Study Guide
Acts, Part 4 | Miracles
In this weekend’s sermon, we continued the story of the early church living out their faith in everyday life. As Peter and John head to the temple to pray, God uses them to bring healing to a man who had been lame from birth—drawing a crowd and creating an opportunity to share Jesus. Acts 3:1–21 makes it clear the miracle isn’t the main point—Jesus is. Peter redirects the attention to Christ, reminding everyone that the power comes through faith in His name. This passage calls us to live with obedience and availability, staying open to divine interruptions, continually checking our hearts, repenting, and finding true hope and refreshment in Him as we live a “follow me as I follow Christ” kind of life.
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Sermon Recap
In this weekend’s sermon, we pick up the story of the early church living out their faith in everyday life. As Peter and John walk to the temple to pray, they encounter a man who had been lame from birth. In a divinely orchestrated moment, God uses them to bring healing to his life. The man responds with joy and praise to God, drawing the attention of everyone gathered at the temple.
That moment opens the door for Peter and John to share Jesus with the crowd. While the miracle is extraordinary, Acts 3:1–21 makes it clear that the healing itself is not the main point of the passage, Jesus is. Peter is intentional to redirect the focus away from the miracle and onto Christ, showing that the power at work comes from faith in His name.
This passage also reveals Peter and John simply living out their faith with obedience and availability. On their way to pray, they remain open to a divine interruption and faithful in pointing others to Jesus. Acts 3 reminds us that true transformation flows from continually checking our hearts, repenting, turning back to Christ, and finding our hope and refreshment in Him. It is a call to live a “follow me as I follow Christ” kind of life.
Here were the main points from the sermon this weekend:
- Open our eyes to see the needs of those around us.
- Be faithful to the mission, trust Jesus with the miracle.
- Always put the spotlight on Jesus.
Read Acts 3:1-21 (CSB)
Discuss It
In Acts 3:1-6, John and Peter crossed paths with a disabled man who was begging for help at the entrance to the temple courts. What evidence from the text points to the fact that Peter and John sensed it was a divine moment set up by God?
- ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: The Bible is filled with examples of God setting up divine appointments for His people. Theologians refer to this as divine providence. The word providence comes from the Latin providentia (pro meaning “before” and videre meaning “to see”). In other words, God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he sees ahead and orders events to accomplish His will (without denying freewill). (Ex: Genesis 50:20, John 4:3-9, Acts 16:11-15)
- ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 16:9 (CSB) A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
- ADDITIONAL QUESTION: Looking back on your life, can you identify a moment that, in hindsight, felt like a ‘divine appointment’ where God was clearly guiding your steps even when you didn’t see it at the time?
Read Acts 3:6 aloud. As followers of Jesus, we are never empty handed…we carry the hope, power and presence that people need, i.e. Jesus! What has been your experience with stepping out (or holding back) when you sensed God prompting you to speak or act?
- ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: Did you know the author of Acts, Luke, was a physician? In Acts 3:7-8, reading the original Greek feels almost like reading medical terminology. Luke describes the man’s healing in vivid detail- the ball of his foot fitting back into place, his ankles aligning, and muscles forming where there were none. It wasn’t just physical; it was a supernatural miracle.
- ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: John 14:12-14 (CSB) Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
- ADDITIONAL QUESTION: Jesus is praying for us here, promising that if we believe and act in His name, we can do even greater works than He did. Do you believe God still performs supernatural miracles today? If so, why do you think He doesn’t heal or act the same way every time?
In Acts 3:9-16, what jumps out at you with the way that Peter and John respond to the miracle verses the way that crowd responded to the miracle (I.e.The crowd was amazed and surprised and Peter and John moved the focus away from themselves to Jesus)? How does Peter and John’s response to the crowd speak to their own miraculous transformation that’s taken place in their lives (See Luke 22:24-30)?
- ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: Peter and John finally grasp what Jesus had been teaching them all along: greatness isn’t about what we do for God, but what God does through us. The pull to be noticed, celebrated, and credited didn’t die with the disciples, it’s alive in our culture today. But imagine a world where we stopped chasing recognition and simply expected God to move.
- ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: John 3:30 (NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
- ADDITIONAL QUESTION: What do you think it actually looks like to make Jesus greater without shrinking yourself or hiding who God made you to be?
Read Acts 3:6 (CSB)
Apply It
Say
Peter didn’t wait until he had more to offer, he trusted God to work through what he already had. God often moves not through our abundance, He isn’t limited by what we lack, but through our obedience. He invites us to faithfully offer what’s already in our hands and trust Him with the outcome.
Ask
What’s something you don’t have right now that you’re learning to trust God with instead? How might God want to use what you do have this week?
Challenge
This week, identify one area where you feel like you don’t have “enough.” Ask God how He wants you to show up anyway, and take one small step of obedience.
Pray
How can we be praying for you this week?
Current Sermon Series
The book of Acts tells the story of how the exalted Christ sends His Spirit to empower His people to continue His work in the world. Through the Spirit’s power, ordinary believers boldly proclaim the gospel, witness miraculous works, and form vibrant communities that embody God’s welcome to all people. Acts traces how the church’s witness, energized by the Spirit, extends from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, revealing Christ’s ongoing work through His people and the Spirit’s leading in every new challenge and opportunity.