The Gospel on the Ground: The Grit and Glory of the Early Church in Acts - Bible Study for Women with Video Access

by Kristi McLelland

Come along with biblical culturalist Kristi McLelland as she unpacks the life of the early church in the book of Acts and shows us that the kingdom of God is always on the move, always looking outward to bring meaning and joy to a world searching for true fulfillment and hope. Explore the call of Jesus to His disciples then and to us today. See how God's Word can sustain us even in the most difficult of times and embrace the transformative grace we experience as children of God in His kingdom of celebration.

Features:
Leader helps to guide questions and discussions within small groups
6 weeks of personal study to be completed between the 7 group sessions
Access to 7 teaching videos, approximately 50-60 minutes per session, available by redeeming a code printed in the back of the study book

Benefits:
Gain deeper insight into the biblical world, including fresh perspective on familiar Bible stories.
Ignite a passion to be on mission by examining the work of the early church.
Find deep purpose and meaning at the table of God.
Find joy in the communal aspect of faith.
See how God's redemptive purposes are unstoppable in the Book of Acts.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion, Theology, Spirituality, Christian Non Fiction

182 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2022

Reviews

[Robin Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟
A powerful, challenging, and informative study of the early church as seen in the Book of Acts and as reported in other historical accounts. The teaching videos were excellent. I want to participate in the Tikkun Olam, the repair of the world.

Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Excellent read. Couldn’t put it down. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic study! I learned so much about Jesus's world! It is a very lengthy study and requires a lot of time.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Bible studies are excellent!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous study from Biblical culturist and professor Kristi McLelland. The hour long teaching videos were the crux of this study, and the accompanying workbook merely covers most of what she already went over in the study. I loved learning all of this and seeing the early church through a first century lens. This is the second study of hers, and my ladies Bible study group at church has done both, and I really love learning so much and encountering things I had never heard before in studying with her. Highly recommend.

[Kimberly Lecar · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Why does a man nailed to a cross need roman soldiers?”
In an age where we are so far removed in western culture from the first century, Kristi McLelland transports you back to biblical times. I highly recommend this bible study and I am looking to starting “Jesus and Women.” I appreciated her deliver to help readers understand what it means to partake in building the kingdom and the purposes and meanings behind jewish culture and words. “we are part of this story and the kingdom of spreading like a mustard seed.”

[Lana Wilson Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I co-lead this study in a women’s group. While it had a lot of good content, I felt that the teaching videos were about 20 minutes too long each session and very repetitive. This also is NOT a study of the book of Acts. I was expecting more cultural context as we walked through the Book of Acts, but it was truly just a study of the ancient Jewish culture (with a lot of her understanding of Jewish culture from modern day Jews in Israel). I felt like she could have gone into more depth on the intertestamental period to explain the Jewish culture and religion of the New Testament, but she just glanced over that. Again, there was so much repetition that I felt like she was dumbing down the material and could have used her resources to go deeper and really apply the teaching to the New Testament better. I personally felt that the lessons between sessions did not add to the video content at all - again, a missed opportunity to go deeper and better use resources. Where she did attempt to apply her teaching to Scripture, some of her teaching did not align with historical understanding and multitudes of commentaries. It always raises a red flag when a modern teacher has a “new” interpretation that historians and theologians for the past two thousand years have apparently missed.

I will say that most of the ladies in our class really loved this study. It encouraged them to live for Jesus more boldly in our current culture and, I believe, helped us all to see that, as bad as our culture is, it is not as bad as the ancient Roman Empire in which the early church spread and thrived. As teachers, we really focused our class time (the little we had due to the very long videos) on discussing our readings from the book of Acts and our memory verses (that we chose ahead of time because there were no recommended memory verses in the study). We tried to encourage our class to apply what we’d learned from the study to help us understand the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament better.

My biggest take away from the study was learning to approach my faith from the perspective of community - not just my own, individualistic faith, but as a part of the whole, global church. It helped me to view the community of believers as more important than my own needs and personal distinctive beliefs.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The study is excellent but the title is misleading. If you expect a study of Acts, you will be disappointed. It is a study of the early church with occasional reference to the book of Acts.

[Mal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved her other study SO much. This one was good!

“Sin entered the world through eating. It makes sense that restoration and renewal also happen at a table.”

[Liz Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot in this study. I really enjoyed Kristi as a teacher, her style, and how she bring cultural context of the time to help understand

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible Study. I enjoy how Kristi explains the culture at the time which really helps to understand what is being said. Looking forward to doing more of Kristi's studies.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completed this study on my own over the summer and absolutely loved it. Studies are usually best done in a group setting but I still got a lot out of this book. I really love anything Kristi writes.

