live again.

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For those who desire revival and renewal, this message is a stirring call to faith, action, and hope—a reminder that where the wind of God blows, life returns.

Transcript

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[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

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[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

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And along the way today we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next.

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[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Welcome to the Potter's House Podcast. You are home away from home.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

Stay a while as the Word of God restores, restores your hope and transforms your life. A very familiar passage which makes me nervous to preach because you've probably heard it preached and taught before. But I believe that God has burdened my spirit with something and I gotta get it out. I used to hear preachers say that and I didn't understand. I didn't understand at that time what that meant when they would say, I had to get this out. But I was up at 4 this morning and the Lord was still talking to me. And I said, God, I got to get some sleep. I got to get some sleep. And he was still showing me things. And so I got to get this out. It's Ezekiel. Ezekiel. Very familiar passage. Ezekiel, chapter 37. Ezekiel, chapter 37. This is a familiar passage. We're going to read it. Verses 1 through 14. It says this. The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. Then he calls me to walk around them. And behold, I saw a lot of bones in the valley, and indeed they were very dry. And God asked me a question. He said to me, son of man, can these bones live? And so I answered him. I said, oh, Lord God, you know. And again he said to me, prophesy to these bones and say to them, o dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones. Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as he told me. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And suddenly a rattling, and the bones started coming together. Just tell your neighbor. Coming together. It's coming together. It's coming together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them. But there was a problem. There was no breath in them. So 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. So I prophesied as he commanded, and breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceedingly great army. I'm going to tag this text right there. I'm going to stop at verse 10. I'm going to tag this text this morning. I just need a second window. Can you help me declare that to your neighbor? Just tell them, I just need a second win. Father, I thank you in this moment, because truly you are more than able. So I surrender my whole self to you. God, please don't allow your congregation, your people, to be inflicted by the frailty of my lips. Father. But if you speak through me, they will hear from heaven. And so we give you glory and we give you honor, as it belongs to only you in Jesus name. Amen. I just need a second wind. You can have your Seat. We are so grateful that we got our firehouse in the house right now. Firehouse ministry. Y' all make some noise for firehouse. They've been worshiping at the altar and seeking God and hungry for God. And, you know, the more I search for God, the more I search to know God and experience God, the more I find God in His creation, the more I recognize God through what he has created, specifically the elements of nature. Psalms 19:1 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showcase his handiwork. Paul even tells us in Romans. He says, for since the creation of the world, the invisible things of him are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. Throughout the Bible, God is aligned, defined and anthropomorphized through the lenses of nature and the elements. We see God and we can never get confused that he is the God over nature, but not create a God of nature. That there are religions and sets that look at the things that God created and they start to worship them. The universe, the sun, the moon, the stars. And they get confused. They get more enthralled about the creation instead of honoring the sovereign Creator. And we must be careful that we always recognize that he is the God over creation. And we see him in elements. We see him in elements of nature. We see him in water. Water being the first requirement of life. Nothing survives without it. Water cleanses, water quenches, water sustains. And water flows. Water cleanses. That's why we do baptism. Baptism is symbolic of the cleansing power of God. And so when we go down in the water, it is an agent, a cleansing agent. Water is a cleanser, and it quenches. It quenches our thirst, both spiritually and naturally. Water sustains. Water is what we need to be sustained by. If you don't drink enough water, you'll become dehydrated. The world needs water, and water flows. Water is smooth enough to glide over a stone and powerful enough to carve a space in a rock. This is how we see God and His power. Like water, water is also the only substance that can come in three forms and still be water. Water can be liquid, it can be solid, it can be gas, and yet it's still water. He can be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And yet he's still God. We see him characterized through his elements, the elements of water. Jeremiah 2:13. God names Himself the fountain of living water. Psalms 23 and 2 says, he leaded me beside still waters and restored my soul. He can lead me by the same thing that he uses to restore me. Isaiah 51 says, Ho, everyone that thirsted, come ye to the waters. In John chapter 4, Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman who has a bucket and coming to a well because she thinks the thirst that she has is internal, when it's really spiritual. And Jesus says, you can keep coming back to this same well, but you're going to keep ending up thirsty.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

