Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God - Long Story Short

The devotions are short enough for a three year old to listen and participate. Our granddaughter has learned so much from the devotions. I like that they are short and doable. Most parents get very uptight about devotions and this is devotional tool that makes them simple.

A great devotional for all ages of children. I like the emphasis on helping them during question and answer time. The goal is not to memorize answers but to understand deeply the Gospel and see the Gospel throughout Scripture.

I've been using this devotional with my kids (ages 4 and 1.5) on a daily basis and appreciate it's heart and its features:
--it is Jesus-centered, helping kids make connections between the little stories of the Bible and the Big Story of Christ's redemptive work
--it follows one story through a whole week (or longer in some cases), drawing out different points to discuss from the main text as well as a Psalm or prophet
--it works for my 4 year old, but is geared more towards older kids, so I know it will grow with our family for a while
Great buy!

I really enjoy the format of this devotional. It leads us back to the Bible to read the scripture passage, and it starts great conversations with children.

My children really like it, too, and it connects the whole Bible so well. It is not watered down, and it is written to help the reader remember the truths of the Bible, as well.

I recommend this devotional.

I really enjoy the format of this devotional. It leads us back to the Bible to read the scripture passage, and it starts great conversations with children.

My children really like it, too, and it connects the whole Bible so well. It is not watered down, and it is written to help the reader remember the truths of the Bible, as well.

I recommend this devotional.

Great, easy devotional for Elementary School aged children. We did this after dinner every night and the kids enjoyed taking turns reading and being the "leader" for the Bible Study. Includes a Bible Reading, short explanation, ideas for simple object lessons, discussion questions and prayer for each day.

This will be a great family devotional in the years to come. It is only the OT so down the road we will have to get the second volume. My son is an early two so this is a little too advanced for him as is. We shorten it and ask simpler versions of the questions... Hopefully he will get the hang of it within the year.

An entire book focusing on sin and mans depravity. I stopped reading it to my children after the first few lessons and after I scanned the entire book looking for any positive study. My kids know about sin but don't need an entire book focused on it.

I bought this at the recommendation of a friend who used it with her family. I was excited at first but then was underwhelmed by it. First, I wish the Bible passages we're longer. Some days it was only a verse or two. I definitely felt like the book could have covered more territory more quickly. If taken at the suggested pace, it'll take a year and a half just to get through the OT (not actually reading all of the OT). Secondly, some of the intro examples and questions struck me as elementary education nonsense. Silly examples, silly speculative questions that were only peripherally related to the text. It spent more time asking what the kid would be if he could be any animal than asking about significant aspects of creation. Or shoot, have the kids learn what happened on each day of creation! Thirdly, once or twice per week, it would break away for an unrelated passages in the Psalms or prophets. I appreciated the attempt to introduce all parts of Scripture but it seemed disjointed and random. After editing while I read for a few weeks, I decided to just pick up the Bible and read a chapter at a time, explaining and asking questions on my own. My kids (ages 6 and under) are already getting more out of that method of Bible study than they did out of this book. Our kids are capable of so much more than this book believes they are.

This devotional is written to present a biblical gospel from cover to cover. It is intended to aid you in passing this treasure on to your children . . . passing on the truth of God’s Word is our unique responsibility as parents.‖ (Page 1)

―The goal of this devotional is to . . . pass on a clear gospel message showing our children how every story in the Bible points forward or back to the gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s story of salvation. (Page 2)

The target audience is parents of younger aged children (i.e., parents who have children ranging from toddler age to young teenager years). The content is directed toward the children.

Marty Machowski does a broad overview the entire Old Testament in his work. He also ties in the central theme throughout the entire Bible that it speaks of God’s redemptive plan and points to Jesus as the Scriptures’ fulfillment (John 5:39).

Long Story Short is biblically well-grounded and repeatedly points the listening audience to Jesus Christ. It is also practical to use and offers creative ideas (introductions, etc.) to engage the children in the devotions. You can actually do these devotions in ten minutes.

I highly recommend this book.

This devotional is written to present a biblical gospel from cover to cover. It is intended to aid you in passing this treasure on to your children . . . passing on the truth of God’s Word is our unique responsibility as parents.‖ (Page 1)

―The goal of this devotional is to . . . pass on a clear gospel message showing our children how every story in the Bible points forward or back to the gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s story of salvation. (Page 2)

The target audience is parents of younger aged children (i.e., parents who have children ranging from toddler age to young teenager years). The content is directed toward the children.

Marty Machowski does a broad overview the entire Old Testament in his work. He also ties in the central theme throughout the entire Bible that it speaks of God’s redemptive plan and points to Jesus as the Scriptures’ fulfillment (John 5:39).

Long Story Short is biblically well-grounded and repeatedly points the listening audience to Jesus Christ. It is also practical to use and offers creative ideas (introductions, etc.) to engage the children in the devotions. You can actually do these devotions in ten minutes.

I highly recommend this book.

The phrase "gospel-centered" is an easy label to tag on a book these days to sell a couple extra copies. Long Story Short, however, is the last book that could be accused of such a move.

This book, from beginning to end, is about Jesus in the Old Testament and it's perhaps the coolest family devotional I've even seen (or been subjected to). The layout is attractive and the structure is simple.

