In our Bibles, we have four Gospels describing Jesus's time on earth: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The land of Israel--the place Jesus walked and taught during His earthly ministry--is often referred to as the fifth Gospel.
Follow Kristi McLelland through Israel as we study snapshots from the Gospel of Luke to see where the stories of the Bible took place. Over 7 sessions, challenge the way you read the accounts of Jesus through teaching videos that take you to locations in Israel like Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Gethsemane, Jerusalem, and the road to Emmaus. Along the way, you'll see how Jesus, the Messiah, brought His kingdom to earth for everybody.

Features:

• 7 video teaching sessions shot in Israel with Kristi McLelland, available via redemption code printed in the Bible study book
• Beautiful color photography that helps you visualize places where Jesus ministered
• 6 weeks of personal study

Benefits:  

• Travel through Israel in teaching sessions filmed in Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and more to behold the gospel story in a whole new way
• Gain a deeper understanding of stories of Jesus's life from a first-century point of view
• Explore cultural and historical concepts that will give new perspective on well-known biblical stories

Video Sessions:

• Session 1: Introduction (25:45)--From the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Kristi McLelland invites women to join her in a journey through the very places Jesus walked. In this introductory session, Kristi demonstrates the snapshot-like structure of the Gospel of Luke and tells of one day in the life of Jesus in the wilderness area along the road to Jericho.
• Session 2: Incarnation (28:42)--In this session, filmed in Bethlehem, Kristi dispels common myths as she teaches the Christmas story from Luke 2.
• Session 3: Inauguration (20:03)--At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and then went into the desert for forty days and nights. From those locations, Kristi shows us how this inaugurated Jesus's ministry on earth.
• Session 4: Invitation (29:39)--Jesus spent most of His time on earth in the region of Galilee. Join Kristi in that region as she describes Jesus calling His disciples and challenges us to follow Him still today.
• Session 5: Partnership (25:51)--In this session, Kristi walks us through snapshots of Jesus's ministry and teaching in locations around and on the Sea of Galilee.
• Session 6: Crucifixion (30:52)--Beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane, Kristi walks us through Jesus's last moments before His death in locations like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Southern Steps of the temple.
• Session 7: Resurrection (31:04)--After Jesus's resurrection, He spent time teaching, eating, and walking with His disciples. From the road to Emmaus, Kristi sends forth the same challenge Jesus does--go and advance the kingdom.
• Bonus Session: The Making of Luke in the Land (19:41)--In this bonus video, filmed months after the Luke in the Land taping in Israel, Kristi shares her heart behind the study and how God used bringing the lights, camera, action to Israel in her own life.

Bethlehem. Galilee. Jerusalem.
Follow Jesus in the places He walked.

Through snapshots from the Gospel of Luke, join Kristi McLelland as she explores the places Jesus walked and talked during His earthly ministry. Challenge the way you read the accounts of Jesus's life and ministry in this 7-session Bible study with video teachings filmed in Israel. See how Jesus brought true hope to the world by following His footsteps in the Gospel of Luke.

Features:

• 7 video teaching sessions shot in Israel with Kristi McLelland, available via redemption code printed in the Bible study workbook
• Beautiful color photography that helps you visualize places where Jesus ministered
• 6 weeks of personal study
• Leader guide in the back of the book to guide questions and discussion with small groups
• Personal study segments in the Bible study book to complete between group sessions
• Biblically rooted and gospel-centered
• 7 group sessions, 7 weeks of personal study
• Promotional video and other free leader resources available at lifeway.com/goodnews

Benefits:

• Travel through Israel in teaching sessions filmed in Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and more to behold the gospel story in a whole new way
• Gain a deeper understanding of common stories retold from a first-century point of view.
• Explore cultural and historical concepts that will give new perspective on well-known Biblical stories
• Grow in the discipline of daily Bible study.
• Experience personal spiritual growth through individual time spent in Bible study.

The Scriptures are a feast. They are meant to be experienced, taken into our hearts and lives as we trust they will do their work in us.
--Kristi McLelland

Weaving together passages from Scripture, images from the Holy Land, experiences from her own life, and insights into the historical and cultural contexts of the Bible, Kristi invites you on a journey that will forever change the way you engage with God's Word. Conversational and personal, Feasting on God's Word will help you

• take in the Bible so it becomes a part of you, guiding, informing, and strengthening you at all times
• experience God's Word at its fullest through a deeper cultural and linguistic understanding of well-known passages and stories
• grow in your faith as you allow the living Word of Christ to transform you from the inside out

Whatever your relationship with the Bible is in this season of your life, the living God longs to do His transformative work within you through the living power of His Word. So pull up a chair and get ready to feast on the best and truest Story ever told!

Imagine walking the dusty roads of Galilee with Jesus of Nazareth--braving jostling crowds just to touch the edge of His cloak and hear Him say, Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.

Those words, once meant to comfort a hurting woman's soul thousands of years ago, were also meant for you.

Join biblical culturalist Kristi McLelland on those dusty roads as she transports you back to Jesus' world, following in the footsteps of the women who came face-to-face with the Living God. Over 7 sessions, examine the historical and cultural climate of first-century Middle Eastern society to not only understand Jesus more deeply but to fuel your worship of Him today.