But if you take of the water

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

I have, I'll give you water and you'll never thirst again, because water is a thirst quencher. And Jesus quenches every thirst. And so we see he satisfies the dry and he washes the filthy. This is water. But then there's fire. Fire gives light and warmth. And we see God in fire. Fire is a purifier, refining and burning off the things that are not like God, the impurities. Fire transforms. Anything that fire touches, it transforms and fire consumes. Exodus 3:2 gives us a story of Moses tending to the sheep. And all of a sudden, Moses turns to the side because he sees a bush that's on fire, but not being burnt up, because the consuming fire of God can get all inside of you and not burn you up. Exodus 13 tells us he led them by the pillar of fire by night. Deuteronomy 4 and 24 says, the Lord thy God is a consuming fire. A jealous God, Malachi 3 says, he is like a refiner's fire. He shall purify. Daniel 3 gives us a story of three Hebrew boys that jump into a fiery furnace, and they think they're going to be consumed, but they didn't know they had company.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Just touch your neighbor, say, you got company, you got company. They walked into the fire, but they

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

went in the fire with the fire starter. God is the refiner and the light. And fire, just like water, works on the outside of you. And then there's earth. Earth is the foundation, what our feet stand on, our stability, the thing that doesn't move. God is our foundation, our strong place. Earth is the soil that brings forth food. We heard it this morning. Earth is the soil that you put seeds in. And anything that's planted in soil has to grow. Anything that's planted in God has to grow. So if you're not growing, that means you're not.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

And.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

And in order to get real growth, you got to get deep in the soil. You can't stay on the top layer. In order to get real deep in God, you got to get in that thing of service, you just can't come when you want to. But if you want to get planted

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

in God, you gotta show up even

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

when it's inconvenient, because are you trying to go deep in the roots of

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

God so that when you.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

When you grow up, nothing can move you? Earth is dust. It's the raw materials. It is the thing you and I have been created from. And then earth is rock. It is our shelter, refuge, permanence. The ground holds us up, the ground keeps us stable, the ground covers us. Psalms 24 declares, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and they that dwell therein. Deuteronomy 32 and 40 says, he is the rock, and his work is perfect. Psalms 18 and 2 says, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust. Psalm 60 reminds us that when your heart is overwhelmed, there is a rock that sits higher than I.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

He is the rocker.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

In Acts, Peter stands up in front of the Israel leaders and he says, the one that you rejected, the.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

The stone that you rejected has now become the chief cornerstone. Because Jesus is the rock.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

This rock is Jesus. We used to sing. Yes, he's the one.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

This rock is Jesus, the only one. Be very sure

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

that your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. God is the foundation, like earth that we stand on. He is the potter who forms us from the clay. And all of this, the water, the fire, the earth, this happens around us. But I'm missing one more element. Can you throw a picture of the last element up for me? Can you put the last element up for me?

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

What?

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

This must be the wind. There is no picture for the wind. It has no color, it has no shape. You can show me what all the other elements look like. But. But I wonder what the wind looks like. It must be why Jesus says the wind comes and you never know where it's coming from. And what is so amazing about the wind? It is that it is the only element that can manipulate the other three. Water by itself can stand still, and yes, it has a flow, but let the wind come and the water will change its current. Fire by itself can stand still, but when the wind comes, fire becomes contagious and it moves. And just in case the fire looks

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

like it's getting ready to go out,

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

it just needs a second wind.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Earth by itself is foundation and is stable. But we.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

When the wind comes, tall buildings start

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

to sway, rocks start to move, because the wind is the only one that can work.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

The Other three. Water sustains you, fire refines you, the earth grounds you and forms you. God works all these three around you. But the wind God breathes in you. He uses the wind and he breathes in us. And if you ever want to know where the wind is, you have to look at what's moving. That's your only indication that wind is near by what is moving.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

If you want to know if God

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

is present, just look at what is moving. If you came Wednesday night, you would have got a snippet of what it looks like to be in a windy situation.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

When programs are moved out of where agendas are moved out of the way. When all those things are moved, tell

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

your neighbor, the wind is here. The wind is here.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

I dare you to look on your

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

row and see what's moving right now.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

If you sitting on the road, ain't nobody moving, you ought to change seats up, tell somebody, I got to be

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

where the wind is.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

If ain't nothing moving, that means ain't no wind over here. Because wherever the wind is, stuff starts them.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

