Looking for Life in all the Wrong Places | Acts 3:12-26
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Opening
What’s something about living in Lake Nona (or your community) that drew you here? What were you hoping life would look like?
The Wrong Direction (Acts 3:12)
Peter tells the crowd, “Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” What are the modern versions of “power” and “piety” that we tend to fix our gaze on?
Think about a time when something good in your life—a job, a relationship, a success—started to function as a savior rather than a gift. What did that look like?
Peter says the healing didn’t come from him but through him. How does confusing the instrument with the source show up in your everyday life?
The Fatal Action (Acts 3:13–16)
Peter traces an escalation: delivered, denied, rejected, killed. Where have you seen that pattern of drift in your own heart—where a small step away from Jesus gradually became a larger resistance?
The crowd didn’t just miss Jesus—they evaluated Him and chose against Him. In what ways do we do the same thing, even subtly?
“You killed the Author of life.” How does that irony land for you personally? What would it mean to really sit with the weight of that statement?
The Promised Restoration (Acts 3:16, 19–21)
Peter offers three layers: personal healing, present refreshing, and cosmic restoration. Which of those three do you most need to hear right now? Why?
Peter says the miracle is not the end—it’s a sign, a preview. How does that reframe the way you think about the good things in your life that are incomplete or temporary?
What would it look like this week to actually turn—to repent—from a specific place you’ve been looking for life and turn toward Jesus instead?
Closing
“The life you are trying to build…is being offered to you as a gift.” Spend a few minutes in prayer, asking God to show each person in the group where they’ve been looking for life in the wrong places—and to receive what He is offering.
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Opening
If someone made a promo video for your life right now—showing the best version of it—what would be in it? What would it promise?
The Wrong Direction (Acts 3:12)
Peter says the crowd was staring at him instead of at Jesus. What are the things our generation tends to stare at when we’re looking for confidence, security, or happiness?
Peter names two places people instinctively look: power (being strong enough) and piety (being good enough). Which one do you relate to more? Why?
Have you ever had a moment where something you were counting on—a friendship, a grade, a goal—didn’t deliver what you expected? What did that feel like?
The Fatal Action (Acts 3:13–16)
Peter describes a pattern: distance → denial → rejection → full opposition. Can you think of a time when ignoring something small led to a much bigger problem?
The crowd chose a murderer over Jesus. That sounds extreme—but what are the subtle ways we choose things that hurt us over the thing that’s actually good for us?
The Promised Restoration (Acts 3:16, 19–21)
Peter says Jesus offers three things: healing (being made whole), refreshing (being renewed), and restoration (everything being made right). Which one do you most want right now?
Repentance doesn’t mean “feel bad and try harder.” It means turning from where you’ve been looking for life. If you were honest, where have you been looking?
What’s one thing you could do this week to turn your attention toward Jesus instead of toward the thing you’ve been staring at?
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Big Idea: We all look for help in lots of places, but only Jesus can give us what we really need.
The Story (Acts 3:1–16)
There was a man who couldn’t walk his whole life. Every day, his friends carried him to the same spot so he could ask people for money. What do you think that felt like for him?
When Peter and John walked by, the man asked them for money. But Peter said, “I don’t have money—but I have something better.” What did Peter give him instead?
Answer: Peter healed him in the name of Jesus! The man jumped up and started walking and leaping and praising God.
After the man was healed, everyone stared at Peter like he was the hero. But Peter said, “Don’t look at me! This came from Jesus.” Why do you think Peter didn’t want the credit?
Making It Real
Sometimes when we have a problem—like feeling scared, or sad, or left out—we look for help in different places. Where do you usually go when something feels wrong?
Examples: a parent, a friend, a screen, food, trying to be the best at something
Those things aren’t bad! But Peter is saying only Jesus can give us what we really need deep down. What’s the difference between something that helps for a little while and something that helps forever?
The man who was healed didn’t just walk—he jumped and praised God! When has God done something for you that made you really happy or thankful?
Closing Activity
Give each kid a sticky note or index card. Have them write or draw one thing they want to “look to Jesus” for this week instead of trying to fix it on their own. Stick them on a board or wall together and pray over them as a group.
