Book Review: Courageous by Randy Alcorn

Courageous
Randy Alcorn
Tyndale House Publishers
August 1,2011
392 pages
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3/5 Books

From the creators of Fireproof comes an inspiring new story about everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners willingly stand up to the worst the world can 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 farther and farther away from them. Will they be able to find a way to serve and protect those who 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?

About The Author(s):
Randy Alcorn is an author and the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit ministry dedicated to teaching principles of God’s Word and assisting the church in ministering to the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled, and unsupported people around the world. His ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly time, money, possessions and opportunities to invest in need-meeting ministries that count for eternity. He accomplishes this by analyzing, teaching, and applying the biblical truth.

Before starting EPM in 1990, Randy served as a pastor for fourteen years. He holds degrees in theology and biblical studies and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah University and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Randy has written more than forty books, including the bestsellers Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. His books in print exceed five million and have been translated into over thirty languages. Randy has written for many magazines including EPM’s quarterly issues-oriented magazine Eternal Perspectives. He is active daily on Facebook and Twitter, has been a guest on more than 700 radio, television and online programs including Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, Revive Our Hearts, The Bible Answer Man, and The Resurgence.

Randy resides in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife, Nanci. They have two married daughters and are the proud grandparents of five grandchildren. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research, and reading.

Connect With The Author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Review:
After reading, and watching, books and movies like Facing The Giants, and Fireproof, I saw real talent in the Kendrick brothers, and the authors who wrote the novels. So, when I saw that Courageous was out, I jumped at the chance to review it. Sadly, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the messages are strong, the value was great. But, it still fell short.

Four small town Georgia cops are faced with the same thing: commitment. They all have families and love them, but their attention seems more focused on their jobs. When Adam Mitchell, one of those four cops, learns of a tragic accident that his young daughter is in, he learns that there is more to life than being a cop. He finds that life is more fulfilled when being the father, and the husband that he needs to be. As he looks back on his life while his daughter was there, he learns that if he would have just taken a few extra moments……but God always prevails and through Adam’s lessons, he teaches the other officers on the force what it means to turn your life over to God completely, and being the father, and husband he was made to be.

As Adam makes the pack, he learns of more cynical things happening within the force. A father that made the pact with Adam goes against all that he has vowed and learned, leaving behind a young boy who is in desperate need of guidance. But, Adam prevails once again and makes a vow to be there for that young boy. Through all that is happening, Adam Mitchell learns the greatest lesson of all: the power of a Father’s love.

While this wasn’t my favorite novel,it was a good read. I found that it tended to drag on and on. However, the message was still standing strong in the end, and I believe that every man, be they a father or husband, would benefit from reading this novel. The writing style of Randy Alcorn is wonderful and he did a fantastic job at novelizing the Kendrick brothers’ screenplay. A 3 Book worthy novel!