This week, the blog is sponsored by New Growth Press, and this post is written by Marty Machowski, author of The Sword: Magnus and the Mystery of Romans
Back in the 1990s, family worship resources were few and far between, and most had outdated illustrations that didn’t capture a child’s attention. I still remember staring at the hefty study Bible on our end table, feeling completely overwhelmed. It seemed like a mountain I didn’t know how to climb. That’s when the enemy’s lies crept in: “You don’t even know where to start! You think you can teach this massive book to your kids? Good luck—this will never work.” The discouragement was real.
Although I understood the importance of family worship I still didn’t know where to begin. That’s when it hit me: If I was struggling, our parents likely were too. I realized our church family needed practical help. To support parents and make learning engaging for children, I created a new genre of Bible study: the storybook Bible study, a resource that combines biblical teaching with captivating storytelling.
My latest book in this series is a children’s Bible study on Romans, titled The Sword: Magnus and the Mystery of Romans. Instead of presenting a dry, fact-heavy study, this resource brings Paul’s letter to life through the fictional notes of Magnus, a former gladiator turned Roman soldier, who has been assigned to guard Paul during his imprisonment in Rome. While standing watch, Magnus hears Paul’s message and begins to discover the life-changing truths found in the letter to the Romans.
We plant the seeds of the gospel through rich, Christ-centered family worship. We water them with our prayers. But only God can cause those seeds to grow—and isn’t it a relief that this part is not up to us?
Marty Machowski
Families who read The Sword are invited to join the quest to uncover the mystery of the swords. The goal is to capture children’s imaginations through the story and draw them into a Bible study adventure alongside Magnus, the hero of the tale.
For parents, all the labor of figuring out how to share the truths of Scripture in easy-to-understand language has been done. All a mom or dad or grandma or grandpa has to do is read the book with their children. The hard work is done; family Bible study is now fun.
Every Christian parent desires to pass their faith on to their children. Today, there are many resources for parents to choose from. Yet many still struggle to find the right ones to for their families, and parents are often left wondering whether their efforts are making a difference.
At our church, we have a simple saying about evangelism: Share the gospel and leave the results to God. Family discipleship is really just evangelism in the home. Our children are sinners in need of a Savior, and the message of Scripture is that the Savior has come.
But what do you do when you’ve faithfully shared the gospel and still see little change in your kids? You entrust both the saving and the timing of that saving to the Lord. As Paul reminded the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6–7 esv).
We plant the seeds of the gospel through rich, Christ-centered family worship. We water them with our prayers. But only God can cause those seeds to grow—and isn’t it a relief that this part is not up to us? God calls us to faithfully pass on the gospel to our kids and reserves the saving to a work of the Spirit.
So pick up a copy of The Sword and join this exciting Bible study adventure— your kids will thank you as you plant the seeds of the gospel in their hearts.