[Kristine Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This study is designed to take 7 weeks with an in-person meeting where the video is watched together and discussed, followed by assignments to complete during the week, which included reading 4 chapters in the book of Acts plus the workbook reading with questions to answer. “The Gospel on the Ground is a video- and discussion-based Bible study. The weekly personal study along with the feast-teaching videos will promote honest conversation as you study Scripture together. Since conversation is essential to the experience, you’ll find a few starter questions in both the Discuss sections and the Leader Guide to help get the discussion rolling (p183).” Participants will need to look up passages in the Bible throughout the study, and may not be familiar with some of the terms used in the text, but are defined in the videos.

The author, Kristi McLelland, “is a speaker, teacher, and college professor. … she leads biblical study trips to Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy (p4).” There is nothing specifically geared to women in this study. Likely, the study is promoted to women because the author is female and the Southern Baptist Convention, which publishes through Lifeway, forbids men from learning from women.

Introduction
“We are going to strive to view the Bible with a Middle Eastern lens and, at the same time, study a few Bible passages in a traditionally Jewish way – the way the rabbis would have taught Jesus the Bible and the way some rabbis still teach the children in Israel today (p9).”

Session One: Taking on the Teachings of Jesus – The Rabbi-Talmid Relationship
“We would expect the Lord to pick ‘a great father’ to partner with Him. But He chose a seventy-five-year-old man with zero children (Gen. 12:1-4). He chose Abram (p22).” “For women in antiquity, barrenness was considered a type of curse. … But when we read Genesis, the living God kept choosing barren women to be the wives of patriarchs! (p23).” “When Jesus wanted to change the world, He chose simple fishermen, ‘sons of thunder’ (Mark 3:17), tax collectors, zealots, and others to partner with Him (p32).”

Session Two: Taking on the Power of Jesus – The Kingdom of God is a Mustard Seed
“Being like Jesus throughout the Greco-Roman world would not only require knowing Jesus’s teachings but receiving divine enablement to be like Him in the earth (p35).” “Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. As Westerners, we look at the form (size of the seed). As Middle Easterners, they looked at the function (what the seed does) (p39).” “Jesus was fulfilling one and for all both the morning sacrifice at 9:00 a.m. and the evening sacrifice at 3:00 p.m. (p45).” “We create space, and the living God fills it (p52).” “It takes intentionality to put ourselves in God’s way, to not let our hearts and our calendars be so busy and harried that we don’t have space for emptiness that helps us come to terms with our need of God, to choose dependence on Him and a partnership with Him (p53).” “When you think of the birth of the church, I want you to know that women have been an important part of this story of the church from the very beginning (p56).” “Faithful women have gone before us. It’s our turn. We matter. You matter (p57).”

Session Three: Kingdom of Celebration & Empire of Entertainment – Meaning Invades Meaninglessness
“As the gospel moved on the ground, God’s kingdom of celebration started impacting and transforming Caesar’s empire of entertainment (p61).” “You read this story [Acts 3:1-10], and you know the book of Acts is about to be action-packed and gospel-gorgeous as the followers of Jesus started living forward from Pentecost (p69).” “It seems Jesus loves food and He loves eating with people. … He was showing the world what the living God’s table of welcome looked like. No matter who or what you were, you had a seat at Jesus’s table (p78).” “Rather than fighting darkness, they simply brought light. Rather than protesting hunger, they simply fed the poor. Rather than raging against sickness, they offered compassion and aid (p86).”

Session Four: Kingdom of Abundance & Empire of Scarcity – Subversive Generosity on the Move
“This week, we will see how the earliest followers of Jesus lived like they could not lose. Rather than holding on, they let go. Rather than hunkering down and bracing themselves, they lived openly with a generosity that shocked the Greco-Roman world (p85).” “We are a kingdom people actively participating with the living God in the redemption, restoration, renewal, and repair of the world (p89).” “When we read the first few chapters of the book of Acts, we’re reading about deep compassion in the context of Jerusalem. Early followers of Jesus were exhibiting kindness towards their own – local and neighborly generosity (p93).” “The ancient Israelites left the corners of their fields unharvested so the poor, widows, and orphans could have food to eat. The practice of jubilee ensured that debts would be paid so that siblings would not end up in lifelong debt and servitude to one another (p94).” “Extravagant generosity is still the right thing to do today. As followers of Jesus, we should be the most generous people in the entire world (p95).” “The grit and glory of the church are for the glory of God. And it’s our privilege to pursue it (p107).”

