A 'Courageous' Movie

I have never used this space to endorse any kind of political agenda or product, and don't intend to start doing so now. However, I would like to recommend a movie.

Let me be the first to say that I am no Siskel or Ebert. I did review a Queen album for my high school newspaper, but that was a long, long time ago, and I pray that no copies still exist of that review.

I will also admit that I'm certainly no expert on movies. I could count on one hand the number of times I've been to a movie in the last five years that wasn't at the dollar theater. I am not a big fan of most of what comes out of Hollywood, and would have a hard time identifying half of the hot-list of actors and actresses.

Still, I do enjoy a good flick when I see it, especially when it has a compelling story line. My wife and I had the privilege of seeing such a movie a few months back, when we joined a couple of hundred other pastors for a screening of the movie Courageous. Unless you've been hiding under a rock and haven't seen all the promotion, you probably know that the movie opens in theaters across the country today, including in our area.

If you've seen Fireproof,or Facing the Giants, or evenFlywheel, you know the background of these movies. They are produced by Sherwood Pictures, which is an extension of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. They are often a little cheesy, and even predictable, because they don't shrink away from their agenda of presenting family-friendly entertainment with a message. And that message centers, without apology, on the difference-making impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Each of the Sherwood movies has improved over the previous one in production values and acting, and I believe the script-writing has gotten better too. It is my opinion that Courageousis Sherwood's best movie yet.

On the one hand, I would strongly recommend that you go see this movie, and others like it (including the soon-to-be-released October Baby, which was co-written and sound-engineered by Theresa and Stephen Preston from our own Shelby Crossings family)--if only to send a message to the movie industry that family-friendly films are worth producing. It's easy to complain about what's gone wrong with our culture, and blame Hollywood for their influence, but money talks, and when we do come across something that reflects our values one of the best ways we can make a statement is with our wallets. So, go buy some tickets, enjoy the movie, and help send Hollywood a message.

On the other hand, I would strongly recommend this movie simply because it is a good film, and worth watching. It's entertaining--you'll laugh, you'll cry--and it communicates a powerful message, especially to men who are fathers. Yes, it's over-the-top with its message but this is no ordinary good-enough-for-a-Christian-movie production. It's surely better than most of the options you could see at a theater tonight.

I'll say this one last thing. The movie Fireproofwas used by God as an instrument to see literally thousands of people won to Christ and countless marriages restored. I believe Courageouswill be used as a catalyst to restore a sense of Biblical manhood and fatherhood to this generation. I hope you'll give it a chance to make that kind of impact on your family.

That's my $.02. I do hope you get a chance to seeCourageoussoon, and that you are blessed by it. I'm praying for you and look forward to seeing you Sunday.

--Pastor Ken

]]