The wind is indicated by what it moves. Jesus tells us that the wind blows where it wishes and we hear the sound, but we cannot tell where it comes from. The meteorologists tell us this, that wind is air that moves from high pressure situations to low pressure situations to balance out the difference. I'm gonna say it over here. The job of the wind is it starts where it's high and it looks to where it might be low and

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

it rushes to a low point place because it has to balance out the difference. And I just came this morning to tell you that if you in a low place, the wind is looking for you.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

So. So we see in scripture this word wind is connected and linked to a Hebrew word called ruach.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Ruach.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

Now, you cannot look at the word ruach and define it just by one word, because for us, ruach is three. It is spirit, breath and wind. If you were to read the scripture in its original language, specifically the Old Testament, you would see the word ruach where we have translated it to either be spirit breath or wind. This is what God breathed into the man. It is tied to another Hebrew word, neshama. In Genesis, chapter 2, verse 7, God breathed into man, into his nostrils, the breath of life. And we see In Genesis chapter 7, verse 22, these two words marry themselves together, neshama and ruach to be the breath of life. When in chapter seven the Bible is talking about Noah and those who died in the flood. And it says, all in whose nostrils was the breath of life was the Ruach. So wind, breath and spirit speak of life. Ruach speaks of life, wind blowing, movement, speeds of life, vitality. When the wind is blowing and moving, there is action happening. But. But I have a question this morning. And my question this morning, Potter's house, is what do you do when God takes you to a place where there is no wind? What happens when God takes you to a place where you can't see and feel nothing moving? This is where we find ourselves in the text this morning. In Ezekiel, Ezekiel is a man born into Israel's lineage. Father is Zadok, born into the priesthood. He is raised a priest, but called to be a prophet. And Ezekiel is set to take his priestly position, but then he's pulled into captivity with the rest of the children of Israel by the Babylonians. And so while in the midst of captivity, God calls him to be a prophet, Ezekiel. And we find ourselves right here in the text, in chapter 37, where the Bible said the hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel, and he took him to a valley of bones. Now, if you just read this and don't study a little bit, it won't bother you, but the dichotomy of this is that Ezekiel, as a priest, cannot go where dead things are. By the law in numbers. Numbers, chapter 19. Numbers, chapter 19. Can you pull it up for me? Numbers, chapter 19 talks about that if a man, whoever in the open field, touches one who is slain by a sword, or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave shall be unclean seven days. So wait a minute, God, you are taking me, the priest, into a place that's going to be unclean? God, you are breaking your own rules. This was the law that you gave as a priest. I cannot go there, but something in my prophetic calling is calling me to a place that others would run from. I know I was raised to be a priest, but my calling is preaching, pulling me to an uncomfortable place. My title keeps me on the stage, but my calling is pulling me down to the bones.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

My title keeps me in the pulpit, but my calling keeps calling me to communities that people ran away from. My calling keeps pulling me to people that nobody talked to. My calling keeps calling me to those who have been cast away. And sometimes when you're in this thing called middle ministry, you gotta put your title to the side and follow the call. You got.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

You. You gotta follow the call. Ezekiel was following the call, though going to where the bones are would have me be unclean. My calling takes me to where the need is. And God says to Ezekiel, I'm taking you from the mountain to the valley because there are some callings where you can't do it from up here. Some callings you have to come from up here to.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

See.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

See, we want to be comfortable in ministry. We would rather stay on the mountaintop to prophesy.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

But some problems, you can't prophesy to them until you face them. Some stuff you. You gotta. You gotta face. You gotta come down to where the bones are. You can't minister up there all the time. God is taking you from up there, down.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

This kind of reminds me of what Jesus did. Because when God had to save me,

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

when God had to redeem me, when God had to wash me, he said, I can't do it from up there. I got to come. I got to come down to where it's unclean. I got to come to where the bones are because I got to be where the problem is in order to understand the condition, I got to change my position.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

So Ezekiel is led by God to come to down to where the bones are. And something interesting happens in the text, because if you read it the first time, he identifies that there are a valley of bones. But it's not until he starts to walk around in them that he says, and the bones were very dry. Because some things you will never know until you are in the community of it.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

I am tired of people who have a solution for everything but are nowhere to be found when the work starts. I am tired of people who can always look from afar. And you've never been in the situation. I mean, how are you gonna prophesy to me? And you don't know my condition.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

You gotta answer for what the church should be doing.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

But you don't even come to church on time. You got an answer for what the pastor should be preaching, but you barely know your scripture. How do you have a solution for everything and you've never been where the bones are?

