Old Story New: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God
An interview with Marty Machowski,
author of Old Story
New
Q: Why do we find it
so difficult to get into a devotional routine ourselves, much less for our
entire family?
I think there are a couple of reasons it is difficult for us adults to
keep a consistent devotional routine.
First, parents have a lot going on.
We’ve got work, bills, the lawn to cut, meals to cook, dishes to wash,
the laundry and then there is the care for our children. By the time we finish all that, we are
tired.
Secondly, we live prosperous lives.
It can be easy to think we can provide for ourselves. We can forget about God until a trial
comes. That is why spending time in the
Bible is so important. It reminds us of
our need and reintroduces us to what is really important. So, the more time we spend reading the Word,
the more we realize how important it is to read.
Q: What is typically
the best time for a family to get into the routine of a daily devotional?
Dinner-time is the best time for most families since you are already
gathered together. I tell moms and dads
to put their family devotional right next to their dinner plate or on their
chair. Then, as soon as dinner is over,
before everyone is excused, take ten minutes and do family devotions.
If your family is comprised of a bunch of early risers, morning can work
well but I find that nearly every family has a child who is slow to get up in
the morning. The last thing you need is
to create an argument first thing in the morning. But if morning works for you, family
devotions is a great way to start your day.
Q: Tell us about the
format of each week.
Each week of five devotions in Old Story
New begins with an activity and a creative introduction to the first day’s
devotion. Then the devotions for days one through four explore the same New
Testament Bible story, connecting the story to the gospel on day three. It only takes ten minutes a day to complete
the devotion and we give you everything you need.
You read the Bible passage and a short explanatory paragraph followed by
a few simple questions (with answers!).
Finally, every day ends with a suggested prayer. Day five introduces a prophetic passage from
the Psalms or Prophets that points forward to Jesus. There were so many amazing prophecies about
Jesus in the Old Testament that we wanted to include them in this New Testament
devotional.
Q: How many lessons
are included in the book? How long will it take a family to go through Old Story New?
There are 78 weeks of devotions.
That is a year and a half of Bible Study for your family. When you combine Old Story New with our Old Testament devotional, Long Story Short, you get three years of
family devotions, taking you from Genesis all the way through to Revelation.
Q: What makes this
devotional different than others available?
Are there many resources out there for entire families?
There simply are not many devotionals out there that help your family
study the Bible together. What makes Old
Story New special is its gospel emphasis.
Every story is connected to the Gospel every week.
Q: Can Old Story New be used by families who
have children of all different ages? Can everyone really benefit from doing the
devotional together in only 10 minutes?
Old Story New simply helps you share the Bible with your family. The Bible is a book for all ages. Once your children hit their grade school
years, it is time to help them study the scriptures. If you have older children, get them involved
in helping you lead the morning devotions or helping their younger brothers and
sisters by feeding them the answers to the questions.
If you have a younger preschooler, they are not going to get all the
theology but remember, the Bible is a book of stories and younger children love
stories. Let them play nearby on a rug
or in their high chair. You will be surprised at how much they pick up.
When you combine, the Old Testament Long
Story Short and New Testament Old
Story New devotionals, you get three years of family devotions If you had a
five year old when you started, they will be eight and ready to begin the books
all over again. Think of the program as
a ready-made way to take your family through the Bible again and again.
Q: What other
resources are available in the Gospel Story for Kids series? How does Old Story New coordinate with the
companion children’s ministry curriculum you wrote?
Old Story New follows the Gospel Story New Testament curriculum story for story. That means you get to follow up at home with
the lesson your child’s Sunday school teacher presented at church!
I have found that parents want to teach their children the Bible. Their biggest problem is that they just don’t
know where to begin. Old Story New gives them the tool they
need to make it easy. And, all the
children, no matter what their age, study the same Bible story in the Gospel
Story curriculum. That means parents
only need to do one thing. No more take
home sheets to get lost on the floor of your minivan. Everything you need to follow up for all your
children is all together in Old Story New.
Q: Old Story New and the entire Gospel
Story for Kids series is great because the products can be used separately, yet
how does everything fit together for use at home and in church?
The Gospel Story Bible follows along with the same stories as the devotional and the Sunday
School curriculum. Everything works
together to ensure that the life transforming message of the Gospel is
presented both at church and home, every week and every Sunday. There simply is no more comprehensive gospel
program available.
Q: A series of
stories, devotionals and curriculum to cover the entire Bible in just three
years–and adapted for three different age groups–sounds like quite the
undertaking. How long did this project take you?
All together it has taken me twelve years to write, rewrite, and go
through the editing process for the Gospel Story Curriculum, devotionals, and The Gospel Story Bible. I didn’t set out to publish a
curriculum. I simply wanted to provide a
helpful tool for the families of my church.
But, once other churches discovered we had a gospel focused curriculum
that taught all the children the same story and provided five days of devotions
for moms and dads at home, they wanted to use it too.
Long before New Growth Press finished publishing the Gospel Story line of
products, we had over one hundred churches using our draft. They were glad to
overlook a spelling error or two to get the gospel into the hands of their
families. Today, the Gospel Story
Curriculum is far better than the draft version. We’ve added hundreds of new object lessons,
polished the content, restructured the format, and added professionally drawn
coloring sheets.
Visit http://gospelstoryforkids.com, for more
information about the Gospel Story for Kids series and curriculum. The website
is also home to Marty’s blog on family, children’s ministry and more.
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