Courageous Teens

by Michael Catt, Amy Parker

Courageous Teens is a student-focused presentation of Courageous Living by Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church and executive producer of the hit film Courageous .

Catt brings fresh insight to “stories of people in the Bible who displayed great courage when it would have been easier to play it safe . . . (who) challenge me to keep moving forward. They demand that I examine my priorities and deal with anything that brings fear to my heart.”
Teen readers will be inspired to resolve to live for God as they learn more about Abraham, Moses, Nehemiah, Ruth, Daniel, and many more.
Best-selling youth market author Amy Parker arranges the heart-stirring material into four Courageous Faith, Courageous Leadership, Courageous Priorities, and Courageous Influence. Discussion questions are also included at the end of each chapter.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2012

About the author

Michael Catt was an American film producer, author, and senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church located in Albany, Georgia from 1989 until his retirement in 2021. He was an executive producer for the 2008 film, Fireproof.

Reviews

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The story is told of a battle where the flag bearer got so far ahead of the regiment that the officer called back to headquarters and asked, "Shall we bring the flag back to the regiment?"

The commanding officer said, "No, make the regiment catch up with the flag!"

Today we need young people with the hearts of warriors; people who will run to catch up with the flag Christ carries ahead of us. People who won't turn back. But the responsibility to mentor those young people falls to me, to my generation. During our Disciple Now weekend in 2012, Tally Wilgis, pastor of one of our church plants in Baltimore, was our greatest speaker. Talley asked the students, "How many of you know for certain that one of your parents has led a person to Christ in the last year?" Out of the 250 students, only 12 stood in agreement.

In a church filled with "Bible-believing" people, it's hard for me to imagine we are that apathetic about sharing our faith. It is a denial of the Great Commission and a bad example for you, our next generation. Faith works or it is not faith. Faith gives evidence by what it does.

Unless the people of my generation take time to equip you, our young people, with spiritual courage, the church is just one generation away from extinction. In this book, I explore the examples of people in the Bible who displayed great courage when playing it safe would have easier. Each section begins with a segment of Joshua's story of courage and throughout we explore other leading examples of courage in the Bible, Esther and Moses, Daniel and Jesus - each story challenges us to keep moving forward. They cause us to examine our priorities and deal with anything that brings fear to our hearts. They call us to have a faith that matches our mountains.

If we can raise up an army of courageous soldiers for Christ, we can once again recapture that adventuresome faith of biblical days and win the world for Christ. It's not too late. We need to step out in faith! We need to be courageous! We need to do it now!" (pg 1-3)

In the book, Courageous Teens by Michael Catt and Amy Parker, the challenge for this next generation is laid out for teens to rise up and become empowered to lead the world in whatever capacity they can to Jesus Christ. Written by the creators of the movie Courageous, each chapter opens with a scene from the movie, and then moves on to a specific Bible passage to reference the chapters contents that lay out how to develop a courageous heart with a passion and call to follow Christ. The chapters close with some thinking questions.

This book would be an incredible resource to use in youth groups, church camps and Bible Study's to enable this next generation to be equipped in what is to be expected, how to develop courage, how to face an unknown future, creating the courage to lead on all levels, how to become a humble hero, how to do what's right when faced with what's wrong, and so many more topics. I am super excited to share this with our youth pastor so he can use it with middle schoolers and high school students to inspire them to be a positive change in the world. There is even a resolution pledge, much like the one listed in the movie Courageous that teens can sign showing their commitment to follow through on what they have learned through this book!

I received this book compliments of Handlebar Central and B & H Publishers for my honest opinion and can't wait to see how this generation can be equipped to carry on the Great Commission with boldness, courage, and all the right tools to be successful in sharing their faith and their personal testimonies. I easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to working within my own family and church to encourage our youth in the right direction when it comes to their faith. I look forward to hearing more stories of just how God will use this resource to help our younger generation prepare for the future.

[Lilian · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The story is told of a battle where the flag bearer got so far ahead of the regiment that he officer called back to headquarters and asked, ‘Shall we bring the flag back to the regiment?’ The commanding officer said, ‘No, make the regiment catch up with the flag!’ Today we need young people with the hearts of warriors; people who will run to catch up with the flag Christ carries ahead of us. People who won’t turn back. But the responsibility to mentor those young people falls to me, to my generation. . . . Unless the people of my generation take the time to equip you, our young people, with spiritual courage, the church is always just one generation away from extinction. … In these pages I explore the examples of people int he Bible who displayed great courage when playing it safe would have been easier. Each section begins with a segment of Joshua’s story of courage and throughout we explore other leading examples of courage in the Bible. Esther and Moses, Daniel and Jesus–each story challenges us to keep moving forward. they cause us to examine our priorities and deal with any thing that brings fear to our hearts. They call us to have a faith that matches our mountains. … I’m praying God will call you to do something great for His name and His glory. It may not make the headlines, but greatness is determined by God, not by man. Most of all, I am praying that you have the courage to answer that call. . . . I hope and pray this book will find its way into the hands of young people who will say, ‘By the grace of God, I will make a difference with my life. I will count the cost, pay the price, stand in the gap, and confront the culture.’”

