This lesson teaches children that Peter and John healed a lame man in the name of Jesus, and that Jesus still gives us real help and hope today. It suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
Jesus is strong enough to make people well, and we can always ask him for help. Peter had no money to give, but he had Jesus, and that was the best gift of all.
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 up slowly with both arms raised as you say the verse together, then sit down. Each time you say “get up,” have them rise and reach up high, like they are being lifted by a helper.
The Story: Acts 3 for Kids
One afternoon, Peter and John were walking up to the temple in Jerusalem. It was time for prayer, and many people were going to worship God there. Near the gate, which was called the Beautiful Gate, sat a man who could not walk. He had been unable to walk since the day he was born, so his friends carried him there every day.
Every day the man sat by the gate and asked people for money. When he saw Peter and John coming, he asked them for money too. He expected them to drop a few coins into his hands and keep walking. Instead, Peter looked right at him and said, “Look at us.”
Peter told him the truth: “I have no silver or gold. But I will give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the man by his right hand and pulled him up. Right away, his feet and ankles became strong.
The man jumped up and stood on his own two feet. He began to walk, then leap, and he went into the temple with Peter and John, praising God with every step. Everyone who saw him knew him as the beggar at the gate, and they were filled with wonder.
A crowd ran together to see what had happened. Peter spoke to them and explained that the man was not healed by their own power or goodness. He was healed because of faith in Jesus, whom God had raised from the dead. Peter invited the people to turn back to God, so their sins could be forgiven.
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 the lame man was carried there every day. Ask the children where they think the man usually sat and why he was there.
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 the children how Peter took the man by the hand and lifted him up. Point out that his feet and ankles became strong right away, and he jumped and walked and praised God.
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 the man was made well by faith in Jesus’ name, not by Peter’s own strength. Help the children see that trusting Jesus is what brings real help and strength.
Talk About It
- Why did the lame man think Peter and John would give him money, and how did he feel when Peter said he had something better?
- What did Peter want the people to know about where the healing came from?
- How did the man show that he was thankful for being healed?
- What is something you wish you could ask Jesus to help you with today?
- When you feel weak or unable to do something, what can you remember about Jesus?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Beautiful Gate
You will need a paper plate, markers, scissors, and a popsicle stick. Let each child draw a simple gate on the plate, then cut a small doorway in the middle. Tape the stick to the back so they can hold it and move the plate up and down. As they tell the story, they can show the man being lifted up at the gate.
Stand Up and Walk
You will need an open space and a few chairs. Set up chairs as the “gate” and have one child sit as the man. Another child plays Peter and gently pulls the “man” up, saying the words “get up and walk.” Then the whole group walks around the room, jumping lightly and saying “thank you, Jesus.”
Thank You Card for Jesus
You will need paper, crayons, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw one thing they can ask Jesus to help them with, such as being brave or kind. Then have them write or draw a thank you note for Jesus at the bottom. Let them take it home and place it somewhere they will see it each day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that the healing was a sign of Jesus’ power and that it pointed people to him. Peter made clear that the miracle did not come from his own skill or holiness but from faith in the name of Jesus. Peter also calls the crowd to turn back to God, which reminds us that the story is about God’s rescue, not just a physical healing.
Avoid telling children that prayer will always heal their sickness or fix every problem they bring to God. Instead, teach that God is good and faithful, and that we can always bring our needs to him with trust.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank you that you are strong and kind. We ask you for help when we feel weak or scared, and we trust that you hear us. Help us to remember that you can do what we cannot, and help us to walk with you each day. Amen.
