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SESSION UNSTOPPABLE OPPORTUNITIES THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE As Christ followers, we know that God is in control of every event in our lives. Daily interruptions and encounters with others may be unplanned and feel random to us, but from God s perspective they re not. These unplanned meetings can be opportunities for God to use you when you least expect it. In Acts 3, Peter and John took advantage of just such an unplanned meeting to do something incredible for God. THE POINT We encounter people every day who need Christ. THE PASSAGE Acts 3:-0 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? ACTS 3:-0 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, Look at us. 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 0 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. THE SETTING At three o clock in the afternoon, Jews met daily to pray and offer one of two daily sacrifices. It was a busy time at the temple with large crowds coming to pray and offer sacrifices. Peter and John likely chose this crowded time to pray and share the gospel with unbelievers. SESSION For free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/ web/biblestudiesforlife For free Midweek Options for your group, visit lifeway.com/bsflfal6fresh

PREPARE LEADER LIVE IT OUT Schedule Check Acts 3:-0 We often feel that the busier we are, the more important we must be, so we often spend our time on continual activities at the expense of the opportunities around us. In a temple filled with people trying to get to their destination and a needy man trying to get their attention, Peter and John saw an opportunity. The moment Peter and John saw the man, they slowed down, unlike the crowd around them, because they knew God wanted them to share the gospel with this man. The beggar s wants and needs were at odds. He wanted money to comfort him in his condition; God wanted to heal his condition and restore him. God wants to do the same thing in your life and use you to reach your group in the same way. Take time as you prepare to let God speak to your heart, so you can minister to your students out of the overflow of what God is already doing in you. Y Complete the Culture section on page by being open and honest with God. Whether He is showing you areas to improve in, sins needing repentance, or opportunities to minister to others, take the time to write them down and be obedient to His conviction. Prepare: While you prepare for this session, it is critical to allow the truth of Scripture to challenge your heart. God works in our hearts as we teach others His Word. ONE CONVERSATION Scripture: Acts 3:-0 Topic: Unstoppable Opportunity THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Whenever you drive any distance at all, you pass intersection after intersection. Many times we just pass through those intersections without noticing what s around. These intersections are like our lives. Every day we intersect with people, but we should take the time to notice them without simply passing by. God put us on this pathway to impact and influence lives along our journey. Intersections become opportunities. THE POINT: We encounter people every day who need Christ. When have you been surprised by something you weren t expecting? What s your response when something unexpected interrupts your day? How can we become better at noticing opportunities to serve and love others? When has someone else s obedience to Christ affected you? Discuss the following quote: You are someone else s miracle! God is setting up divine appointments and it is our job to keep them. Mark Batterson. Mark Batterson, AZ Quotes, [cited 6 January 06]. Available from the Internet: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/836 LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out in the Personal Study Guide. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture. CHRIST: Pray with your child about developing the proper motivation for obedience to answering God s calling. COMMUNITY: Discuss opportunities in your church and community where your student may answer the needs of another by serving and praying. Set a firm date to begin and consider joining him or her in service. CULTURE: Acts 3:-0 can open our eyes to many different needs. Spend time this week considering how we can say yes to helping others and say yes to receiving help for ourselves. Follow Up: Don t forget to text a picture of the One Conversation section to parents or post it on Facebook and tag them after the session. This will equip them for further family discussion. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 3

ENGAGE (5 MINUTES) Engage: Begin the session with one or more of the Engage Options on the next page (optional). Discuss: Ask students, When have you been surprised by something you weren t expecting? 3 Guide: Call attention to The Point. Keep coming back to it throughout the session. Read: Summarize the Bible Meets Life for your group. 5 Pray: Transition into the session by praying that your students eyes would be open to the incredible opportunities to share Christ that are all around them in their daily lives. SESSION