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

He, He, He. He's walking around and he starts to notice what he could not see from up there. You know, it's interesting. Sometimes we have more applause for people who stand further away from us than the ones who are with us in ministry. I ain't trying to make you mad this morning. I'm just trying to. I'm trying to help you to think.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Sometimes we applaud those who are up on the mountain as if their word is stronger than the ones who you see every day praying and interceding for you when you down and out, you need them. But then you revere the one on the mountain because sometimes when we're looking up,

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

we forget to look around. Help me, Holy Ghost and Ezekiel. Ezekiel is walking around in the bones. He's walking around. He says they're very dry. Very dry and a couple of thoughts I started talking to the text. What makes a leader worth following?

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

What should you really care about in your job? As technology is changing so quickly, is

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

it just gonna be about machines talking to other machines? I mean, should you quit your job and start something on your own, what would that take?

[Ben Green]

What does success and risk look like

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

when we're all at the starting gate together? These are the questions we answer each week on Lead Human with Jack Myers and Tim Spengler.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Join us each week and subscribe at

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

your favorite podcast platform and YouTube. We'll tell stories, we'll hear from some of the best, and we'll try to

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

figure this out together.

[Ben Green]

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[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

I said how do bones become very dry? How does a bone become very dry? So I had to research. Had to research. And what it says is living bones have vitality and strength. But dry bones, the life has been sucked from them. Then, then it came to me. It dawned to me that Ezekiel was walking around in bones. But every bone used to be a body. See, we catch the story at the bones, but the bones didn't just get there.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

They started off as bodies.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

Ezekiel was walking around that used to be a Sunday school teacher, that used to be one of the deacons, that used to be one of the preachers,

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

the pastors, that used to be the girl that ran around the church all the time. How did she become, How did she

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

become a tri bone? Serving and showing up and not knowing that over time life started to pull the marrow. Trauma started to pull the marrow.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Grief started to started to pull the marrow.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

And over time the bones started to become dry. Walking around. The other thing that makes bones dry is when they are uncovered. Bones that are left exposed to the elements start to dry up when they're left uncovered. That's why the enemy doesn't want you to come to church. Because as long as he can keep you uncovered. That's why the enemy wants you in isolation.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Because you think it's good for you. But he's just trying to get your bones to triumph.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

You think you running from the people in the sanctuary because you don't want nobody to know your business. But the enemy is tricking you. Because over time, life is is being pulled from you. Vitality is being pulled from you. And dry bones crack easy. Dry bones get offended easily. Dry bones get mad easy.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

If you don't give a dry bone

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

its way, it'll break. I'm just talking about dry bones. I was wondering how did the bones become dry? When did they realize that they were drying up? When did this start to happen? When did you realize that you didn't have the fire that you had for serving? When did you stop loving to worship God and sing? When did you notice that you would sit in the back and fold your arms while the service has been moved? Did you know that you, even with your fancy clothes on, may be tri bones? And Ezekiel is walking around in the bones? And then God asks him a question which is so interesting because nowhere in Ezekiel does God ask him a question before he tells him to prophesy. And you have to be tuned in to know and see the pattern of God. That God only asks questions not for his benefit, but for you to see your posture and where you really are.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Adam.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

Adam, where are you? It's not that God did not know where Adam was. He wanted Adam to look at his position. Peter, who do men say that I am?

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

It is not that Jesus did not know who he was, but he needed

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

the disciples to examine their position.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Ezekiel,

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

can these bones live? And Ezekiel answers God in a very interesting way. Ezekiel, the prophet says, lord, you know. Now theologians and historians will often tell you that this is an answer out of humbleness. But the text started talking to me a little more.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

