Wise Up: Ten-Minute Family Devotions in Proverbs by Marty Machowski

About Wise Up

Every parent wants to see their children make good choices, grow in wisdom, and learn how to live a God-honoring life. But Christian parents know that teaching good morals isn’t enough. Kids (and adults) need gospel power in order to “wise up!” Wise Up, the newest family devotional from best-selling children’s author and family pastor, Marty Machowski,will help make learning the truths of Proverbs fun and memorable for first- to sixth-grade kids as it points them to the true wisdom that is only found in Christ.

Wise Up offers families an easy-to-use, gospel-focused resource that can be successfully completed in just ten minutes a day, five days per week. Each session features Bible reading, discussion questions, a fun activity, and a song to make the study memorable for everyone in the family. In twelve short weeks, you can walk your entire family through the book of Proverbs, keeping them focused on the gospel the whole time.

Unlike some other kids resources on Proverbs, Wise Up is not a study on good morals. Machowski examines Proverbs from a biblical-theological perspective—avoiding the dangers of moralism while still teaching gospel-motivated good choices. Each wisdom theme in Wise Up is carefully and repeatedly connected to the good news of Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and coming return. Ultimately, the goal of this family devotional is to present the wisdom of Solomon against the backdrop of the gospel to show children that real wisdom comes only as we depend on Jesus for daily help and forgiveness. As a result, Wise Up moves families beyond the practical wisdom of Proverbs, to connect the teaching of Solomon to God’s larger story of salvation.

Endorsements

Marty Machowski has delivered yet another faithful, clear, and accessible book for parents and families. Wise Up is a compelling resource that winsomely communicates the wisdom of Proverbs to a modern generation, while also showing how Proverbs fits within the biblical storyline that culminates in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This book is a helpful tool for any parent who treasures the spiritual lives of their children and wants to nourish them in the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

In Wise Up, Marty Machowski has given parents a thoughtful, creative, compelling, gospel-centered resource to train their kids in biblical wisdom and Christ-exalting living. Marty’s love for his readers and the Savior are obvious throughout, and I was overjoyed that Sovereign Grace Music could partner with New Growth Press for this project. If you’re a parent looking for help with family devotions, this is a gold mine.
Bob Kauflin, Director of Sovereign Grace Music

About the Author

Author Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for more than twenty years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the gospel-centered children's ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Marty Machowski is passionate about teaching the gospel to children through family Bible study time as well as kids Sunday school, so he writes for both audiences. He explains, "As parents and children's ministry workers, we must make sure that every child in our care knows the gospel of Jesus Christ and where they stand in relationship to the gospel." His kids Bible materials, The Gospel Story for Kids products, are designed to do just that.

Marty Machowski, who studied Industrial Design in college, learned to combine the creativity of art with the discipline of mechanical engineering. He reflects on how his background specifically prepared him for his current ministry as an author. "Thinking up the hundreds of object lessons for the Gospel Story for Kids curriculum used problem solving creativity I learned as an industrial designer. It was exciting and challenging to create fun games and object lessons for kids which communicated the biblical concepts of the weekly lessons."