ENGAGE OPTIONS LEAD WITH ACTION Use a website like Riddles.com or search the internet for Riddles with obvious answers. Find four or five good riddles with obvious answers. When your students arrive, split them into two teams and see which team can answer the riddles first. Make sure to offer a prize for the winning team (pizza, candy, etc). After allowing each team a chance to answer, tell students the answer if no one has guessed it. After the game is over, say, Just like we can miss the obvious answers to riddles because we overcomplicate it in our minds, we can miss the opportunities God places in front of us because we get caught up in the business of life. LEAD WITH ATMOSPHERE Print out Where s Waldo pictures or place Where s Waldo books around the room. As students begin to sit down ask them what makes it so difficult to find all of the items on the checklist for each picture? During the discussion with your group say, God places opportunities in our lives every day so that we can serve others and share the gospel, but if we don t pay attention they can be easy to miss. LEAD WITH MEDIA Search the Internet for, Don t waste your life skit guys. This video is a funny picture of two old men realizing all of the wasted opportunities they missed. This video has a long run time, so depending on your group setting you may need to tailor it for you needs. When the clip ends, say, God places opportunities in our lives every day to impact our friends and family with the gospel, but we often miss great opportunities because we fail to pay attention in the midst our business. NOTE: Always make sure you preview any video clip you show students and ensure that it is appropriate for your church and ministry. FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS Download or purchase some Highlights magazine Hidden picture activity pages. Place the pages around the room. Remind your students of the fun we all had as kids looking for the hidden items within the picture. See who can finish their page first. After your group is finished, say, God places opportunities in our lives every day so that we can serve others and share the gospel, but if we don t pay attention they can be easy to miss. SECOND OPTION If you have a screen, project a Where s Waldo puzzle and place the corresponding checklist of items to find on the tables or in the chairs. Offer a prize to the person who finds the most items in three minutes. After the three minutes is up say, God places opportunities in our lives every day so that we can serve others and share the gospel, but if we don t pay attention they can be easy to miss. LEADER PACK ELEMENTS If you have the optional Leader Pack, consider one of the following: DVD: Play the Unit Session DVD opener to get everyone on the same page. ITEM 0: Use the Mark Batterson Quote poster to help visually sum up this session for your group. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 5

IMPART (0 MINUTES) Read: Invite a student to read the passage aloud. ACTS 3:- After reading this passage two things become very clear: 3 Read: Summarize this section for your group. Discuss: Lead students to discuss our responses to interruptions during day. Read: Enlist a few volunteers to read the following section.. Individuals matter. Peter and John had just seen 3,000 people come to Christ in one day, but they still saw and cared about individuals. They did just what Jesus did they looked at him as if, at that moment, no one else in the world mattered.. Intersections bring opportunity. Try to estimate the number of people you walk by each day at school, practice, and events. Each one of those individuals has a story as unique, complicated, and valuable as your own. Sometimes we fail to notice the people we are encountering every day. God is intentionally guiding our steps, and we need to be aware of those He is guiding us toward. Up to this point, the beggar at the temple said, No one sees me. But Peter told the beggar to look at them. Peter was telling him, We see you. You are not invisible to us. We want to help. Peter and John s willingness to turn a divine interruption into an unstoppable opportunity changed one man s life forever. WHAT S YOUR RESPONSE WHEN SOMETHING UNEXPECTED INTERRUPTS YOUR DAY?? 5 Do: Direct students to read the quote and thoughtfully list their responses. Discuss your answers as a group. God is the Great Engineer creating moments of great importance and leading us to divine appointments. Oswald Chambers List two areas of your life that are affected when you see God as an Engineer who is continually creating opportunities to share the gospel with others. 0 SESSION 6 SESSION

COMMENTARY ACTS 3:- Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, Look at us. ACTS 3:- Verse. The hour of prayer happened each day at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). This was the time of the evening sacrifice. Jewish worship at the temple included a time of prayer as well as the priestly blessing of the people. Peter was the only one who spoke, though John was with him, leading some to wonder why John was even mentioned. The apostles may have gone to the temple in pairs to witness as well as to worship. Likely they learned this from Jesus, who had sent them out in pairs on their mission to share the good news of the kingdom (Luke 0:). Verse. One gate in the temple was known by the name Beautiful Gate. Outside the gate a man was strategically laid where he could beg for money from generous worshipers entering the temple. One essential practice of Judaism taught by the rabbis was almsgiving. By the New Testament period, alms could take the form of Tip: Just like Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs, we too need friends and community to encourage and keep us accountable as we follow Christ. either charitable monetary giving or good deeds. Since there was no government assistance, financial support for the needy was essential. The man was lame from birth; family or friends carried him daily to the temple where he would sit to beg. It was most likely the only way he could get any money to help provide for his needs. The reason the man was placed there was because it was the most advantageous position from which to gain alms from those coming and going from the temple. Verses 3-. The man cried out as people passed by. He asked to receive alms from Peter and John as they approached him. Possibly the beggar would look at and call out to one person or group then immediately turn and make the same request of someone else lest he miss a potential giver. Probably most people who gave to him did this almost mindlessly as they went to and from the temple. The apostles, rather than hurrying past him, gave focused attention to him and saw his need. Because they were concerned about him they told him to look at them. The man evidently had turned away from them so they had to get his attention before they proceeded to talk with him. Tip: Remind students that God isn t into quick fixes. He takes the time to love and focus on each one of us where we are instead of simply leaving us stuck in the same place forever. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 7