I'm going to tell.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

You. And if I haven't learned anything, being under this great leader is that when the texts start talking, you got to ask the right questions. And I could have accepted that, but I have another interpretation or revelation, because Ezekiel used to be married. Ezekiel was married. He is not an old man. By the time we get to Ezekiel 37, he's about 37 years old. He started in ministry, started prophesying at the age 30, and he got married to the desire of his eye. And God had Ezekiel go through a lot in ministry. This was not an easy prophet call, because God had to use Ezekiel to be an example to the Israelites on how he was going to do them in judgment. And all through the trials of what God had Ezekiel go through, the one thing he could do is always look to the desire of his eye for strength. He had his wife. God, I can prophesy to them and I can lay on this side and I can do these things as long as I have the desire of my eye, the love of my life. But around Ezekiel, chapter 24, God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the people, judgment. But he. But then he says, oh, and by the way, tonight I'm gonna take your wife. But you can't mourn for her. You can't let even a tear drop from your eye. You gotta suffer in silence. Ezekiel is about 34. He has no time to prepare for this grief. He has no time to prepare for this loss. And it would be okay if God, you at least let me mourn. But God says the mantle and call on your life won't cause you and

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

allow you to mourn publicly, to grieve openly.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

And sometimes in ministry, the call is so uncomfortable that if we knew what

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

it cost,

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

we may have never answered the call.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

That sometimes it costs to be on the platform, sometimes it costs to have a word from God sometimes.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

And Ezekiel cannot mourn. And then I went to a scripture in Proverbs that helped me see how could this equate to dry bones. Proverbs 17 and 22 says, as you heard it, a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bone. A broken spirit. Losing your mama, losing your loved one, losing a job, situation after situation, trauma after trauma. So it started to make sense to me why Ezekiel couldn't definitively answer God. When God asked him, can these bones live? The prophet could not say yes. The prophet could not say no. He just said, God, you know, because sometimes, even in ministry, you don't realize that your bones are drying up. Oh, you used to. You used to serve. Used to serve all the time came running in church, but all of a sudden your bone started drying up. And you could recover. You could recover. You okay? You used to sing. You used to sing and play in the bandstand and do all that, but all of a sudden you boom.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

You all right?

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. I don't need no help. I'm good. Good. I'm good. You got your elder's license and your minister's license and you start off good. But life hits you unexpectedly and all of a sudden. Summer smells. Like summer road trips, ocean breezes and long evenings under the stars. It's a feeling you want to hold on to restore your sense of place. With Pura's new Summer Fragran fragrance collection, we've captured the magic of the season in clean premium scents that transform your home into your favorite destination. Discover the art of scentscaping and bring the summer in. Visit pura.com to explore the collection. The Genesis GV70 with all its award winning tech and performance is built to thrill. So you can hit the road, hit the turns and hit Sport plus mode

[Ben Green]

for serious acceleration and handling.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

Inside, you'll find intuitive tech that elevates every driving experience. And wherever you go, the GV70 will have you on the edge of your seat. It's luxury that's built to thrill. Learn [e-mail] and feel the GV70. All of a sudden the bones don't recover like they used to. Trying to have faith. But sometimes when your bones dry up, so does your faith. And you try and you're trying to come to church but you can't get that because. And now you find yourself lying with the rest of the bones. Nobody comes to check on the bones. Nobody thinks about the bones. Just tried in the valley.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

But the Bible says.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

That God didn't answer Ezekiel according to his response, but God answered Ezekiel according to the solution.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

