In this lesson, children learn that Peter and John healed a man who could not walk, and they did it in the name of Jesus. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
Jesus is powerful and can do amazing things. Peter and John did not have money to give, but they trusted Jesus to help the man walk.
Memory Verse
Acts 3:6
But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand tall with their arms out wide, then slowly bend down and jump up as they say “In the name of Jesus, get up!” Let them repeat this motion together three times until it sticks.
The Story: Acts 3 for Kids
One afternoon, Peter and John were walking up to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. It was about three o’clock in the afternoon, which was a time when people gathered there to pray to God. Near the temple gate, called the Beautiful Gate, a man sat on the ground. He had been unable to walk since the day he was born.
Every day, his friends carried him to that gate. He sat there and asked people for money. When he saw Peter and John, he asked them for money too. He expected to get a coin or two from them, just like he always did.
Peter looked right at the man and said, “I do not have any silver or gold. But I will give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the man by his right hand and lifted him up. Right away, his feet and ankles became strong.
The man jumped up, stood on his own, and began to walk. He went into the temple with Peter and John, leaping and praising God. Everyone who saw him knew he was the man who used to sit and beg at the gate, and they were amazed.
A crowd ran to see what had happened. Peter told them that it was not by their own power that the man was healed. It was by faith in Jesus, whom God had raised from the dead. Peter told the people to turn away from their wrong ways so God could forgive their sins.
Read It Together
Acts 3:1-2
1 Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.
(WEB)
Point out that Peter and John were going to pray at the temple, and that a man was laid at the gate every day. Ask the children what they notice about where the man was and what he was asking for.
Acts 3:7-8
7 He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. 8 Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.
(WEB)
Show how the man’s feet and ankles became strong right away. Point out that he jumped up and began to walk and praise God. Ask the children how they think he felt in that moment.
Acts 3:16
By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
(WEB)
Explain that Peter says the man was made strong by faith in Jesus’ name. Help the children see that the healing came from trusting Jesus, not from Peter or John themselves.
Talk About It
- What did the man ask Peter and John for, and what did they give him instead?
- Why do you think Peter said he had no silver or gold, but still had something to give?
- How did the man show that he was happy after he was healed?
- What did the people in the crowd think about what happened to the man?
- How can we trust Jesus to help us, even when we feel we have nothing to offer?
Activity Ideas
Walking Man Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw the man before he was healed, sitting by the gate, and then draw him standing and walking after. Talk about how his body changed and how he might have felt. Let the children write or say one word about how they think he felt.
Stand Up in Jesus’ Name
Gather the children in an open space. Have them sit on the floor and then say, “In the name of Jesus, get up!” as they stand. Next, let them leap and walk around the room while saying “Praise God!” Keep the game going for a few minutes, reminding them that the man leaped and praised God after he was healed.
Take-Home Faith Reminder
Give each child a small paper strip and a pencil. Ask them to write “In Jesus’ name” on the strip and tape it to a sock, a shoe, or a bedpost. Explain that the strip is a reminder to trust Jesus when they feel they have nothing to give. Encourage them to show the strip to their family at dinner tonight.
Teacher Notes
This passage shows that God’s power works through people who trust in Jesus, even when those people have little money or status. The healing was not about Peter’s own strength or godliness, but about faith in the name of Jesus. Adults can learn that God often uses ordinary people to bring hope and healing to others.
Avoid suggesting that every physical illness will be healed instantly if we have enough faith. The passage describes one particular healing that God chose to do, and children should understand that God’s power is shown in many different ways in our lives.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that Jesus is powerful and can help us in every situation. Help us trust in His name when we feel we have nothing to give. Thank you for the way you use ordinary people to do great things. Help us to praise you every day. Amen.