IMPART (0 MINUTES) Read: Invite a student to read the passage. Read: Enlist a few volunteers to read the following section. ACTS 3:5-8 Peter and John didn t rationalize why they couldn t help the man; instead they realized it was an opportunity to share the gospel.. Peter and John gave what they had. God always supplies what we need to serve others, or He wouldn t have put us there. Even when we feel ill-equipped, trust in the truth of God s Word.. Peter and John relied on Jesus. The apostles didn t have the power to meet this man s needs apart from Jesus, which is why they gave Christ the recognition. None of us are called to meet the needs of others on our own; we are called to share the truth and rely on Christ. Serving others begins with seeing where they are and realizing that the love of Christ is the only thing that can help anyone. #UNSTPPBLEGSPL 3 Engage: Remind students of how their social media can provide opportunities to share their faith. 3. Peter and John knew his true needs. The man thought he needed money, but it was deeper than that. We ve all been in the beggar s position, broken and wanting something that will not fulfill us. Serving others begins with seeing the people around us and realizing that the love of Christ is the only thing that can help anyone. We can be overwhelmed by the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs around us, but we must begin by praying for the Holy Spirit to empower and guide us to see one person at a time, like Peter and John did. HOW CAN WE BECOME BETTER AT NOTICING OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AND LOVE OTHERS?? 5 Discuss: Help your students realize that we don t always see opportunities naturally, but God wants to develop our hearts to see and serve others. Do: Lead students to complete and discuss the following. Write about a time when Jesus made a major difference in your life by using someone who was willing to share the love of Christ with you while you were broken and in need. Discuss with your group how you can share the gospel with others at school, practice, or even at home, by taking advantage of the opportunities God gives you every day. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 03 8 SESSION

COMMENTARY ACTS 3:5-8 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ACTS 3:5-8 Verses 5-6. He probably did not know them by sight, so he simply expected to receive something from them. But his expectation went unmet. Peter said, He had no money to give. But Peter wasn t finished, he continued by saying he would give what he did have. Then Peter invoked the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. A person s name represented everything about the person, especially the person s attributes and characteristics. The name of Jesus Christ represented His divine identity, authority, and power. Calling on the name of Jesus Christ was not a magical formula that forced Jesus to act (which Acts 9:3 7 confirms). It was a declaration of the power and authority of the Lord to heal the man. To clarify the identity of Jesus Christ, Peter added that He was of Nazareth. By identifying Jesus as being from Nazareth, Peter was stating that this was the same Jesus from the town of Nazareth who had ministered throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. This was the same Jesus who was crucified by the Romans. This was the same Jesus whom a large group of Jews believed was raised from the dead and was still the subject of conversation in Jerusalem. This was the same Jesus who Peter called on as he commanded the man to rise up and walk. Serving others begins with seeing where they are and realizing that the love of Christ is the only thing that can help anyone. #UNSTPPBLEGSPL Verse 7. The verse indicates the lame man s initial reluctance to act on Peter s command; after all, he knew his legs were useless. God used Peter as the conduit to bring Complete healing happened immediately for the formerly lame man. As Peter pulled him up the man discovered his feet and ankles had instantly become strong. Verse 8. The man leaped up, stood, and began to walk. The tense of the Greek verb indicates that he continued to walk. The first place the formerly lame man went was into the temple with Peter and John. The man entered the temple walking and leaping. The Greek word for leaping is the same word used by Jesus to describe the living water He offers, which is welling up within those who drink it (John :). The man was also praising God. He knew he had received a great gift actually a miracle and he joyfully acknowledged God as its source. His words and his actions he couldn t help but let others know what had happened to him and who made it possible. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 9

