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Marty Machowski
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Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God Kindle Edition

by Marty Machowski (Author), Dave Harvey (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 748 ratings

2012 ECPA Christian Book Award Finalist! Transform Your Family with Ten Minutes a Day in the Gospel Story


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.


This devotional is also a companion product to the Gospel Story Curriculum which is available at New Growth Press.


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  1. Reading age
    4 - 9 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    546 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 4, 2010
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1936768103
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Editorial Reviews

Review

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 (Between Two Worlds); 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

About the Author

Marty Machowski is the Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-two years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children's ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester Pennsylvania.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004AYD73O
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Growth Press (November 4, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 4, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 801 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 546 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1935273817
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 748 ratings

About the author

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Marty Machowski

Marty Machowski

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Marty Machowski serves as both the Executive Pastor and Family Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over 30 years. He is the author of The Ology, a systematic theology for children, Long Story Short, Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God, The Gospel Story Sunday School Curriculum and the companion Gospel Story Children's Bible. Marty enjoys writing "study fiction," a genre he developed that combines Bible study with engaging fiction. Dragon Seed, a novel for teens, and Prepare Him Room, an Advent devotional for families combine these two elements. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester Pennsylvania area. Marty's other books include Wise Up, Listen Up, Don't Blame the Mud, God Made Boys and Girls, Leading Your Children to Christ, Teaching Your Children About Money, and Parenting First Aid.

Marty and his wife Lois are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren. Currently, Marty is working on a curriculum for his book The Ology, and is finishing up work on the Redemption Tales series. All of Marty's books are designed to help parents share the gospel with their children.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
748 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this devotional book excellent for family use, with content that takes them through the Bible and starts great conversations with children. Moreover, the Bible study is rich in theology, with every story pointing back to Jesus, and they appreciate that it's short enough for 3-5 year-olds while being adaptable for different age groups. Additionally, the book's pacing is well-structured, with chapters broken down into manageable daily bits. However, the depth receives mixed reviews, with some finding it deep enough while others consider it shallow.

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125 customers mention "Family devotional"125 positive0 negative

Customers find this book excellent for family devotions, with one mentioning it serves as a great way to study God's word together, while another notes it provides a simple yet purposeful daily practice.

"...5. It isn't "light" on doctrine. Even though it is written for family devotions, this does not dumb down sound doctrine and leads the parent to..." Read more

"...The book is chronological, teaching 78 of the main stories and characters of the Old Testament. Each week one story / character is taught...." Read more

"...The book is chronological, teaching 78 of the main stories and characters of the Old Testament. Each week one story / character is taught...." Read more

"...Wow. What a comprehensive, thoughtful, Jesus-centered way to study the Bible. We are ALL learning when we do these studies...." Read more

92 customers mention "Literacy level"84 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the book's literacy level, as it is great for all ages and starts conversations with children while taking them through the Bible. One customer notes it includes discussion questions for various age groups.

"...For all 5 days, this story is taught from beginning to end, taking it apart and really understanding it -- but without dragging it out and beating..." Read more

"...is really dialed in for kids, and it provides some great launching point for discussions. I only have 2 things I would change. 1...." Read more

"...old (because they are short and sweet), but has plenty of discussion questions for a variety of ages that can be easily modified based on your..." Read more

"Great book. Easy to understand for little children." Read more

84 customers mention "Bible content"81 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the Bible content of the book, which is rich in theology and teaches great truths about God, with one customer noting its effectiveness in helping readers remember biblical truths.

"...about us", but instead leads the reader to know the truth: The Bible is all about God --and how He chose to redeem mankind to Him! 2...." Read more

"...I love the way the author teaches great truths about God drawn from the story or character being studied...." Read more

"...I love the way the author teaches great truths about God drawn from the story or character being studied...." Read more

"...Wow. What a comprehensive, thoughtful, Jesus-centered way to study the Bible. We are ALL learning when we do these studies...." Read more

30 customers mention "Christianity"30 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's Christian content, noting that every story points back to Jesus, and one customer mentions how it encourages hearts to grow closer to God.

"...1. It is written from a God-Centered, Gospel-Centered, Christ-Centered foundation. God is Holy. Christ is Worthy...." Read more

"...Each story points to Jesus! The book is chronological, teaching 78 of the main stories and characters of the Old Testament...." Read more

"...Each story points to Jesus! The book is chronological, teaching 78 of the main stories and characters of the Old Testament...." Read more

"...day series, each covering an Old Testament story, pulling in a prophet pointing forward to Jesus, and breaking the readings down into chunks that..." Read more

28 customers mention "Length"23 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the length of the devotions, noting they are short enough for young children and can be adjusted for older ones.

