How the Called Out Came Together: The One Another Life of the Early Church by Matthew Allen

Christ calls people out of the world, and then he calls them together. This thirteen-lesson workbook follows the early church as it learned to live the "one another" life of the New Testament.

How the Called Out Came Together: The One Another Life of the Early Church is a 13-lesson workbook by Matthew Allen on how the first Christians saw, cared for, corrected, encouraged, welcomed, and honored one another. Drawing from Acts and the letters of Paul, Peter, and Hebrews, each lesson takes up one practice of congregational life and asks what it looks like in a local church today.

The study grows out of Paul's prayer for the Colossians, that their hearts would be encouraged, "being knit together in love" (Colossians 2:2, ESV). Knitting is patient work. Strands are drawn through and around each other until what was separate becomes one cloth. Allen shows how the Spirit did that work in the churches of the first century, and how he still does it in congregations willing to give him room.

What's Inside

Thirteen lessons in three parts, each built on a central passage of Scripture:

Part One: The Heart (Colossians 3:12–14)

• Seeing Each Other Through God's Eyes (2 Corinthians 5:14–17)
• Genuine Care for One Another (1 Corinthians 12:25–26)
• Correcting with Love (Galatians 6:1–2)
• Encouraging One Another (Hebrews 3:12–14)

Part Two: The Hands (Philippians 2:3–5)

• They Welcomed One Another (Romans 15:7)
• They Used Their Talents (1 Peter 4:10–11)
• They Seized the Opportunity (Galatians 6:9–10)
• They Humbled Themselves (Philippians 2:3–8)
• They Were Generous (2 Corinthians 8:1–9)
• They Honored Each Other (Romans 12:9–13)

Part Three: The Growing Body (Ephesians 4:15–16)

• They Were Willing to Change (Acts 10:34–43)
• There Was an Anxiousness to Learn (Acts 17:1–12)
• They Respected Their Leaders (Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24)

Format & Features

Each lesson prints its main passage in full and works through it section by section. Key Greek words such as ekklēsia, katartizō, parakaleō, and proslambanō are explained in plain English. Every lesson includes a "Looking to Jesus" section that turns to the Gospels to show how Christ lived each practice first, a closing word of encouragement, and six discussion questions that move from what the text says toward how to live it this week. Each part opens with an anchor passage and a guiding question.

The workbook closes with a personal inventory of all thirteen practices, a written charge for the months ahead, and a benediction from Jude 24–25. Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible, with the English Standard Version where noted. Paperback, 6 × 9, 150 pages.

Who It's For

Bible class teachers looking for a thirteen-week quarter, elders and preachers planning a congregational emphasis on unity and fellowship, small-group leaders, and any Christian who wants to understand why belonging to Christ means belonging to his people.

About the Author

Matthew Allen is the pulpit minister at Cornerstone Church of Christ in Centerville, Ohio, and co-owner of Spiritbuilding Publishers. With more than three decades of preaching across the country and abroad, he writes for Christians who want substance, clarity, and the steady encouragement of grace. His other books include The Church: God's Called Out People.