Prepare Him Room (Matthew Barrett)

Marty Machowski. Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus—Family Devotional. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2014.

Each year I keep my eye out for a book that I can use to lead my family through advent. This year I found Marty Machowski’s little family devotional to be very helpful. The book is really great if you have little kids. Each chapter begins with an activity for the kids, is then followed by a Scripture reading, many times from the OT, that in some way highlights the person and work of Christ, and ends with a song to sing together. Each chapter also has a more extensive family activity if you are really ambitious. The activities are creative and spark the imagination of the children. In between each week’s advent readings is an ongoing story about an orphanage called Bartimaeus House. The story builds around the theme of adoption in order to show the significance of adoption into God’s family through Christ. My kids enjoyed the story and it gave me an opportunity to explain what adoption means.

Well, I recommend this book for your family. It is easy to navigate and put into practice if you are struggling to think through how you might lead your family through Advent.

You should also note that there is an edition of the book that comes with a CD with music by performed by Bob Kauflin and Sovereign Grace.

Here is a short video explaining the book:
 

Here are some commendations for the book:

“Prepare Him Room is one of the best resources I’ve seen to counter the commercialism, materialism, and sentimentalism that our culture serves up each Christmas. Through Scripture, creative stories, crafts, songs, prayers, and activities, families will be able to reflect on Christ’s birth and the gospel with wonder, gratefulness, and joy. It was a privilege to collaborate with Marty on this project, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
–Bob Kauflin, Director of Sovereign Grace Music

If you want to be purposeful about making this December more Christ-centered for your children, then look carefully at this little book. Marty Machowski provides the ideas, the plans, and the details: all you have to do is follow his lead. He will help your family have a more gospel-filled Christmas season.

–Donald S. Whitney, Professor of Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY; author of Family Worship: In the Bible, in History, and in Your Home

Prepare Him Room is a tool to help families focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. Tying together the whole Christmas story from the prophecies concerning Jesus; to his birth, death, and resurrection; culminating in the return of Jesus, Marty Machowski challenges families to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

–Sally Michael, Cofounder of Children Desiring God; author

Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University, as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. Barrett is also Senior Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church. He is the author and editor of several books, including Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration. Two forthcoming books include, Owen on the Christian Life and God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture. You can read about Barrett’s other publications at matthewmbarrett.com.