"...3. The devotionals are short enough to hold the attnetion of small children (as young as 3), but thorough enough that the parents leading will also..." Read more

"...about 10 minutes, so we're able to do it at breakfast, and is short enough that they don't lose focus...." Read more

"...lesson points to Jesus throughout the Old Testament and is only 10 minutes in length...." Read more

"...they are short, so even our younger kids can pay attention. The questions are good to help the kids think about what we are reading...." Read more

8 customers mention "Enjoyment"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable, with one mentioning it creates great family time.

"...We are 25 days in and we are enjoying it immensely...." Read more

"...They are excited to read each day and we look forward to what's to come!" Read more

"...It's engaging and fosters wonderful conversation about God and the Bible with my children." Read more

"Great book! The layout is great for all ages. Creates great family time. Offers questions that everyone can answer and create discussion." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one mentioning that it is broken down into 5-day series, while another notes that each week is divided into 5 daily chapters.

"...The devotions are broken down into 5 day series, each covering an Old Testament story, pulling in a prophet pointing forward to Jesus, and breaking..." Read more

"...78 weeks of devotions in this book! WOW! 5 days per week. Great linked index for each week. Each day is broken into segments:..." Read more

"...He has managed to break down each day into manageable bits that can be done in ten minutes if necessary, but we find our discussion often goes on..." Read more

"...This book covers the Old Testament. It breaks it down into weekly groups...." Read more

7 customers mention "Depth"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the depth of the devotions, with some finding them deep enough while others describe them as very shallow.

"...are written, they're captivating, simple, interesting, and deeper than I expected. We love them!!..." Read more

"It's a decent devotion book but is very shallow, would not recommend for children above age 7." Read more

"...It’s fantastic! Just deep enough with opportunity to go deeper and suggestions to simplify depending on age." Read more

"...It can be short enough for a 3-5 year-old, but also deep enough to last well into the tween years. A truly remarkable bedtime ritual!..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Resource
    Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have used, read, and evaluated many, many children/family devotionals over the years, and this one ranks as my all time favorite! I cannot wait for the New Testament edition to be released in October 2012.

    There are several reasons why this devotional is especially unique:
    1. It is written from a God-Centered, Gospel-Centered, Christ-Centered foundation. God is Holy. Christ is Worthy. This is not a man-centered approach that leads the reader to believe that the Bible is "all about us", but instead leads the reader to know the truth: The Bible is all about God --and how He chose to redeem mankind to Him!
    2. It asks the parent to actually read the Bible. Although there is a Story Bible by the same publisher (that is excellent), this resource actually has the parent read from actual Scripture. The Scripture selections are not long, but are sufficient for the story that is being taught.
    3. The devotionals are short enough to hold the attnetion of small children (as young as 3), but thorough enough that the parents leading will also be challenged and taught.
    4. There are 5 days of devotions for each week. On day 3, the devotion leads the family to look at how Christ fulfilled or is implicated in the Old Testament story. It shows that Christ was there with God from the beginning, and that the OT is a foreshadow of His coming redmeption. On day 5, the devotional leads the family to Psalms or Proverbs or one of the Prophets and also points towards Christ.
    5. It isn't "light" on doctrine. Even though it is written for family devotions, this does not dumb down sound doctrine and leads the parent to teach foudational doctrinal truths.
    6. Finally, each major "story" of the OT is given a full week of learning and study. For example, Week 22 is "Joeseph's Dream." For all 5 days, this story is taught from beginning to end, taking it apart and really understanding it -- but without dragging it out and beating it to death!

    For very small children (6 and under), I think that I would use the Story Bible that goes along with this series, along with the Scripture to lead through this. It is a year and a half of family study, and with the NT added, it would be 3 full years. What a better way to spend the next 3 years of my family's life!
    30 people found this helpful
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  • Michael S. Durand
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super book
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    If you are looking for a book to help you teach the Old Testament in a Gospel Saturated, God -Centered way you have found it! Each story points to Jesus!

    The book is chronological, teaching 78 of the main stories and characters of the Old Testament. Each week one story / character is taught. 3 days are spent on the actual story, one day is spent seeing how this story points to Jesus, and the 5th day a different Bible passage is read with the purpose of seeing what it teaches about Jesus.

    This book is appropriate for preschool - elementary children as written. It could be modified fairly easily for younger and older children so the whole family can learn together.

