Family Bible study doesn't have to be complicated. Best-selling children's book author Marty Machowski helps busy parents share the gospel story with their kids through Long Story Short, an outstanding devotional book full of stories, illustrations, and applicable learning suggestions.
For active families, reading the Bible together can feel overwhelming. Long Story Short is designed to explain God's plan of salvation through the Old Testament, focusing on the hero of Scripture and important biblical truths without being corny, confusing, or condescending.
As a creative and Christ-centered family devotional, Long Story Short equips parents to make disciples in their homes by breaking down the Bible story in shorter, easy-to-understand sections. Both practical and simple, this beautifully designed book is faithful and interactive to Scripture. Machowski guides families through the Old Testament stories, drawing on his experience as a father of six and family life pastor.
Christian parents know the importance of passing the gospel story on to their children, yet we live in a busy world filled with distractions. Schedules collide, homework and laundry and soccer practice await, and before you know it, it's easy to miss God's Word.
With just ten minutes a day, five days a week, parents have enough time to pass on the most valuable treasure the world has ever known. Long Story Short is a family devotional program designed to cultivate honest and powerful discussion about the Bible, which is the catalyst for change in children's lives.
Long Story Short is a companion resource to the Gospel Story Curriculum, The Gospel Story Bible, Old Story New, the Old Testament Gospel Story for Kids Coloring Book, and the New Testament Gospel Story for Kids Coloring Book. Each week of devotions corresponds to a lesson in the Gospel Story Curriculum and a story in The Gospel Story Bible.
AUTHOR
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over thirty years. He is the author of The Gospel Story Bible, Long Story Short, Old Story New, the Gospel Story Curriculum, the Prepare Him Room advent devotional and curriculum, Wise Up family devotional and curriculum, Listen Up family devotional and curriculum, Dragon Seed, and The Ology. He and his wife Lois have six children and two grandchildren, and they reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
"Long Story Short is the best material for family devotions I've ever seen. If you're looking for something careful, creative, and Christ-centered without being corny, confusing, or condescending, look no further. Pastors would be wise to buy this book by the boxful and get a copy into the hands of each family in their church."
Justin Taylor, Blogger at The Gospel Coalition; managing editor of the ESV Study Bible
"This is simply an outstanding book, and Christian families need it right now. I have never seen a devotional book that is so well suited to family devotions and to children, even as it is faithful in relating biblical truth. This book will help any Christian parent lead family devotions that will be memorable, faithful, and practical for Christian living. I'll admit this too, parents will find that they love the stories, illustrations, and learning suggestions along with their children. Marty Machowski has written a wonderful book."
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"I love the simplicity and practicality of Long Story Short. Marty Machowski gives parents a valuable resource to make disciples in our homes by highlighting the gospel story and the Hero of Scripture. I plan to strongly encourage the use of this book throughout our entire network of churches."
Scott Thomas, Pastor of Pastoral Development at The Journey Church
"In Long Story Short, Marty Machowski provides what my wife and I needed when we were struggling to find good tools to disciple our young children. We got by, but this resource would have helped us so much. I envy the parents who will have it available to them. It is simple, interactive, and faithful to Scripture. It avoids the pitfalls of moralism that is prevalent in much of the children's Bible literature today. Marty insists that you and your children meet Jesus and see the gospel of grace in every story. I can't recommend this resource enough."
Timothy S. Lane, Former Executive Director, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; coauthor of How People Change and Relationships: A Mess Worth Making
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Marty Machowski
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love this devotion! it is something we can do in the morning that isn't too long, but gets you reading the bible with your kiddos and talking through scripture as a family. highly recommended!
love this devotion! it is something we can do in the morning that isn't too long, but gets you reading the bible with your kiddos and talking through scripture as a family. highly recommended!
This has been a great way for our family to study through the Old Testament. It's in-depth, practical, and kid-friendly all at the same time. Highly recommended.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a daily Devotional to do with their children. This book covers the Old Testament. It breaks it down into weekly groups. The first day of the week, you do a fun object lesson together as a family (this is my kids favorite day!) Then the second day builds of the first. The third day, you learn how the weeks story points forward to Jesus. The fourth day continues to build the story. Then the last day of the week you look at a psalm or one of the prophets to see what it has to teach us about Jesus. Very well written and thought out! I have already bought the Old Story New Devotion to follow up this one!
A lovely family devotional. Clear, applicable and instructive. It encourages discussion. Perhaps more suitable for the younger rather than older target age group but that also depends on how much Bible knowledge your family has. My young teens have grown up with family Bible reading and know their way around the Bible pretty well but still participated willingly and happily when we studied the book with their friends.
My kids love these devotions! And it's instructive and easy for parents, too. I've spent several years doing family devotions with my children, so I know it can be difficult getting them engaged. Machowski's lessons help parents engage the children with biblical truth. Perhaps an appendix could be added at some point for a weekly memory verse or catechism question. Overall, this is a great book for my family!
I would have given this 4 stars if I could, but I just can't give it a full 5. My complaint is that the author continuously referred to the lessons and Bible readings as "stories." I understand the common us of the term, but caution using it when dealing with biblical history if you truly believe that it is the inerrant word of God. I highly recommend this for any Christian family.
I would have given this 4 stars if I could, but I just can't give it a full 5. My complaint is that the author continuously referred to the lessons and Bible readings as "stories." I understand the common us of the term, but caution using it when dealing with biblical history if you truly believe that it is the inerrant word of God. I highly recommend this for any Christian family.
Maybe I'm dense, but I didn't see this anywhere in the cover or description. I followed a link here, so I didn't see the NT version come up w/search results. I discovered it after I received it and was looking at the table of contents. Not a huge deal, and I'll get the other one, but I fully expected this to be about the full Bible.
This is good for very young ones. I have a mix of teens and young ones, so it was too young for us. The Bible readings are very brief: 2-3 verses and the questions very simplistic and sometimes silly. I was hoping for more scripture, more depth.