He said Ezekiel son of man prophesied to the bones and tell them hear the word of the Lord. Wait a minute. Bones don't have ears. How you gonna hear when you don't have anything to listen with? How you go hearing you dead. How you go here and you're forgotten about how you go here and you're lifeless. How you go here and you're forgotten about how you go to hear and you don't got nothing to hear with. And that's because the word does not need it somebody to be able to hear it. Because the word is powerful enough itself. Death and life are in the power of Sometimes you gotta prophesy even when they can't hear you. Because the word I got in my mouth is strong enough to go to every place that needs to hear it. I dare you to take 30 seconds and open up your mouth in this sanctuary. You ought to prophesy over your children. They may not even be in this room, but it don't matter, because the word on your life will go to wherever they are. You ought to prophesy to that job. You're not even there right now. But when you open up your mouth, the word that God gave you will go to that workplace and prepare it before you get there. Oh, I don't hear you saying nothing. He said, prophesy to the bones and tell the bones. Hear the word of the Lord, Prophesy to the thing that looks like it's not listening and say, I don't care how dead you look. I don't care how lifeless you are. I don't care that you ain't moved for years. I don't care that it's been forgotten about the. You gotta hear the word of the Lord. You gotta hear the word of the Lord. I wish I had a thousand people who had faith enough to say, I'm gonna open up my mouth and prophesy. And so the Bible says that Ezekiel starts to prophesy, not knowing how it's going to turn out, not knowing what the solution is going to be, not knowing if it's going to work. Because the reason some of you all have not started talking is because you waited for God to confirm that it's going to be all right. But God said, use the little faith you got and say, I don't have to know what the outcome is going to be. I don't have to know what it's going to look like. I don't have to know how it's going to turn out. But if he told me me to prophesy, if he told me to open up my mouth, I'm going to use my faith and talk to it. It might still be dead, but I'm going to prophesy. It still might not be moving, but I'm going to still prophesy. And the Bible says Ezekiel said, as I prophesy, suddenly. I could stop right there, because all you need is a suddenly. He said, as I prophesied, suddenly I heard a sound. And I came to tell you that anything God is going to do is going to be preceded by a sound. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and. And the earth was without form and void and darkness covered the face of the deep. But all of a sudden, God made us. And on the day of Pentecost, when it was fully come, they were all together with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound. Just tell your neighbor I'm going to keep prophesying till I hear the sound. I'm Gonna keep prophesying till I hear a sound. Till I hear a sound. A sound is coming. A sound is coming. I'm not gonna stop talking. I'm not gonna stop speaking over it. I'm not gonna stop declaring until I hear a sound. Take 30 seconds, open up your mouth, and prophesy till you hear a sound. Come on, come on, come on. I'm gonna keep speaking what God told me until I hear the sound. I'm gonna keep speaking her until I hear the sound. I'm gonna keep declaring until I hear the sound. I'm gonna keep praying until I hear the sound. You stop praying too soon. You stop interceding too soon. You stop too early. The sound was coming. Come on, church. I dare a thousand fold to open up their mouth so that you can hear the sound. And the Bible says that Ezekiel was prophesied, and he said, suddenly there was a sound and a rattling. And I looked around, and the bones started coming together. That's what happens when God sends the sound. Things that were fragmented, things that were broken, things that were pulled apart. God slowly starts bringing it together. Just touch seven people, tell them it's coming together. It's coming together. It's coming together. What you've been praying for is coming together. What you've been fasting for is coming together. What you've been asking God for is coming together. I know you can't see it all, but if you just look around, I know they said that marriage is dead. I. But it's coming together. I know they said those kids were never coming back home, but if you keep prophesying, the sound is bringing it all back to. Your Sound that you make will match the sound of heaven. And it's coming all together. I know that business that you started was dead, but you added enough faith to open up your mouth and prophesy. And when you look again, you go see it. Come look at. I know what they said the diagnosis would be. I know that they said you didn't have long, but you have enough faith to open up your mouth and prophesy. And because of your faith and because of his sound, it's getting ready to come. And Ezekiel is seeing the bones come together. But I got a problem, because Ezekiel did everything God told him to do. He prophesied as he was commanded, and he saw the bones come together. But there's a problem, because Ezekiel looked

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

down and he said, there's no breath in them.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

And I asked God, why would you have Ezekiel go through all of these steps? Prophesy to the bones. And they not stand up, and they not breathe, and there be no life. And God said, that's because you don't know my formula. He said, I don't feel it until I form it. God said, look at my track record. When I created this world, when I

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

created the sea, I didn't put fish

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

in it until I formed it first. When I created birds, I didn't let them go free until I had formed somewhere for them to fly in. And when I made you, I scooped down in the clay, I got it all together. It was a beautiful image made in my image and my likeness. But just like those bones, it was laying there lifeless until I took my breath. Until I took the wind and blew in Adam and he became a living soul. So the only reason those bones are still in the valley with no life is because they just need a second wind. The only reason that you haven't moved in is because you just need a second win. The only reason you haven't seen life is because you need a second win. The only reason that business hasn't resurrected. It just needs a a second win. The only reason that marriage is still on the rocks, it just needs a second wind. And so Ezekiel said, I prophesied to the wind,

