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Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Heidelberg Catechism
Starr Meade enables families with school-age children to participate in satisfying devotions together by taking them through The Heidelberg Catechism explaining its answers in short devotional readings accompanied by relevant Bible passages
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2013
48 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Starr Meade
32 books10 followersStarr Meade served as director of children’s ministries for ten years at her local church and taught Latin and Bible for eight years in a Christian school. She is a graduate of Arizona College of the Bible and has authored a number of books, including Training Hearts, Teaching Minds. Starr and her husband live in Arizona where she currently teaches home school students and is mother to three grown children and three grandsons.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 24, 2013
Recently there has been a resurgence, especially within Reformed circles, to revive the evangelical churches attention to utilizing catechisms for discipling believers at church and at home. This is a wholesome emphasis that will only bear good fruit for generations to come. Catechisms have a way of narrowing down the essence of a particular belief in a way that is conducive to memorization. They provide the church with a helpful teaching tool regarding the truths of Scripture.
Starr Meade is well known for her solidly biblical and theological books for children such as Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption and God’s Mighty Acts in Creation and Salvation. Her first book, Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism, wonderfully introduced Christians to how catechisms can be used not just in the church setting but also for family devotions in the home.
Thirteen years later Starr has made her second devotional book with a catechism based on the Heidelberg Catechism, Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Heidelberg Catechism published by P&R. If you are familiar with Training Hearts, Teaching Minds then this book follows the same pattern.
The entire Heidelberg Catechism is separated into 52 weeks of devotional material in which one or more questions and answers are dealt with over a five day period. Each chapter begins with the questions and answers to be covered for the week. No doubt, it will be beneficial to review these each day before reading through the daily discussion and accompanying biblical text. This will also aid in memorizing the catechism should you decide to do that. Depending on the age of your children and your daily schedule, some families might find it hard to get five days a week in for devotions. I know it is for us sometimes. So, don’t let the 52 week structure be a prison. Though it would naturally work better if you can complete the weeks questions and accompanying discussions in during a week but if not don’t feel guilty. Take two weeks if necessary. This is a guide and you will not be graded for finishing in more than 52 weeks!
Since the book is designed for family devotions each days reading is geared towards making sure the entire family can benefit from the discussion. Naturally, the youngest children might have a harder time understanding some concepts or words but in time they will grow in their understanding. This also gives the parents a great opportunity to teach their children some of the more difficult parts of Scripture and the language of the faith, as I like to call it. There are some concepts that are harder to understand than others and taking two days to cover them might be more beneficial.
Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds is a welcome addition to any families’ library of devotional books. It will help families and Christians renew an appreciation for catechisms. Though the language of the catechism itself is dated at times, Meade does a great job bringing truths of these old time tested teaching tools to bear on our lives. Though this book will find it way more into Reformed homes, I highly recommend it for all families.
Starr Meade is well known for her solidly biblical and theological books for children such as Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption and God’s Mighty Acts in Creation and Salvation. Her first book, Training Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism, wonderfully introduced Christians to how catechisms can be used not just in the church setting but also for family devotions in the home.
Thirteen years later Starr has made her second devotional book with a catechism based on the Heidelberg Catechism, Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds: Family Devotions Based on the Heidelberg Catechism published by P&R. If you are familiar with Training Hearts, Teaching Minds then this book follows the same pattern.
The entire Heidelberg Catechism is separated into 52 weeks of devotional material in which one or more questions and answers are dealt with over a five day period. Each chapter begins with the questions and answers to be covered for the week. No doubt, it will be beneficial to review these each day before reading through the daily discussion and accompanying biblical text. This will also aid in memorizing the catechism should you decide to do that. Depending on the age of your children and your daily schedule, some families might find it hard to get five days a week in for devotions. I know it is for us sometimes. So, don’t let the 52 week structure be a prison. Though it would naturally work better if you can complete the weeks questions and accompanying discussions in during a week but if not don’t feel guilty. Take two weeks if necessary. This is a guide and you will not be graded for finishing in more than 52 weeks!
Since the book is designed for family devotions each days reading is geared towards making sure the entire family can benefit from the discussion. Naturally, the youngest children might have a harder time understanding some concepts or words but in time they will grow in their understanding. This also gives the parents a great opportunity to teach their children some of the more difficult parts of Scripture and the language of the faith, as I like to call it. There are some concepts that are harder to understand than others and taking two days to cover them might be more beneficial.
Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds is a welcome addition to any families’ library of devotional books. It will help families and Christians renew an appreciation for catechisms. Though the language of the catechism itself is dated at times, Meade does a great job bringing truths of these old time tested teaching tools to bear on our lives. Though this book will find it way more into Reformed homes, I highly recommend it for all families.
December 7, 2022
Good for family use. Occasional thoughts that are helpful for application in sermon prep.
September 15, 2013
was first introduced to Star Meade by a pastor who was encouraging me to engage my family in some strange activity called "family worship". Apparently, some families would sit together nightly, or multiple times a week, and pray together, sing together, read scripture together and even study something called a "catechism" together. Huh?!? Seemed weird to me, but I became convinced that there could be something to what he was saying. So I picked up a copy of Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade and we began to blaze our path down the Family Worship trail. It turned out that, while a great resource, my boys were just a bit too young for Training Hearts, Teaching Minds. We settled on the modified catechism for the kids and used a great story Bible (The Jesus Storybook Bible) to begin our journey.
That was a couple of years ago and I was incredibly excited when I found out that Starr Meade would be releasing another book along the same lines, but this time utilizing the Heidelberg Catechism. I cannot overstate how much I love the Heidelberg Catechism. If I had to pick one book outside of Scripture to have as my only book, I would pick the Heidelberg Catechism without hesitation. (I might pick Ursinus' Commentary on the Heidelberg, since it includes the Heidelberg...but that is probably cheating.)
Since my kids are older and we have a more established, if still sporadic, family worship schedule, I decided that we would give this new book from Meade a try for family worship.(A decision to own a copy was never made...making a decision seems to imply the possibility of an alternate outcome, and there was never a chance that we wouldn't possess a copy of this book!)
My family loves it. My children enjoy the short devotions with the questions and are in love with catechism-based learning. My wife loves it. As do I. Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds has become a staple in our family worship routine and I cannot thank Starr Meade enough for putting together some great, clear, Biblical devotions to accompany The Heidelberg Catechism, already itself a gift to the Church. This book should be read and enjoyed by families all over the world.
And it is not just for parents and children. The devotions are not prepared simply for a 6 year old to grasp it all. This is not lowest common denominator writing. New believer and seasoned believers, 6 year olds and 96 year olds, kids, teens, adults...everyone can enjoy and benefit from this book. Case in point, it was my mom's birthday a couple of weeks ago. What did we give her? Without hesitation I said, "I want to give her a copy of Comforting Hearts." Why? Because it is a great book that really makes accessible to everyone a catechism that many are unfamiliar with or who may simply be turned off or confused by the term "catechism".("Heidelberg" as well, for that matter)
Two concerns to consider. The Scriptures in the devotions are very short. If using this for personal devotions, or family devotions even, I would consider supplementing with some of the Scripture proofs from the catechism. Those are not included in the book, and I am not sure why. It seems like it would be beneficial, and I would have enjoyed the convenience of having those in Comforting Hearts, especially for those I give the book to who may not have the ability or desire to seek out the Scripture proofs outside of the book on their own. And I do wish that this book would be made available as an ebook. I would love to have it on my phone or tablet to take with me everywhere I go.
*Nevermind...I do not know if it was recently published or not, but there is an ebook version available!! Even more reason to get this book!
Get this book. Get some extra ones to bless others with. You will not be disappointed. At all!!
That was a couple of years ago and I was incredibly excited when I found out that Starr Meade would be releasing another book along the same lines, but this time utilizing the Heidelberg Catechism. I cannot overstate how much I love the Heidelberg Catechism. If I had to pick one book outside of Scripture to have as my only book, I would pick the Heidelberg Catechism without hesitation. (I might pick Ursinus' Commentary on the Heidelberg, since it includes the Heidelberg...but that is probably cheating.)
Since my kids are older and we have a more established, if still sporadic, family worship schedule, I decided that we would give this new book from Meade a try for family worship.(A decision to own a copy was never made...making a decision seems to imply the possibility of an alternate outcome, and there was never a chance that we wouldn't possess a copy of this book!)
My family loves it. My children enjoy the short devotions with the questions and are in love with catechism-based learning. My wife loves it. As do I. Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds has become a staple in our family worship routine and I cannot thank Starr Meade enough for putting together some great, clear, Biblical devotions to accompany The Heidelberg Catechism, already itself a gift to the Church. This book should be read and enjoyed by families all over the world.