Features:

• Leader guide to lead discussions within small groups

• Personal study segments to complete between 7 weeks of group sessions

• Glossary of Hebrew and biblical terms

• Photographs of Israel with commentary of cultural and historical significance

• 7 teaching videos, approximately 60 minutes per session, available via redemption code printed in Bible study book for individual streaming access

Benefits:

• Explore how Jesus generously restores dignity and honor to women in the first century and now.

• Gain deeper insight into the biblical world, including fresh perspective on familiar Bible stories.

• Discover the Bible through the lens of Middle Eastern culture.

Video Sessions:

• Session 1 (61:03)--In this introductory session, Kristi explains the Middle Eastern concept of understanding the Bible in contrast to the Western way we view it and unpacks the story of Jesus and the woman with the issue of blood, encouraging women to take heart because of God's care for them.

• Session 2 (62:46)--Kristi traces God's intention for women from the beginning, highlighting notable women mentioned in the Bible. She then explains the loss of cultural honor and significance for women in Jesus' first century world. Jesus came on the scene in the first century and began setting women back in their proper place, restoring their dignity and honor by providing justice and righteousness for each of them.

• Session 3 (62:31)--Kristi unpacks the John 4 story of the woman at the well, detailing the contentious history between the Jews and the Samaritans along with other social politics of the day.

• Session 4 (62:04)--Walking through the importance of table fellowship and hospitality in Jesus' first century world, Kristi then explains the Luke 7 story of the woman who anoints Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair.

• Session 5 (59:14)--Kristi expounds on the oral teaching tradition that was so prominent in Jesus' day and explores many of the parables in Luke, showing how Jesus' use of women in His teaching was a revolutionary way of showing the world that women have a part in the kingdom of God.

• Session 6 (60:46)--Diving into the story of the woman caught in adultery shared in John 7, Kristi details some of the gospel parallels therein and shows Jesus' care for women in this situation.

• Session 7 (60:17)--In this final session, Kristi explores the stories of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the story of Mary and Martha, both kingdom adventures that God invited women to be a part of.

See the Bible through a New Lens, from Beginning to End

In Rediscovering Israel, you will experience the living God and His Word as never before! Bestselling author and professor Kristi McLelland invites you to explore the biblical narrative in the historical, cultural, geographic, and linguistic contexts in which it was written. As you do so, you will

• experience Scripture as a timeless, transformational Story demonstrating God's love and faithfulness
• string biblical pearls to encounter the Bible as one cohesive storyline rather than a book of stand-alone accounts
• celebrate the richness of Scripture while discovering unique cultural idioms and customs
• share in the joys, curiosities, and insights gained through Kristi's adventures in Israel

Whether you are preparing for pilgrimage to Israel or you desire to experience a fresh encounter with Scripture, Rediscovering Israel offers a welcome blend of biblical truth, faithful research, and personal reflections that will enrich your interactions with God's Word.

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.

Unto the ends of the earth

Come along with Kristi McLelland in this seven-session study 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. Jesus, for the vast majority of His life, never traveled outside of a one-hundred-mile radius from where He was born. Yet His name is spoken and known in every corner of the earth. This is the story of how that happened. And it's the story of how it is still happening today.

Features

• 6 weeks of personal study to be completed between the 7 group sessions
• Interactive teaching videos featuring author Kristi McLelland -- available separately
• Leader Guide in the back of the Bible study book to guide questions and discussion with small groups
• Biblically rooted and gospel-centered
• Free leader resources, including promotional video and social media assets, available for download at lifeway.com

​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.
• Experience personal spiritual growth through individual time spent in Bible study with the content.
• See how God's redemptive purposes are unstoppable in the Book of Acts.

Take heart, daughter. Matthew 9:22
 
Jesus brought comfort, restoration, and salvation to women thousands of years ago. And this gospel hope is available to you today, too. Join biblical culturalist Kristi McLelland as she takes you back to Jesus's first-century world, explaining the historical and cultural climate of His day to help you know Him more dearly.

This 8-session teen Bible study is a thoughtful look at several of Jesus's interactions with women in the Bible that will fuel your worship of the Living God.

Features:

• Eight teaching videos featuring author Kristi McLelland, approximately 15 minutes in length -- available separately
• Leader Guide in the back of the book to guide questions and discussion with small groups
• Mom & Daughter Guide included for the mom who wants to walk through this study with her daughter
• Personal study segments in the Bible study book to complete between group sessions
• Biblically rooted and gospel-centered
• 8 group sessions, 8 weeks of personal study
• Promotional video and other free leader resources available at lifeway.com/jesusandwomen

Benefits:

• Experience personal spiritual growth through individual time spent in Bible study.
• ​Gain deeper insight into the biblical world, including fresh perspective on Bible stories.
• Explore how Jesus generously restores dignity and honor to women in the 1st century and now.
• Learn how to study the Bible, growing in your understanding of who Christ is.
• Discover the Bible through the lens of Middle Eastern culture.

*Additional purchase of the video teaching sessions is recommended for the best experience of this Bible study book.

Kristi McLelland is a speaker, teacher, and college professor. Since completing her Masters of Arts in Christian Education at Dallas Theological Seminary, she has dedicated her life to discipleship, teaching people how to study the Bible for themselves and writing about how God is better than we ever knew, explaining the Bible through a Middle Eastern lens. Her great desire for people to truly experience the love of God birthed a ministry in which she leads biblical study trips to Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

For more information about Kristi and what she's up to, visit: NewLensBiblicalStudies.com.