To begin the session:
Download “The Whole Secret” worksheet here. Distribute the puzzle to class members as they arrive and allow them to work on it individually or with a classmate or two.
After finding the synonyms for whole and transferring unused letters into the blanks, they will find this quote about wholeness:
“I think wholeness is God’s design for us; and that often amounts to embracing contradictions.”—Bono
Lead into Bible study saying, “We all want to be complete people. We want to live in a world that is whole. Our lesson text today speaks about the seemingly contradictory ways wholeness is found.”
To engage the learners in a study of the Scripture text:
Divide the class into three groups, giving each group one of these research assignments:
Contradiction 1: The life-giver died. (Acts 3:11-15)
Contradiction 2: The learned were ignorant. (Acts 3:16-18)
Contradiction 3: Forever starts now. (Acts 3:19-21)
Give each group a pen and paper and ask them to compose a sentence or two to explain their contradiction. After group work is complete, have them read their section of the text and share their explanations.
Some suggested responses follow:
Contradiction 1: The life-giver died. (Acts 3:11-15)—Those at the temple assumed the healing came from the living apostles who stood before them. But the power to restore life came from Jesus whom they had crucified!
Contradiction 2: The learned were ignorant. (Acts 3:16-18)—The religious leaders taught from the Scriptures that the Messiah would come. But when Jesus did come, they failed to recognize him!
Contradiction 3: Forever starts now. (Acts 3:19-21)—By repenting and accepting Jesus as Messiah, our restoration can begin. Wholeness will not be complete, however, until he returns.