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

to the east wind, the

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

north wind, the south wind, the west wind. God, why did you have him prophesied to all sides of the wind? Because everywhere you turn around, I'm going to send the wind. Every time you turn around, I'm getting ready to send life to you. Every time you turn around, I'm getting ready to send blessings to you. If you walk to the east, I'm gonna send a winner. If you go to the west, I'm gonna send the winner. Tell your neighbor, every time I turn around, I feel the wind. Come on, you talking to the wrong neighbor. Somebody just turn around and feel the wind. Life is coming on every side. Life is coming on every side. Everywhere you turn. Everywhere you turn. Everywhere you turn, I decree and declare that everywhere you turn, the wind is coming your way. Way. Come on. Come on. And the Bible says, the Bible says that Ezekiel started to prophesy. He said, I prophesied to the four winds. And the bones that were lifeless started to stand up like an army. And I came this morning to tell you that the wind has come your way so that you can live again. Go grab you a neighbor and tell your neighbor it's time to time for you to live again. You've been down too long. It's time for you to live Again. You've been sick too long. It's time for you to live again. The wind has come so that you can live. Come on, pull on that neighbor. Go on that neighbor. Tell him I'm pulling you out of the valley. I'm pulling you out of the grave. I'm pulling you out of depression. I'm pulling you out of despair. It's your time to live again. You've been down too long. You've been crying too long. You've been sick too long. You've been depressed too long. You've been in the valley too long. You thought we forgot about you. You thought you were gonna be left for dead. But God said, I'm spinning the wind and you go live again. I don't care how it looks. Live, live, live, Live, Live, live, live, live. Come on. I dare you to get a neighbor by the hand and tell them you can't stay in the valley no longer. It's time for you to live. Pull on that neighbor. Pull on them. I'm getting you out of the valley. It's time to live. It's time to live. It's time for you to smile again. It's time for you to dream again. Time for you to run again. It's time for you to dance again.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

You.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because your bones are no longer brittle, but because life are back in your bones. Tell your neighbor it's time to dance again. I'm getting you out of the valley. I'm getting you out of that dark place. I'm getting you out of that depression. I know you want to stay home. And so. Because the grief is trying to take you over. But I command you to live. That's what I want you to speak. Find you seven people and tell them I command you to live. I said find seven people. Get out of your seat. Use the wind that's inside of you. I command you to live. You don't have a choice in the mouth. I command you to live. I command you to live. I command you to live. I command you to live. Go find you somebody else. Look at them in the face and take. Tell them I command you to live. I command your bones, your pose. Every day, dream every day. Desire. I command it. Live, live, live, live, live. Oh, I need some prophetic folk. Where are my Ezekiels in this house? Look at somebody else and tell him I know you forgot about it. I know you left it. But right now I'm speaking to the wind. And I speak the wind of God, your way. And I command you to live. Every dream, every vision, every desire. I command. Somebody give it praise.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

I command you to live. I command you my brother.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

Live again.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

The wind has come so that you can live again. I almost entitled this message Live Again. Because the wind is all in the text. When the wind came, God's spirit, his breath and the wind, the ruach, it came so that the army could stand up. I know they forgot about you, but the wind, The wind is causing you to live again, Dream again, smile again, laugh. I know life can beat you up and I know you dressed up and you didn't know that your bones were starting to get dry. But you came to the place where the wind blows thank you for joining us on the Potter's House Podcast. Remember, there's always a space in the house for you. Subscribe and never miss a word. Summer smells like citrus in the sun. Turn your home into a daily getaway with Pura's new summer collection. Find your flow and fragrance and explore the [e-mail] from taco night in Tulum to sushi in Tokyo, every bite is rewarding and postworthy with MX Gold's 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide. Wherever you dine, points are piling up. So bring your friends along for your next course. Because it's not all about the posts, it's about the company and the memories. How can Gold from Amex sweeten your next food moment? Learn more@american express.com Explore Gold Terms and Points Cap Apply Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Ben Green]

Hello American podcast listeners. Max Rushton here from the Guardian Football Weekly, which I think you should give a listen. It is good.

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

It comes out three times a week

[Ben Green]

and the podcast delivers you analysis, news,

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

both the good and the bad from

[Ben Green]

the Beautiful Game and maybe even the occasional laugh. He's angry about everything.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

He doesn't have a great poker face, does he?

[Co-Pastor or Ministry Leader]

I would like to play cards with Bruno Fernandes.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

You can listen to the Guardian Football

[Ben Green]

Weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Hopefully see you soon.

[Pastor (Firehouse Ministry Speaker)]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.