Listen Up

“Listen Up” to Jesus with your Family

New thirteen-week devotional designed for

families explores the parables of Jesus.

Children love stories, especially stories that engage their minds and imaginations as they learn new concepts and ideas. In his newest devotional, Listen Up: 10-Minute Family Deovtionals on the Parables (New Growth Press/April 16, 2018), Marty Machowski provides a unique opportunity to tell their children some of the oldest, yet most important, stories — the parables of Jesus.

Often, after teaching a parable Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In other words, “This is important, so you better listen up.” Designed for families, this thirteen-week devotional offers parents and children an opportunity to “listen up” to Jesus and learn the biblical truths his stories were meant to convey.

“Jesus knew the importance of storytelling, and used the parables to capture the attention of his audience and teach them the gospel,” says Machowski. “Today we get to teach these same stories, and the meaning behind their symbolism, to our children. Captivated by these simple yet exciting stories, using everyday objects and activities like treasure, hiding in a field, a precious pearl, and a house built on a rock to withstand the storm, our children won’t easily forget the stories Listen Up introduces to them.”

Each week of the devotional starts with an overview “Get Ready” section, followed by a “Get Set” fun activity to prepare families for that week’s devotions. The five, ten-minute long lessons for each week include Bible passages, short commentaries on the meaning of the verses and discussion questions — with answers! “Fun facts” are also included to break up more serious teachings, and each lesson closes with a prayer suggestion, making this study stress-free for parents.

A Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over twenty years, Machowski is also the author of numerous other resources for children and families, including the Gospel Story for Kids series. In his newest devotional, children will be captivated by the easy-to-understand stories that Jesus himself used to tell the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Also available is Listen Up: Jesus’s Parables for Sunday School (12-Week Children’s Curriculum and Listen Up Music Album.)

Author, Nancy Guthrie says,  “Marty is a parent’s best friend when it comes to figuring out how to creatively and competently do what we really want to do, which is talk with our kids about what matters most—the word of God.” John Frame says, “I would not want to return to my child-rearing years, but if I did, I’d certainly want to take “Listen Up” with me. It is a book of family devotions, written in a lively, vivid style. It presents an accurate account of Jesus’ parables and applies them well to the lives of every participant. Machowski includes excellent suggestions for object lessons, group activities, prayer, and “going deeper,” while keeping the actual meetings under ten minutes! I can’t imagine that anyone would follow the book’s directions without becoming a better disciple of Jesus.”

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over twenty years. He is the author of numerous resources for churches and families, including the Gospel Story for Kids series and The Ology. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania. New Growth Press publishes Christian books, discipleship, biblical counseling, missional and ministry.

For more information about releases from New Growth Press, visit www.newgrowthpress.com