And it is not just for parents and children. The devotions are not prepared simply for a 6 year old to grasp it all. This is not lowest common denominator writing. New believer and seasoned believers, 6 year olds and 96 year olds, kids, teens, adults...everyone can enjoy and benefit from this book. Case in point, it was my mom's birthday a couple of weeks ago. What did we give her? Without hesitation I said, "I want to give her a copy of Comforting Hearts." Why? Because it is a great book that really makes accessible to everyone a catechism that many are unfamiliar with or who may simply be turned off or confused by the term "catechism".("Heidelberg" as well, for that matter)
Two concerns to consider. The Scriptures in the devotions are very short. If using this for personal devotions, or family devotions even, I would consider supplementing with some of the Scripture proofs from the catechism. Those are not included in the book, and I am not sure why. It seems like it would be beneficial, and I would have enjoyed the convenience of having those in Comforting Hearts, especially for those I give the book to who may not have the ability or desire to seek out the Scripture proofs outside of the book on their own. And I do wish that this book would be made available as an ebook. I would love to have it on my phone or tablet to take with me everywhere I go.
*Nevermind...I do not know if it was recently published or not, but there is an ebook version available!! Even more reason to get this book!
Get this book. Get some extra ones to bless others with. You will not be disappointed. At all!!
May 9, 2023
This is an excellent devotional for families or individuals on the Heidelberg. It is a little longer than a year, if you do it one week at a time, because she sometimes spends more than one week on a "Lord's Day" of the Heidelberg, but it is close to a year-long devotional.
She does a great job explaining concepts, keeping things simple, bringing in Scripture, and expounding on the teaching of the Heidelberg. It is a great resource.
She does a great job explaining concepts, keeping things simple, bringing in Scripture, and expounding on the teaching of the Heidelberg. It is a great resource.
August 9, 2013
I wasn’t sure what to expect when requesting Meade’s Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds. I had heard a lot of good things about her other books and obviously P&R is solid. Needless to stay I was blown away by this devotional. This is a book I will frequently return to as my children grow up and one I will use with my wife regularly.
First, Meade addresses the refrain that catechizing is hard work.
Does memorizing a catechism require hard work? does discussing it thoroughly take time and discipline? of course. Will working through catechisms always be fun? Will your children—or you for that matter— always feel like doing it? of course not. Olympic athletes don’t always feel like training either. but they know the reward it might bring. even though that reward is perishable and uncertain, the athletes believe it to be of great enough value to make all their sacrifice and training well worth it. of how much more value is it to train our children to stand strong in the face of life’s greatest demands? (9)
As a new-comer to catechisms, I frequently struggle with consistently teaching my children. My parents were converts from Roman Catholicism and were skeptical of the word “catechism.” We had family devotions growing up, but not a methodical and consistently biblical rich one. Catechism like the Heidelberg (HC) provide this. If the prize is knowing Christ, the toil of catechizing is worth the effort.
I also see this book helping two kinds of people. First, for people who have interacted those in reformed churches who seem smug, who seem like they have all the answers, and who seem dry--this book will show that it’s a result of their sinful heart and not a result of the catechisms used. You can’t read through the HC and meditate on the biblical rich devotionals Starr writes missing that these catechisms are alive and practical and tethered to Scripture.
Second, for people like myself who didn’t grow up in reformed churches and are not familiar with the HC, Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds will remove some of its mystique and our fear. I know I look at the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the HC and feel overwhelmed. That’s a lot of questions and answers. Could you really learn all of those? And would it really be beneficial? Starr demonstrates just how beneficial they can be. Someone who breathes the gospel air of the catechisms will learn to live and die well in Christ. That’s something many recent devotionals and Sunday school materials are missing. They talk a lot about living, but little of how to die well. That’s something you are confronted with in question one of the Heidelberg Catechism.
The beauty too of the HC is that immediately it knocks you off balance. Anyone approaching these catechisms with a bent towards fear of failure and fear of acceptance by God is immediately assured:
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because i belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
There’s no anxiety learning and studying these catechism because we “belong--body and soul, in life and death--” to Jesus Christ. We do not learn because we need God’s acceptance. We study because he’s transformed us and makes us willing and ready to live for him. Amen.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds free from P&R Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Originally reviewed at www.graceforsinners.com
First, Meade addresses the refrain that catechizing is hard work.
Does memorizing a catechism require hard work? does discussing it thoroughly take time and discipline? of course. Will working through catechisms always be fun? Will your children—or you for that matter— always feel like doing it? of course not. Olympic athletes don’t always feel like training either. but they know the reward it might bring. even though that reward is perishable and uncertain, the athletes believe it to be of great enough value to make all their sacrifice and training well worth it. of how much more value is it to train our children to stand strong in the face of life’s greatest demands? (9)
As a new-comer to catechisms, I frequently struggle with consistently teaching my children. My parents were converts from Roman Catholicism and were skeptical of the word “catechism.” We had family devotions growing up, but not a methodical and consistently biblical rich one. Catechism like the Heidelberg (HC) provide this. If the prize is knowing Christ, the toil of catechizing is worth the effort.
