Christian Growth

Faith Church Baptisms - Summer 2012

September/13/2012 09:20 AM

"Courageous" Movie Review

October/01/2011 10:28 AM

I will admit it. We are a movie junkie household. Deanna, my youngest, loves to watch television. If I let her, she would play videos until the DVD player broke. Cindy, my wife, loves watching movies. My family loves movies so much that last Christmas I caved into the family pressure and we bought them a big screen HD television. It is not just our family that enjoys a good movie but movies and television are a big part of our culture. There is one big problem with all this entertainment on the big screen. It is hard to find something edifying to watch.
Many families settle by watching the least offensive media.

My friends, your search for a good movie is over. Last night I took my family to see “Courageous,” the new movie by Alex and Stephen Kendrick. It was simply topnotch entertainment. Like a good movie should, it had us laughing, crying and on the edge of our seats all the way to the end. David, my high school sophomore, was surprised. He thought it would be boring. Instead, he loved it. It was filled with great action scenes, heroes and villains. He wants to get his friends together and bring them to see it tonight, less than 24 hours after seeing it the first time.

The Kendrick brothers are not just using film to entertain but, as solid Christians, the film has great spiritual value. To begin with, the gospel is clearly presented in a relevant way. Beyond the gospel, the film repeatedly applies the Bible to life. Such as how to overcome the loss of a child and how do I maintain my integrity when the pressure is pulling me to fall.

Beyond the cinematic and spiritual excellence, another aspect of the film I appreciated was its multi-cultural emphasis. The heroes of the film are White, Black and Hispanic. They come from the middle-class and the poor. This was a wise choice by the Kendrick brothers. A “white-boy” only film is not realistic to modern America and, I believe, it commits the sin of partiality and would minimize the films audience.

The main thrust of the film is a challenge for men to be the spiritual leaders of their homes and churches. It gives all men a serious, but necessary, kick-in-the-seat-of-the-pants from the first scene until the last. It was well done. Men won’t be offended but they will be challenged to excellence.

From my study of spiritual revivals, they always begin when men repenting of their sin and begin taking spiritual responsibility for their homes and churches. "Courageous," is a wakeup call for the men of our culture to take responsibility for the leadership in these areas.

One big element in the movie is the resolution the men make before God, their families and one another. It is a resolution for the men to be the spiritual leaders God created them to be. I wish they gave you a copy of the resolution when they walked out of the movie. Unfortunately, they didn’t. It isn’t even found on the official “Courageous” movie web site.

I did a little research and found it for you. Men, print the PDF version off and think through it. Get together with some friends and adopt it.

THE RESOLUTION
I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.
I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.
I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.
I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly.
I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.
I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.
I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.
I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.
I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.
I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.
I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15

There are many excellent ways to take a next step from the movie as God calls you to respond. The Courageous Movie Web Site has numerous resources. If you are into reading, Randy Alcorn wrote a book from the movie. I am confident it will be an excellent read.

Courageous is a “Must See” movie. I recommend it for families and children of all ages. If you are a teenager that thinks you are too cool for a Christian film, think again. This movie is one you not only will like, but one you must see.

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Get a Plan to Read the Bible

November/29/2010 11:07 AM

Do you have a plan to read the Bible? God's Word is powerful and will change your life. Here are a few reading plans to get started:

30 Days of Reading the Bible for a new Christian.
Read the Bible in a Year by Genre (Genre means literature type.)
180 Day Guided Tour of the Bible. This guide designed by Discipleship Journal is a great overview of the Bible in half a year.
Reading the Old Testament and New Testament each day.
Reading the Bible Straight Through.
Zondervan's Collection of Different Bible Reading Plans
ESVOnline Bible - This on-line web site lets you add your own notes, book marks and gives you a variety of ways to read through the Scriptures. If you are into reading the Bible online, this site is my favorite.

My all-time favorite Bible reading plan is The Daily Bible. This is the NIV text put into chronological order so it reads like a story. It is broken into 365 sections, one for each day. It also has brief comments in the text to help explain difficult Scripture. I encourage you to order this from Amazon. You will be richly blessed.

Tags: Bible Study

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Motivated by Greatness - Ben Peterson

November/24/2010 01:31 PM

Ben Peterson forwarded me an article he wrote for Thanksgiving. I found it inspiring for our family and read it to my sons to encourage them in wrestling and life. Read More...

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Is God Sovereign Over Death?

August/09/2010 11:19 AM

This past weekend, I preached on God’s sovereignty in the face of death and tragedy. While it is hard to comprehend how God is good, yet sovereign over the tragic deaths of those we love, the Bible tells us both are true. To help us in our thinking, below is a section of a paper I wrote in response to Open Theism, the belief that God lacks sovereignty over all situations.

Read More...

Tags: Sovereignty, Open Theism