Do: Allow students time to finish the optional Action Point (p. 0) in the PSG. Read: Ask a student to read the passage for the group. IMPART (0 MINUTES) 3 Summarize: Explain this section for your students. Discuss: Review this question with your students. 5 Read: Guide students to read each section aloud. 6 Do: Direct students to complete the Action Point. Discuss your answers as a group. 0 SESSION

COMMENTARY ACTS 3:9-0 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ACTS 3:9-0 Verses 9-0. One encounter often leads to more opportunities to share Christ. The man s actions created quite a commotion. Evidently it was very unusual for a worshiper to leap about and shout praises to God in the temple. Thus it s no wonder that all the people took notice of him and his conduct. While Isaiah had prophesied that in the messianic age, Then shall the lame man leap like a deer (Isa. 35:6), apparently no one expected it to happen in that place at that time. The people recognized the man. They had seen him for years as they walked to the temple. He was in fact the same man who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. The people knew the man and his previous condition of being lame. But undeniably something miraculous had happened to the lame man, because now they saw him walking around praising God. Thus their response was to be expected: they were filled with wonder and amazement. Only Luke used these words in the New Testament. The Greek term for wonder (thambos) describes a reaction to a sudden event that can be a response of either awe or fear. The Greek word for amazement (ekstasis, from which we get our English word ecstasy ) is sometimes translated trance (Acts 0:0; :5; :7). The word can refer to a mind that s been thrown out of its normal state. This was what the people in the temple experienced the formerly lame man walking, jumping, and praising God right before their very eyes. This was not normal! What they saw stopped them in their tracks. They were overwhelmed with a sense of reverent fear at the miracle they witnessed. Tip: One way to invest in your students lives is to invite them into your daily life. Running errands, dinner with your family, or family outings can be great ways to model Christ for them. However, wonder and amazement are not the same as repentance and faith. A person can be amazed by someone or something without realizing the true meaning and purpose behind the event. In Acts 3: 6, Peter would seize the opportunity to preach to the people in the temple, proclaiming that the miracle the crowd had observed of the man formerly lame healed and walking bore witness to the reality of the power of God and the salvation now available from God through His Messiah, Jesus Christ. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

IMPACT (0 MINUTES) 3 Discuss: Read and discuss the quote with students. Guide: The Christ portion of the Live It Out section encourages students to dig deeply into God s Word and examine their motives for serving others. Remember the Bible Reading Plan helps provide students with a custom reading plan to stay in God s Word and following along with each session. Guide: As you guide your students through the Community section, remember to emphasize the importance of teaching them to look for places to serve and to do it in community with one another. BIBLE READING PLAN 06 SESSION LIVE IT OUT YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE S MIRACLE! GOD IS SETTING UP DIVINE APPOINTMENTS AND IT IS OUR JOB TO KEEP THEM. DAY AC T S :-5: DAY ACTS 5:3-35 DAY 3 AC TS 5:36-6:5 DAY ACTS 6:6-0 DAY 5 AC T S 7:-3 DAY 6 AC T S 7: -8:3 DAY 7 AC TS 8:-9:7 MARK BATTERSON CHRIST Determining the motivation behind our obedience is one of the most important things we can do. In time, our motives will appear on the surface of our lives. Taking the credit for success, blame for failure, or living in discouragement when we meet opposition often reveals where our motivation and hope rest. Read Acts 3:-6 to see Peter and John s experience in the temple after the miracle. How does Peter and John s response to the people in the temple show their motivation? This week pray that God would show you how to rest with Jesus as your motivation to be obedient. COMMUNITY Spend time talking about how you can respond to the opportunities God has placed in front of your group. Discuss and create active steps based on the following questions: What needs around you need to be met? (Stacking chairs, volunteering, setting up for church) Who can give us direction on meeting those needs? (Student pastor, teacher, leader) How will you help meet those needs? (Develop how your group will begin serving) When are you going to start? (Set a start date and stick to it) SESSION

IMPACT Guide: The Culture section equips students to apply this session to their lives every week. Help your students see themselves and others through the lens of God s Word to develop a lifestyle of investing in others for the gospel. 5 6 Pray: Close in prayer asking God to open the eyes of each one of your students to the opportunities He has given them. Pray they see the importance of prioritizing the gospel before their schedules. Pray over each of them by name and thank God for them. Follow Up: This week connect with your students by texting them each morning to let them know you are praying for them. If they have prayer requests, make sure to let them know you haven t forgotten them. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 3