Faith that Restores (Easter 3B 1st Reading)

Download a PDF of the Word One Bible Study for Easter 3B 1st Reading.

Text:  Acts 3:11-21 for the Third Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Series B

OBJECTIVES

Participants will:

1. Discover that our sinfulness can be as crippling to our faith as the diseases in life.
2. Discover that faith in Christ is greater than the temptations of sin.
3. Understand that the community of believers can help nurture our faith.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Whiteboard or newsprint and markers

Bible

GROUP GUIDELINES

Divide into groups of 6-8 people. The person whose birthday is closest to Easter will serve as a group leader. It is the leader’s job to encourage everyone to participate and keep the group focused on the Bible study.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

1. What is your favorite season? Why?
2. Make a list of the seasons on the whiteboard or newsprint (Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer). Have the youth list characteristics of each season under its heading.
3. List ways people find refreshment in each of these seasons (e.g. Winter: sitting by a warm fireplace or a brisk ski run; Spring: watching the first flowers appearing or a walk in the sunshine without a jacket.)

LOOKING AT GOD’S WORD

Gather the small groups together and open the Bible to Acts 3:1-10. Ask two volunteers to assist with today’s Scripture reading. One volunteer will portray Peter (act and read Peter’s dialog), one will serve as general narrator and the rest of the group will portray the crowd. After reading, in small groups:

• What was the crowd’s reaction to the healing?
• What healed the man?

Indeed, faith in Jesus Christ is our healing in all areas of life. Faith begins for some at the moment of Baptism. For others, faith begins through the hearing of the Word of God professed to them. As we hear God’s Word, we recognize how crippled we are from sin.

• In what ways does sin cripple our faith?
• how does our faith heal us from the crippling effects of sin?

Have the group divide into groups of two. Have the partners sit down on the floor and read to each other Acts 3:11-21.

REINFORCING WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED

Each group of two should say to each other, “By faith in Jesus Christ, the crippling effects of sin are healed. Stand and be whole while helping each other stand up.” Lead the whole group into a circle for the closing prayer.

CLOSING

Ask the group for prayer needs for the week. Invite each person to pray for the needs of the group and/or the person on their right.

by Steven M. Hackmann

Originally published in Discovery Bible Studies 12, 1999.

Updated for youthESource in April 2015