Can These Bones Live? Finding Renewal in the Holy Spirit | David Young

In this powerful episode of the Real Life Theology Podcast, David Young delivers a stirring call to spiritual renewal amid widespread pastoral burnout and cultural exhaustion. Drawing from Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones and Jesus’ teaching in John 6, Young confronts the spiritual fatigue many church leaders face—citing the pressures of pandemic, politics, racial tension, and constant change. He challenges listeners to move beyond intellectual knowledge of the Holy Spirit toward a lived, experiential encounter with Him. Using a vivid metaphor of a plastic dogwood tree—perfect but lifeless—Young argues that true vitality comes not from human strategies or programs, but from the living, breathing presence of the Holy Spirit. He invites pastors and believers to ask God, 'Can these bones live?' and to respond by actively pursuing spiritual renewal through singing, thanksgiving, submission, and prayer in the Spirit. The episode culminates in a heartfelt prayer for the Holy Spirit’s filling, emphasizing that God is not only willing but eager to revive His people when they surrender control.