“Courageous”, a Movie Review

On October 6 I had the opportunity to go see Courageous in theaters with the men of Magnolia Bible Church.  This was a movie that I have been greatly looking forward to seeing, that being said, I was not disappointed!

            Courageous is the newest production of Sherwood Baptist Church out of Albany, GA.  These are the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof (Oh no they brought an end to the filming of movies that start with the letter F!). All jokes aside, there is no doubt that Sherwood Baptist Church has done something remarkable by not running from Hollywood, but infiltrating, showing courage even before the filming of this movie.  For those of you who think it isn’t a big deal, I just want to help you realize that this was the fourth largest grossing film on opening weekend, and its actors aren’t asking for 10 million dollars plus each.

            Prior to going into seeing the movie, I had been warned by a few friends that it was a movie that would make me cry.  What most of these friends didn’t realize is that I had taken the opportunity to peruse through the novelization of the screen play written by Randy Alcorn a few weeks back, so I thought I knew what I was getting into.  Again, I want to reiterate that I thought I knew what I was getting into.

            Watching the film, even with a group of guys, didn’t stop the shedding of tears, and the hearty laughter that came out of me.  There is no doubt that Courageous is one movie that will definitely send you on an emotional roller coaster.  Yet it was more than just an emotional roller coaster, it was a call, a challenge, for change.  The question is; who will hear? 

            With all I can muster I would encourage all men to go see this movie.  We all know that it is time for us to rise to the challenge and lead our families in their relationship with God.  Are you willing? If you can see it with other men in your Church go.  Take your families, even with the PG-13 rating this is a movie I would be comfortable taking my young children to.   After you have seen the movie, go to your local Christian Bookstore, or on-line, and get your men to participate in the Courageous Bible Study.  A four week study, that is well worth the work.

"Average Joe" - A good book to encourage the average Joe with the extraordinary calling of God for your life.

“Average Joe” by Troy Meeder

“What is happening to my life? Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question? As young boys, we dreamed of being pilots, firefighters, doctors, and cowboys. Now we’re older, with a wonderful wife and kids, as well as a mortgage, a minivan…” This is the back cover of Mr. Meeder’s new book, “Average Joe God’s Extraordinary Calling to Ordinary Men.”

As an “Average Joe” myself I started reading this short book without much expectation, however I was quickly surprised with the very practical and timely book on how God views ordinary men. This is a short book with only 148 pages of very easily read material. This book also includes an eight session study guide that helps one begin to dig deeper into the topics addressed.

In “Average Joe” Troy Meeder carefully weaves personal stories of himself, family, or friends, in the different chapters, and then weaves in the history of Biblical characters as well. Each chapter is then topped off with some practical questions, or insights into the different topics he discusses.

One of the strengths of this book was the fact that Troy didn’t hold back the punches, and was very personal in the book sharing his own struggles and victories through Christ. For someone who has never heard of Troy Meeder before, this book was an introduction to a man who I would love to get to know, and the kind of guy most of us would love to have as a friend.

Another strength of this book was that Christ was the primary focus of almost every chapter. The only chapter that I didn’t feel this was the case on was Chapter 6, however, all in all Troy focused indeed on Christ, and had a great statement where he said, “I beg you please don’t waste your time reading this or any other book if it is replacing time in the Book.” I think when an author is willing to put the focus where it belongs the book rises in worth and value.

I gladly rank this book a 5. I think any man who reads this book would greatly benefit from the wisdom imparted through the stories, and the applications that Troy shares. This would be a great book for Men ministries, or even for a couple of guys to go through together.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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 Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”