The Story behind A Good Confession:
We knew we had a problem when a congregational survey revealed to pastoral staff that significant numbers of Oak Mountain PCA’s flock were not spending daily time with the Lord on a consistent basis. We needed a plan, and we needed one fast.
A devotional was selected, full participation was encouraged, and before long the numbers told the story—the members of our congregation reporting time spent in daily devotion to God increased so significantly that Discipleship Pastor Greg Poole and staff were already on the hunt for which devotional to use the following year. Three years into the practice, OMPC decided to bring the creation of our devotional in house, and from there A Good Confession was born.
This devotional:
- Provides a platform for common experience for congregants of all ages, stages, and commitment levels to unite in one daily corporate practice
- Uses the Shorter Catechism as the backbone, inviting participants to worship God with both head and heart
- Utilizes quotes from pastors, thinkers, philosophers, and artists—ancient and contemporary—to show the relevance of Scripture and the Catechism through the ages and in all types of circumstances
- Urges us to take courage and stay the course through the God-stories of the contributors
Oak Mountain and CDM want to invite all churches, inside the PCA and beyond, to consider whether a church-wide devotional could have a similar impact on your personal or congregation-wide devotional life.
|
Binding: paperback | Chapters: 52 | Page Count: 416 |
|
A Good Confession, Daily Reflections on the Westminster Shorter Catechism gives individual readers, families, small groups, and even congregations the opportunity to study and ponder the rich truths stated in fifty-two of the questions and answers of the catechism. Each week’s pages include a story relatable to readers and to which the truth is applicable. Daily scripture passages to study are provided along with thought-provoking quotes from a variety of sources to solidify the truths in readers’ minds. Readers also are given a small part of a scripture passage to memorize each day as part of their reflection and an encouragement to hide the Word in their hearts.
Would you consider joining us in 2020 as an individual, small group, or church body?
Those from Reformed circles are sometimes critiqued for being “brains on a stick,” making faith all about head knowledge and insulating hearts from the warm embrace of the gospel. That’s just one reason to celebrate this devotional founded on the core standards of our faith that unites deep understanding of doctrinal essentials with profound reflections on the personal implications of those truths.
I’m thankful for Pastor Bob Flayhart and his team at Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church for providing this devotional on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The shorter catechism ought to be more widely used and appreciated than it is in our circles, and this tool aims to make it accessible for use in personal and family settings by supplying accompanying memory verses, Scripture readings, stories, and short reflections. In addition, preachers and teachers may benefit from reading the personal stories included. There is good material for sermon/lesson illustrations to be gleaned from them.
For me, two trustworthy and well-anchored voices merge together in this volume. The first is The Westminster Shorter Catechism, the abbreviated, memorable version of the rich, historic Confession by the same name, which so many of us lean upon as a theological compass. The second voice is that of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church, led by my good friend Bob Flayhart. This combination of voices results in a refreshing dance between two essentials that must undergird every mention of the person and work of Jesus Christ, namely, grace and truth. Take this resource up, use it, and by all means share it. Both you and your faith community will be much the richer if you do.
A big thank you to Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church for utilizing the framework of the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the gifts of their own congregation to give us A Good Confession. This devotional plan will be a great adventure for individuals, families, and churches who want to pass the richness and relevance of the Reformed faith to the next generation. I plan to give a copy to our children and grand- children so we can journey through it together.