I also see this book helping two kinds of people. First, for people who have interacted those in reformed churches who seem smug, who seem like they have all the answers, and who seem dry--this book will show that it’s a result of their sinful heart and not a result of the catechisms used. You can’t read through the HC and meditate on the biblical rich devotionals Starr writes missing that these catechisms are alive and practical and tethered to Scripture.
Second, for people like myself who didn’t grow up in reformed churches and are not familiar with the HC, Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds will remove some of its mystique and our fear. I know I look at the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the HC and feel overwhelmed. That’s a lot of questions and answers. Could you really learn all of those? And would it really be beneficial? Starr demonstrates just how beneficial they can be. Someone who breathes the gospel air of the catechisms will learn to live and die well in Christ. That’s something many recent devotionals and Sunday school materials are missing. They talk a lot about living, but little of how to die well. That’s something you are confronted with in question one of the Heidelberg Catechism.
The beauty too of the HC is that immediately it knocks you off balance. Anyone approaching these catechisms with a bent towards fear of failure and fear of acceptance by God is immediately assured:
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because i belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.
There’s no anxiety learning and studying these catechism because we “belong--body and soul, in life and death--” to Jesus Christ. We do not learn because we need God’s acceptance. We study because he’s transformed us and makes us willing and ready to live for him. Amen.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds free from P&R Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Originally reviewed at www.graceforsinners.com
August 4, 2013
One of the biggest problems in the church is a lack of knowledge. The Bible says that God's people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. There is an old saying that "ignorance is bliss". That is true more times than not. If there is a lack of knowledge, people's beliefs are driven by peer pressure, emotion, and the like. Our belief system should come from the Bible. If we are ignorant of it's contents, we are just guessing at truth.
Meade helps us learn from The Heidelberg Catechism what the Bible teaches in a variety of subjects. If you have never heard of a catechism, it is like an easy to understand Systematic Theology. It was written to be memorized. It takes the form of questions and answers.
Compared to other catechisms, the Heidelberg Catechism is very warm and personable. Most questions ask what has happened to you personally.
This book is geared toward Children and teens, but would also be of great benefit to adults. When it comes to Bible knowledge, most adults are just as unprepared as children. This book would also be a great family time study. It is set up in 52 sections for a year long study.
It takes us through every major doctrine in the Bible. It ends with the ten commandments.
I wished my parents had a tool like this available when I was a child.
I highly recommend it and give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from P&R Publishing Company and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Meade helps us learn from The Heidelberg Catechism what the Bible teaches in a variety of subjects. If you have never heard of a catechism, it is like an easy to understand Systematic Theology. It was written to be memorized. It takes the form of questions and answers.
Compared to other catechisms, the Heidelberg Catechism is very warm and personable. Most questions ask what has happened to you personally.
This book is geared toward Children and teens, but would also be of great benefit to adults. When it comes to Bible knowledge, most adults are just as unprepared as children. This book would also be a great family time study. It is set up in 52 sections for a year long study.
It takes us through every major doctrine in the Bible. It ends with the ten commandments.
I wished my parents had a tool like this available when I was a child.
I highly recommend it and give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book, free of charge, from P&R Publishing Company and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2015
This book provides the guidance needed for consistent family devotions. The Lord's Day questions are broken down into daily, bite-size segments that are small enough to keep the attention of younger children, but meaty enough to engage older children and adults. The only thing that I would change is the updating of the language from the Heidelberg Catechism; we prefer the original.
If you're looking for a devotional resource to use with your whole family, Starr Meade has written an excellent book that will keep your family in the word of God.
If you're looking for a devotional resource to use with your whole family, Starr Meade has written an excellent book that will keep your family in the word of God.
May 14, 2016
I highly recommend this book for all ages. Not only is it excellent for family worship with children, but it works as a reminder of the basics, or as a great start for someone wanting to do their toes into the deep pool of theology. Each catechism question is explained in short daily reads with a handful of passages to look at. I plan on cycling this back into my daily devotions pretty soon just as a foundation refresher.
January 11, 2015
I have only read half of this book. I hope to return to it soon. I am enjoying learning about the Heidelberg Catechism.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews