Today is a sad day. I am sharing the last book I’ll ever review for Litfuse, as they have closed their doors. It’s always sad to see a Christian ministry have to shut down. While I don’t know the circumstances behind it, what I do know is this – God has a plan for those people, and I pray that all the workers of Litfuse will follow that plan and live life to the fullest. I hope that they will keep in contact, as we will all miss them dearly.
That being said, let’s get to today’s book. It’s a devotional that is great for families.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Everyone loves a good story, and children are no exception. Who better to tell those stories than Jesus? Listen Up, by bestselling author Marty Machowski, delves into some of Jesus’s best-known stories in a two-part discipleship resource fashioned to help children explore the parables of Jesus and learn the biblical truths they convey.
Listen Up offers two separate discipleship tools. The first product, a twelve-week curriculum and companion music album is designed to help children understand the gospel and the kingdom of God through Bible reading, discussion questions, object lessons, puppet skits, and art activities. Included in this curriculum is the Sovereign Grace Listen Up music CD, which reinforces the themes of the lessons in a catchy, easy-to-learn format. This curriculum includes three learning levels—preschool and kindergarten (ages 4–6), elementary (ages 6–9), and middle school (ages 10–12).
Also available in this series is the companion family devotional, Listen Up: Ten-Minute Family Devotions on the Parables, which will further reinforce the surprising truths of Jesus’s parables and explore how they are relevant and meaningful today. This family devotional can function as either a stand-alone resource for families or serve as reinforcement to the curriculum content learned at church. The ten-minute lessons for each week include Bible passages, short commentaries on the meaning of the verses, as well as discussion questions. “Fun facts” are also included to break up more serious teachings, and each lesson closes with a prayer suggestion. Through the stories that Jesus himself used, parents have a unique opportunity to help their children “listen up” to the good news of the Kingdom of God.
MY PERSPECTIVE
This is a fun way to get the gospel to your children. I wish it had been around when my daughter was younger because I think she would have enjoyed it tremendously. Homeschooling parents may want to use this in the classroom. Sunday School teachers or Youth Group leaders may want to take a peek as well. Make sure you read the information ahead of time, as you may want to tweak things a little bit based on which version of the bible you are using. As a youth group leader myself, I am always looking for new and fun ways to teach my kids. They are still at the elementary age, and they want something fun that will hold their interest. This was fun. I would probably alter the curriculum slightly based on the children that I have, however I think anyone would do that. The point is this is a great tool to use to enhance your teaching experience.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marty Machowski serves as the Executive Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over 25 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.