    Each week starts with an object lesson of some type. This relates to the story for the week. There are (usually) short passages from the Bible to read each day. (This is important, we want children to hear God's Word.) Then, the author does a brief recap of what the Scripture says. I have found these recaps to be very accurate and worded in ways that will help children understand. Next there are a few focus questions to discuss the story. Finally there is a prayer suggestion. The book claims to be "Ten-Minute Devotions" and it is possible that it could be finished in 10 minutes. I believe that many parents and children will stretch the 10 minutes!

    I love the way the author teaches great truths about God drawn from the story or character being studied.

    The one weakness I see is that there are no pictures! The book is intended for adults to read to children, but many children will benefit from pictures to help them understand the story. A Bible story book is due out in about a year from the same author that will have pictures. This will greatly help families with younger children to teach this material. Until then, families could use other picture story Bibles for the illustrations, and use the content of this book.

    Any Sunday School teacher, parent, or other adult working with children can greatly benefit from using this book. This book will be a great blessing to the body of Christ.
    32 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Hanniel
    4.0 out of 5 stars Prägnantes, Christus-zentriertes Andachtshilfsmittel vom Vater einer Grossfamilie
    Reviewed in Germany on December 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Es gibt eine erdrückende Fülle von Andachtshilfsmittel für die Familie. Jedes kommt noch poppiger, noch farbiger und noch leichter verständlich daher. Hier sind einige Gründe, warum meine Frau mit unseren fünf Kindern regelmässig zu "Long Story Short" greift:

    1. In der Kürze liegt die Würze. Es ist von grossem Vorteil, kurz und regelmässig durch biblische Themen zu gehen. Dieses Hilfsmittel leitet in diesem doppelten Bemühen an.
    2. Erfahrene Väter, die regelmässig Andacht halten, sind rar gesät. Marty Machowski gehört zu ihnen. Ich habe sein Facebook-Account abonniert. Es ist ermutigend zu sehen, wie der Vater einer Grossfamilie das umsetzt, wovon er schreibt.
    3. Ein zentrales Kriterium eines Andachtsbuches ist die Bibel- und Christus-Fokussierung. Das ist keineswegs selbstverständlich. Manche Bücher lenken durch eine unzulässige Vereinfachung und moralistische Appelle geradezu vom Zentrum ab.
    4. Kinder (und Erwachsene) tun gut daran, regelmässig in der Bibel selbst zu lesen. Dieses Buch führt zur Bibel hin.
    5. Wer nicht viel Zeit zur Verfügung hat, ist froh um einen guten Vorspann (um die Kinder an das Thema heranzuführen) und um einige Leitfragen, um den Brücke zum Leben herzustellen.

    Fazit

    Dieses Andachtsbuch stellt relevante Fragen und führt zur Jesus und zum Lesen der Bibel hin. Was will man mehr?
    Report
  • Saree
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good devo for families!
    Reviewed in Canada on July 3, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is a wonderful devotional for families! I love how each weeks theme points to Jesus. The devotions are short but meaty. Our kids are 8,6,4 and this is perfect for our age range!
    Report
  • Bunny
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Present
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This was the comment of the preson who received this book at Christmas and has since commented on how much they have enjoyed it since. Apart from that I cannot comment further as I have not read it.
    Report
  • Nico
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in France on January 5, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Après avoir lu un excellent commentaire sur ce livre sur le site ToutPourSaGloire.com il y a quelques années, je l'ai acheté et m'efforce de le traduire jour après jour depuis des semaines!

    Un outil tout simplement génial pour approfondir de façon simple et efficace et pour se poser des questions sur La Bible.

    Je voudrais juste signaler une petite erreur week 48 jour 5/week49 jour 1...où dans la version ebook, il manque le titre. Par contre dans la version papier, c'est ok!

    J'espère un jour pouvoir tout avoir traduit et pourquoi pas le publier....n'hésitez pas à prier pour que j'y arrive!!!
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    Nico
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Excellent!

    Reviewed in France on January 5, 2018
    Après avoir lu un excellent commentaire sur ce livre sur le site ToutPourSaGloire.com il y a quelques années, je l'ai acheté et m'efforce de le traduire jour après jour depuis des semaines!

    Un outil tout simplement génial pour approfondir de façon simple et efficace et pour se poser des questions sur La Bible.

    Je voudrais juste signaler une petite erreur week 48 jour 5/week49 jour 1...où dans la version ebook, il manque le titre. Par contre dans la version papier, c'est ok!

    J'espère un jour pouvoir tout avoir traduit et pourquoi pas le publier....n'hésitez pas à prier pour que j'y arrive!!!
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  • Vigilant customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Long Story Short
    Reviewed in India on June 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Fantastic tool to build godly concepts early into a childs life. A must for all christian households with young children.
    Report

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