Every week presents an Old Testament passage, studies it, and then connects it to Jesus. As the author himself says, "Long Story Short connects each story to God's larger redemptive plan. Every lesson answers the question, 'Where is Jesus in this lesson?'"

Machowski spends an entire 1/3 of the book on studies from Genesis, so don't expect every inch of the Old Testament to be covered. However, this book has 78 weeks (or a year and a half) worth of material in it, so nobody's getting short-changed here. The simplicity with which these studies go back and forth between Christ and the Old Testament should impress parents without confusing kids. This is not always an easy thing to do, but Marty pulls it off!

Now my only question is: how young is too young to start going through this with my daughter?

There are a lot of devotionals out there for kids but not all of them are worth using with your family. Too often we see childrens devotionals that are centered on teaching good morals but not necessarily the whole story of the Bible. They don't all teach God's unfolding redemptive plan through Jesus Christ.

Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotionals to Draw Your Family to God by Marty Machowski is a devotional book worth it's weight in gold. It is gospel-centered and therefore Jesus-centered. Rooted in the Old Testament, this book helps parents take their children through its major stories. Each week grounds you in the Old Testament and then links you to the New Testament to show you how Jesus is at the center and brings it all together. This book moves through all parts of the Bible like Psalms and Revelation to show that Jesus is whispered and proclaimed on every page by every author.

The book is structured with 78 weeks and 5 devotionals per week. Each week has a theme and each day has a theme verse. Parents can read the verse for the day and use the assisting paragraph for discussion. There are usually three follow up questions related to the days verse. Knowing there are questions to answer will encourage your children to pay attention and learn more. Each days devotional closes with a suggestion on how to use the verses content in your closing prayer with your kids.

Our family recently completed this book. We used it during week days for the last 2 years (on Saturday and Sunday, we read through our church's sermon text). Family devotions need not be intimidating! It's actually very simple - read the bible, sing, and pray. This book was a great tool to do just that. We found that immediately after our family meal, we began our devotions at the supper table. Dad simply retrieves the Bible, this book, and some folders with songs in it. The subtitle of this book is "Ten-minute devotions to draw your family to God"...that's about how long it takes...10 minutes. No prep work required. The distinctive quality of this book is its strong biblical theology. The person and work of Jesus Christ is emphasized as the pinnacle of the Old Testament.

Our church has started using these books for Sunday School and suggested using the devotional at home. I have a 4yo and a 6yo and teach the 4yo class at church. The idea is that all grades use the same text, which sounds nice, but its very hard to keep little kids attention. I could not get into this devotional with my 4yo and 6yo. Our family devotions became very stressful and contentious and I had to stop and go back to the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Maybe we wil try again when they are older.

Each week has five days’ worth of discussion topics, questions, illustrations, Bible passages, and ideas for discoveries to make as a family. I like how the topics for family discussion give parents and kids a chance to share about struggles and celebrate joys together (For example, “Kids, ask your parents to tell you about a time when God provided something for them in a way that they knew it was by God’s grace, not their own effort.”). These devotions could be a springboard for great family conversations about the ways each person is growing with God.

Excellent Book! The step by step process of going through the Biblical story and making it both real and practical for children and families is outstanding.I especially appreciate the fact that the author steered clear of moralizing the Bible stories and made sure every one of them pointed toward Christ.
One thing I was not aware of when I bought this book- it only covers the Old Testament. The New Testament is, apparently, an entirely separate book.

Going through this devotional has been such a blessing to my family. We have all learned something. The devotional is chronological, theologically sound, and continually points to Jesus tying the Old and New Testaments together in one book. Devotions can be completed in 10-15 minutes with minimal prep but are made rich with thoughtful questions and a final prayer.

We picked this family devotional up at church on the recommendation of our Pastor. We have begun so many systems/books that the children can't stay with or can't wait to get through. Perhaps it is because our youngest three are boys, but they love the object lesson approach and having an active part in the discussion. The length of the daily readings and discussion seems to be just right and provides good discussion material throughout the week because we stick with the theme for the week. Thank you for this resource.

With several kids of different ages, over the years I've tried a number of books intended to help me lead my family in regular study of God's Word. Though not perfect, this is definitely one of the best. Just as advertised, we can complete each day's devotion in ten minutes before school each morning, and it takes almost no preparation on my part. I will often supplement the material with a few of my own questions, but I find that this guide does a good job of making God to be the hero of each story and of leading us toward practical application of biblical truths. And with enough material to last 78 weeks, this book is a bargain!

As others have noted, this is a fantastic resource for brief devotionals with young children. Be aware, the material only covers the Old Testament. The introduction states this book is "Volume 1;" I hope future editions make this clear on the cover. I look forward to Volume 2 which I assume will continue and conclude with New Testament devotionals.

While great children's books exist that teach the wonder of God and his gospel, I have looked in vain to find a kid's devotional that does so. My search is over. This book satisfies on so many fronts: Great lead-ins to start a discussion, simple questions and prayer points suited to a child's understanding, and sections short enough to truly engage my kids in ten minutes. Best of all, the material points to Christ. This is no small accomplishment when you consider that the book covers the Old Testament! I don't find disconnected Bible stories, or moral lessons floating irrelevantly in space: Here I found gospel connections at every turn, that have led my kids and I to see our true need for God, and His all satisfying grace. Very glad to have and use this book!