Long Story Short by Marty Machowski

Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God by Marty Machowski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

Fabulous!

I love this family devotional book that can easily be made to work for a wide range of ages. The first reason being that it ties the Old Testament to the gospel! Too many family/kid devotionals just give stories rather then truly help kids connect with the Word of God. In this book, which gives you five, ten-minute devotions per week, there is at least one day when your reading a New Testament passage that connects to the Old Testament story line of the week.

The next reason I like this family devotional is that it's easy. And very simple, too. There are some suggest object lessons, but they are simple and certainly not mandatory for the kids to get the week's lesson. If you don't do it everything will still make sense.

And the third reason I like this book is because it's comprehensive. It incorporates reading Scripture, discussion and interaction, and prayer all together in an easy to follow format that really only takes ten minutes - if that.

In the words of Emily: "This book is fun!" And our family loves it!

BOOK OVERVIEW:

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, there is homework and yard work and dishes and laundry, the car's oil should be changed, there are phone calls to make and before you know it, everyone is getting to bed late again.

The Bible can seem like a long story for an active family to read, but when you break it down into short sections, as Marty Machowski does, family devotions are easy to do. Long Story Short will help busy parents share with their children how every story in the Old Testament points forward to God's story of salvation through Jesus Christ. You won't find a more important focus for a family devotional than a daily highlighting of the gospel of grace. Clever stories and good moral lessons may entertain and even help children, but the gospel will transform children. The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to transform the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read.

Ten minutes a day, five days a week is enough time to pass on the most valuable treasure the world has ever known. Long Story Short is a family devotional program designed to explain God's plan of salvation through the Old Testament and is suitable for children from preschool through high school.

Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition by Sally Lloyd-Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Deluxe Edition is a wonderful resource to add to any child's bookshelf. It is like a Bible but with a twist. Instead of chapters and verses it holds a story book version of the Bible. The whole point of this Bible is slightly different than the traditional "Bible Story Book", instead it is to tell the story as a whole rather than short stories here and there.

I like this Bible storybook because it doesn't try condense the Bible into child-length stories, but rather explain it in a continuing story line that aids children and grasping the theme of Jesus from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The bright colors and illustrations grab children's eyes while the parent reads the simple, yet deep, storyline.

The deluxe edition comes with 3 CDs that include the entire book on audio for your children to listen to while in bed or traveling. Using these two tools together - book and CDs - make for a wonderful combination to drive home Biblical accounts into the hearts of young ones.

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This review copy was provided courtesy of Zonderkids.

Mighty Acts Of God: A Family Bible Story Book by Starr Meade

Mighty Acts of God: A Family Bible Story Book by Starr Meade

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

Are you looking for an audio Bible story for your children to listen while falling asleep or while traveling?

This is it! If you have nights where you get home late and don't have time to read to your children before tucking them in, this audio version makes for a wonderful substitute or supplement even if you do have time.

Ninety Bible accounts are told in lively form and are easy for children of all ages to understand. Each story is followed with application and discussion questions that will, at the least, get your children thinking and hopefully interacting with you, too.

I appreciated the focus on God's character throughout each story and the sound and deep Biblical truth it teaches in a very light way. This audio book has 7 CDs with a total running time of 8 hours and 45 minutes. Mighty Acts Of God is a wonderful resource to add to your children's bookshelf!

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This review copy was provided courtesy of Oasis Audio.

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Related articles:

• Family Devotions
• Read & Share Bible by Gwen Ellis
• In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham 
• What's In The Bible?
• Series: How To Study Your Bible Pt. 3

I Love God’s Green Earth by Michael & Caroline Carrol

I Love God's Green Earth: Devotions for Kids Who Want to Take Care of God's Creation by Michael Carroll

MY REVIEW:

I Love God's Green Earth is a unique devotional for kids ages 6 and up. And of course the parents who read it to their children will enjoy it, too. I appreciated the simplicity of the devotional format (only 2 short pages each day) and the variety in each day. Each day's devotional includes a great devotional thought based on a passage of scripture, some application steps and tips, fun facts or jokes, and a story or paragraph about a current "green" topic that coordinates with the theme of the day. While I can't say that I "loved" everything about the book, I would say that it was a fair mix of showing respect for God's creation and spiritual application. I personally thought this book was a neat resource for those who want to teach their children more about caring for the earth from a Biblical point of view.

Our family will try to make an attempt to watch our garbage output and show respect by picking up garbage that we see laying around.  What will this book encourage your kids to do?

BOOK OVERVIEW:

Kids love working on practical projects to help take care of the Earth; they are often the family’s biggest proponents of recycling. This book will attract those eco-friendly kids and teach them how creation care can actually draw them closer to God. Each devotion includes a Scripture verse, a “Connection” section to help kids apply both the biblical and environmental lessons, and a “What Can I Do?” section with a takeaway activity. Jokes and fun facts are also included throughout the devotion to make this book fun, informative, and interesting to readers.

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This review copy was provided courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers.