Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God
Marty Machowski
New Growth Press, 2010, 416 pp., $19.99
10-Minute Moments-Parables: Exploring Jesus’ Parables 10 Minutes at a Time
Scott Firestone IV
Group Publishing, 2010, 96 pp., $6.99
Revolve Dream On: The Complete New Testament
New Century Version
Thomas Nelson, 2011, 288 pp., $16.99
God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?
David T. Lamb
IVP Books, 2011, 192 pp., $15
It’s one thing to tell students and parents to read the Bible, but it’s another thing to empower them. No one resource works for everyone, and it makes sense to have a variety to hand out. Consider these choices that represent family study times, student devotions, creative Bible reading and practical apologetics.
Long Story Short is one of the most practical, Bible-centered resources for family Bible study. The structure works for busy schedules by breaking up core Bible themes over the course of a week with daily thoughts and discussion starters. It works well for all ages, and even prompts younger kids to ask their parents questions, the answers of which older teens may come up with on their own. The “Picture It” and “Think About It Some More” headings initiate empathy between the reader and people in the Bible, and each reading can be maximized in 10 minutes.
10-Minute Moments—Parables comes off as a standard devotional for students looking to read something in a month. Each chapter contains some good questions, yet there isn’t a whole lot of direction for students. More mature Christian teens may be able to navigate this better than those just starting out, unless this study is done in a small group setting or among peers who can help each other glean more.
Revolve Dream On offers teen girls a Bible that looks like a popular magazine. Packed with vibrantly designed articles, quizzes and interviews, some of it comes off more as a novelty than a necessity. The advice column and relationship tips have some appeal, yet it has dated material that may require an updated version within a year.
God Behaving Badly asks and practically addresses questions most Christians tend not to wrestle with but should. The author points out that atheists make claims we don’t know how to defend, such as the God of the Old Testament coming off negative and mean. Using references to everything from “The Far Side” to Hebrew word studies, the author makes a great case for an honest spiritual journey that considers every angle. Believers and non-believers can get a lot out of this read, including a liberated understanding of what God is like and the context of Scripture.
