Courageous: Honor Begins At Home

On September 30th, the highly anticipated movie by the creators of Facing the Giants and Fireproof will be released.  I had the amazing opportunity by Tyndale House Publishers to review the book Courageous.  Yes, you heard me right, the book.  Randy Alcorn took the screenplay for Courageous written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick and wrote a novel telling the story of four law enforcement officers seeking to make a God honoring, lifelong impact on their children through their role as fathers.

Randy Alcorn's website can be found HERE and his blog can be found HERE.

Here's the synopsis from Tyndale's website:

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua
24:15
Four men, one calling: To serve and protect.
As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners are confident and focused. They are willingly to stand up to the worst the streets have to offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.
While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.
They know that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, but their children are beginning to drift further and further away from them. Will they be able to find a way to serve and protect those that are most dear to them?
When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God … and to their children?
Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforcement officers. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That takes courage."

I have never before read a book before seeing the movie portrayal of the story.  But based on the amazing story found within the pages of this book, I can't imagine being disappointed on September 30th!  The book includes subplots, characters and backstory that will not be seen in the movie.  Mr. Alcorn explains some of the reasoning for this in the interview below.  The interview is approximately 20 minutes long, but very interesting if you have the time:

Alcorn moves the story along, but it is an amazing ride.  He captures well the typical humor and raw emotion that we have become accustomed to with the stories from Sherwood Pictures.

What I appreciated most about the book is Alcorn's careful attention to making much of Christ and the clear message that any good in us comes from Him while at the same time encouraging the personal responsibility of making self sacrificing decisions for the glory of God.  You will see this in the conversations between one of the more seasoned sheriff's deputies and his younger rookie partner.  The older deputy is portrayed in the very first chapter of the book and through his courageous action in the very beginning, he earns the ability to be able to speak into his partner's life.

You can read the first chapter by going HERE.

The book releases in August, while the movie doesn't release until September 30th.  Whether you read the book before or after seeing the move, DO BOTH!  You will not regret having this story in print!  There are discussion questions included at the end of the book.  This would be an amazing resource for a mentoring relationship or for use with a small group of men meeting together for discipleship.

Grab this book and see Micah 6:8 played out on the streets of Albany, Georgia!

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Courageous can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com by following the link below:














Blessings,
Jennifer