Session Five: Kingdom of Togetherness Empire of Separation – Orphans Find Sonship at the Table
“In the highly stratified social world of the Roman Empire, the followers of Jesus came together, cutting across racial lines, ethnic barriers, religious differences, and class distinctions (p109).” “Roman culture was highly socially-stratified, hierarchical, and status-conscious (p112).”

Session Six: Kingdom of Togetherness & Empire of Separation: Brothers and Sisters Bound Together in Prayer and Fasting
“The table – sharing food – was one of the chief ways they gathered together, cutting across ethnic, racial, religious, class, and economic distinctions (p135).” “The early church cultivated the kingdom of togetherness by spending a lot of time together (p145).” “The church is better when she looks more like a banquet of various flowers rather than twelve red roses. It’s the unity in the diversity that speaks so powerfully to this modern, divided world (p151).” “As we receive God’s compassion, we can be compassionate to others. As we receive the Lord’s comfort, we can be comforting to others (p154).”

Session Seven: The Long Journey Home – Headed to the Father’s House
“The rightful King would return, establishing His rule and reign forever and forever. Because of this promise, they did not despise the world of empire but sought to bring light into it (p161).” “In the Western world, faith is belief. In the Middle Eastern world, faith is action (p164).” “The followers of Jesus – Perpetua, Felicity, Saturus, and other members of the household – spend a few days and nights in jail with the understanding that they would soon have their day in the arena (p171).” “The grit and glory of the early church do not belong only to men. Women performed in the arena as well (p172).” “Psalm 23 ends with this beautiful imagery of the goodness and love of God following us. It’s in hot pursuit of us (p179).”

After the chapters, there is a leader guide, an Acts reading plan, endnotes, a map, and a code to access the videos. It would have been nice for the leader guide and reading plan to be located or at least referenced early in the book.

My conclusions
I would absolutely recommend this study for any kind of small group, for either/both women and men. The author leaned on her travel experience and scholarship to bring the stories in Acts to life, and questions in each session help the participants discuss and reflect on the topic. The goal of this study is not merely to understand the text but also to encourage readers to live as kingdom people.

[Beverly Zearley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Bible Study!! Love Kristi McLelland, her study and her Chacos! ❤️

[Lisa Yunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this study. Kristi does such a good job shedding light on scriptures I have read hundreds of times but missed the context and Eastern meaning. She provides a newness and depth to scripture that was always there but overlooked by my eyes. This study reminds us of our purpose on this side of eternity and gave me a different approach to service. So thankful for this study! I will say, as a leader, this study was a little difficult to lead without a lot of prep work. The layout is more reading than life application which is great but doesn't always provide smooth discussion if you're used to traditional studies. The Yeshiva questions are great but didn't provide enough content for an entire hour. As a tip, my group watched the videos and did the homework on their own before coming to our meetings. Summarizing each page, copying and pasting scripture into notes, and writing the questions into my notes made for a smoother flow- hope this helps other leaders.

[Frank Janssen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a study of the book of Acts. This was not that. It did have good insights into Middle Eastern Jewish culture in 1st century.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth study book of Kristi Mclelland that I have read and the fourth class that I have participated in. To me this is the best.

Kristi Mclelland is called by some a Bible culturalist. She has studied and learned about the Jewish and early Christian faith in the place and time the events of the Bible were occurring. She call this seeing and understanding through a Middle Eastern lens. The key scripture for this study is Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Then the book goes on to tell how this happened, making connections I have never made. I think, for me at least, that my reading is tied to chapters and lessons. I miss the theme. But when I am reading her books I see and learn so much more.

The last chapter in the book looks at John 14: 2-4 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.
Then she teaches about "Beit Av" translated "The Father's House" a custom in ancient Jewish society that when a son becomes betrothed, he builds a room onto his father's house. When it is ready then the son and his bride are married and come to live with the father in an extended family complex.
She finished the lesson with Revelation 21:2-4 "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I hear a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

I would never have made this connection on my own. The author has an expression calling these connections "Gospel gorgeous". This book is full of Gospel gorgeous lessons. This book is so worth your time to read

[JoyfulJules · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not quite what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a study that takes you through the book of Acts in an in-depth, linear way, this isn’t it. This book and video series shows more of a big picture perspective, and it gives you snapshots of the life of the early church. Kristi is a gifted teacher, and she provides great insight into what the world of Jesus and His early followers would have actually been like. This study does a great job of showing what it truly means to be a disciple of Jesus, and how to share His Kingdom with everyone around us. She demonstrates how God is constantly working to bring restoration and repair to our broken world, and how He is inviting us to participate in that process! This book does not have a lot of difficult questions to answer or a lot of Scripture references to look up. There are some, but a big part of the homework is just reading things Kristi has written here. I found it to be very interesting and encouraging for my faith. The video sessions are very well done, and I always enjoy listening to her teaching. She is pretty repetitive, but I know she does that to help drive home her message. Over all this was a very good study, and I’d recommend it for a women’s small group or Bible study class.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been more excited and interested in the historical context of the Bible and the sights, sounds, emotions, culture, etc! This study had me looking up so many extra pieces of the past and it provided me with a deeper understanding of the way of the early church. I also felt encouraged in how I can be a part of the Kingdom coming down right now and spreading the gospel and having faith the size of a mustard seed. I didn’t realize the impact of a mustard seed before! This study was different in that I didn’t feel it dug deep to my core, bringing up lots of emotions and convictions. It was a refreshing change of pace to feel encouraged and enlightened and to have meaningful reminders to hold onto to push me forward. The videos with the study are a MUST. What a gifted teacher she is!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristi McLelland takes us through the time period of the early church from the book of Acts. She teaches like a professor explaining history, culture, and geography during that time. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the difference between what the Romans were during and what the Jews were doing at this point in history. Knowing about the beginnings of the church is so helpful to put things into perspective today as a Christian. It was motivating, convicting, interesting, and inspiring. There was a lot of repetition too, which sometimes bothered me. But overall, I really enjoyed this study and would recommend it

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have great admiration for this author as a researcher, as a speaker, and as a fellow lover of Christ. This is the second book I have read by her. Her teaching has caused me to be more insightful of Biblical culture and has fueled my spiritual journey.

In this study, the author shares insights from the first Church. She draws the comparison between the kingdom of together and celebration and the empire of entertainment that was unfolding around the early church. She shares tales of the passion and steadfastness of early believers.

Very informative and very encouraging.

[Amy Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I love this book. Please do yourself a favor if you need a new Bible Study book, do this one. Kristi McLelland takes you through the gospel of Acts and teaches from the point of view of the Jew living during the time the book of Acts was written. She teaches how the Gospel spread across the empire to the ends of the earth. It was so interesting to study through the lens of the Jewish culture.

[Star Forbis · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Living in the kingdom of togetherness has its challenges. Coming together, cutting across our own ethnic, racial, gender, political, and cultural distinctions requires thoughtful, intentional care and practice. The church is better when she looks more like a bouquet of various flowers rather than twelve red roses. It's the unity in the diversity that speaks so powerfully to this modern, divided world."

[Marian Hahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Bible studies I have ever taken! I frequently buy books from Lifeway and get access to the videos through their app and go through the entire series like a diligent student. This was the most exciting study and the most informative study I have ever done. I highly recommend the study.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristi's sophomore effort proves I wasn't just infatuated with her 1st bible study (Women & Jesus)! Our entire group can't stop complimenting her knowledge, speaking AND writing style, and ways of looking at what we thought we knew in a different "lens". Sorry it's over & can't wait until Kristi creates her next one. HURRY!

[Sarah]

Life got in the way of participating in this study with my small group. The one week I was able to participate really reminded me of the biography of Paul I read over the summer, and I'm a sucker for studying the history of the early church, so I have a feeling that I'll really enjoy this if I get a chance to go back.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristi's bible studies are engaging and inciteful and this one is no different. You want to understand the bible better, dive into her teachings expressed through the lens of the biblical, geographical, and cultural aspects.

Great reading on the book of Acts, my only complaint is I would love to hear more.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed her Jesus & Women study, and this is her 2nd I've done. She can be repetitive at times, but I believe it's intentional and maybe it's my age or hormones, but I kind of appreciate it! Lol.
She is definitely knowledgeable, and her pictures of Jerusalem make me want to visit ALL the more! Girls trip, anyone? :)

[Jessica Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this in depth study of the early church in the book of acts. The author is incredibly knowledgeable and thorough in both her writings as well as the videos that correspond with this study. She approaches the book of Acts from a theological, historical, cultural and spiritual perspective. One of the best lifeway studies I’ve ever done. 10/10

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were to suggest a Bible Study for Women, this would be it. The beauty of the Gospel and the early church in the book of Acts is presented in this study. I wonder what it would be like for Christians to live as the early church did? They were in communion in their daily lives with each other.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best Bible study book I have read in a long time and I have been studying the Bible using study books like these for over 20 years. Kristi is so knowledgeable about the Bible, ancient history and culture, and how to teach. She is brilliant. I learned something new every week of this study!