Dads Were Made to Be Courageous: A Review of Courageous (The Novel) by Randy Alcorn

Statistically, involved fathers are integral to the successful upbringing of their children. Yet so many fathers relegate the raising of their children to someone else, even when they live in the same house as their children.

The novelization of the upcoming movie COURAGEOUS by Randy Alcorn is the story of four Albany, Georgia police officers who are very good at their jobs, but not so great at being fathers to their children when they're off the job. Every day they spend cleaning up the streets of gang members and drug dealers. They discover a disturbing trend among the criminals they capture--None of them grew up with an involved father in their lives. Will their children be next?

When a heart-rending tragedy strikes in the life of officer Adam Mitchell, he's left with a heart full of regret about the kind of father he's been, and he begins a desperate search for how to be the best father he can be. The search takes him and his friends on a journey into the heart of God about what it means to really be a father and why it is so vitally important.

I've enjoyed the previous movies created by Sherwood Baptist Church (FACING THE GIANTS, FIREPROOF), but when I heard that Randy Alcorn was writing the novelization of it, I knew it would be a great read. The novel is gut-wrenchingly sad in places, yet so full of hope. It's clearly a Christian story, and it won't appeal much to anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus, but the book is an incredible and challenging call for men who are Christ followers and fathers of children to rise up and be the selfless and loving spiritual leader of their families.

Alcorn does a great job of capturing the story and taking us on a journey through the characters' heads. In true Alcorn style, there's one emotionally charged scene that takes place in heaven where Jesus is King.

I loved the resolution in the story that these men make to be God-honoring fathers, and it spurs me on as a father to my own children. After reading the story, I can't wait for the movie to come out. It will be an incredible source of wisdom and encouragement to fathers, and I'll encourage every Christ following father I know to check it out.

I received this book for free through the Tyndale Blog Network.