SERMON | Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, & John 11:1-45 | "Redemption Road" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana

SERMON | Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, & John 11:1-45 | "Redemption Road" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, IndianaThink about a time when you felt stuck… overwhelmed… maybe even hopeless.When worry kept replaying in your mind.When anxiety felt like the default setting.When you didn’t know how things would turn out.Most of us have been there.And sometimes people try to help—but their words miss the mark:“It could be worse.”“Just stay positive.”“God won’t give you more than you can handle.”But those words don’t always touch the real struggle.In Ezekiel’s story, God doesn’t rush the prophet past the valley; God walks him through it—again and again—so he really sees it.That’s what hard seasons are like. We go over them repeatedly. We sit with the pain. We wonder if anything will ever change.Maybe you’ve prayed those honest prayers:“God, are you listening?”“Do you care?”“Do I matter?”And yet… here you are.You’ve made it through things you once thought you couldn’t.Or maybe you’re still in the middle of it—but you’re still here.That matters more than we often realize.Our lives hold both joy and struggle—times of growth right alongside seasons that felt dry and empty.And when we look back, we can often see: God was present, even then.So what about now?Maybe something in your life feels like that valley of dry bones…or like a sealed tomb.Maybe it’s something personal—your heart, your family, your work.Maybe it’s bigger—the state of the world, the economy, the needs around us that feel overwhelming.Maybe it’s something deeper—maybe you’re just not finding the kind of life to your faith that you had at one time…or that you’ve always longed for and simply haven’t found yet.It’s easy to look around and see only what’s broken.So we hear the question again: Can these bones live?Here’s the good news:Even when our faith wavers… God is still faithful.Jesus stood at that tomb alongside people who simply couldn’t muster any hope. He wept for Mary’s lack of faith—but he didn’t stop there.He called Lazarus out.God has always been in the business of bringing life out of impossible situations—creating, restoring, renewing, again and again—filling Creation with Holy breath.And that hasn’t changed.God is still with us. God has not given up on us.So maybe the invitation today is simple as we consider the valleys of dry bones and sealed tombs among us:Lift your eyes, even just a little.Lift your voice, don’t be afraid to speak words of life.Or maybe…simply give God a chance to surprise you.Remember how far you’ve come already on this Redemption Road.Remember that we are on it still—all of God’s people for all of God’s world.Trust that God is still leading you—maybe not in the way you expect,but always toward renewal through God’s mercy.There is still hope for us and this world.There is still possibility when things seem dry.And with God, there is always life.Here, now, and forevermore. Amen