I was really looking forward to reading Courageous Teens. I'm really working on my relationship with God right now. I'm working from the inside out in myself. I'm especially focusing on leadership, standing out in my Faith, having the courage to be bold, and what I can do to further the Kingdom. So let's just say I was really hoping this book would help me. In some ways, it did. I got a more in-depth look at some Bible characters like Nehemiah, Paul and Timothy, Joshua, and Stephen. I didn't know a whole bunch about some of them. This book also did offer inspiration and continue to fuel my want to be a leader. But, parts of it also disappointed me. I don't want to sound stupid, but there were some parts of the book I just didn't understand. My spiritual and intellectual levels must not be high enough. Some paragraphs left me feeling confused. Maybe in a few years when I read it again I'll understand those paragraphs. But for now, I'm befuddled. Another problem I had is how it's hard to read this book without seeing the movie. I was planning on watching it sometime after it came out, but difficult situations arised and I probably won't watch it for a time now. So I did feel like they could have made it a little more readable for people who haven't seen the movie yet. Overall, I felt like it was a fairly informing read, but not the most interesting one I have read. It may have been a little above my "level" if I have one. I do recommend this book if you are looking for more insight on courageous people in the Bible and on being a courageous teen, but I think this book should be read by older teens or teens with higher intellectual and spiritual levels.

-Lilian-

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best guides for a youth minister. If you want to know why we are failing to reach the next generation of faithful servants in our churches than this book I highly recommend. Michael Catt was a 15 year youth pastor turned pastor and his insights are to the hurtful but true of our faith in America.

[Patricia Kemp Blackmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a take-off from the film Courageous. Written in mind for our Teens. All Teens should have a copy of this book!

From the back cover of Courageous Teens:
You need the courage to stand strong when everything eles is falling apart.
You need the courage to say no when the world entices with diversions.
You need the courage to be a faithful leader of the next generation.

The authors not only use the film Courageous but also the Bible for their resources in writing this book. They have chosen courageous people from the film and from the Bible as roll models for our teens. What better role models than the people God has chosen to lead by example.

This book can be used as a devotional, for inspiration, bible study and group bible study. The question presented throughout the book will peak the teens interest and encourage them to apply what they have learned in their daily walk with God.

Teens are always looking for a hero. There are so many great warriors, leaders and teachers in the bible.
When you think of courageous people and the Bible at the same time who would you choose as a role model?

What is holding you back from being a Courageous role model to our youth?

Scripture:
"DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED. BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS."
JOSHUA 10:25 (HCSB)

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:
I received a free copy of this book from HANDLEBAR-Central and B&H Publishing Group for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my own opinion.

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[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If fear is contagious, the same is true of courage. Fear focuses on the obstacles; courage focuses on the opportunity. Fear sees with eyes of flesh; courage sees with eyes of faith."

There are so many quotes in this book that I feel like I should hang up on the walls in our home. Yes, this book is written for teens, but parents would greatly benefit from reading this book before handing it over to our teens. We are living in a time where we need to stand up; we need to be courageous. This book, using great men from the Bible and spiritual leaders from the not-so-distant past, gives solid examples of how we are to be living our lives for the Lord. It lays down a challenge to our teens and in turn to us to be men and women of courage, to not back down when faced with the troubles, sins of the world.

The book is broken down into 4 different sections:

Courageous Faith
Courageous Leadership
Courageous Priorities
Courageous Influence

Each section begins with a scene from the movie Courageous. That is followed by a scripture passage. The sections are then broken down into chapters. (There are 2 or 3 chapters per section.) Each chapter ends with discussion/reflection questions. The individual sections contain a recap to keep the key concepts from the previous chapters fresh in the readers mind.

The book concludes with a call to be courageous. It has a copy of the resolution from the movie Courageous that each person can copy, sign, and date – when they are ready to make that commitment to God.

Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous. Joshua 10:25

Disclosure: I received a copy of the above mentioned book to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ‘teen’ years are a time in life when one is growing in awareness of your place in the world (or maybe seeking out that place is more like it.) It’s a time when connections are really being made, although there are still times when you still need wise counsel to avoid bad decisions that might have you reasoning something is perfectly logical when you don’t have enough of the picture to really discern what is going on. And, it is a time when you can be so deluged by the world with messages that are in extreme opposition to that of Christ.
This book brings the message to teens that they need to step out of their comfort zone and be bold! They need to live life as Christ calls us to live, even if it is not the ‘popular’ choice. Beyond the actual chapters to read, there are also questions for discussion and/or reflection at the end of each chapter. Within the chapters, you will find examples of Biblical heroes, those imperfect people chosen by God to do extraordinary things once they made the choice to live courageously.

If you enjoyed the film or at least the film’s message and have a teenager in your life, I’d definitely recommend checking out this title. At around 160 pages, it packs a lot of punch in a short number of pages.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the creators of Fireproof and Courageous: The Movie comes a great companion or standalone book to share with your teen, read yourself or share at Sunday School.

To be courageous, you must learn to trust God. This is something that I have learned over the years and something that I inspire in my kids. Do they trust my knowledge? Not all the time, but eventually they come back to acknowledging my wisdom. Not in all things, but most things that I learned the hard way.

You have to put your faith in Him, you have to let Him lead the way and have the courage to follow Him. It's a big leap of faith but sometimes, that's all you have besides hope. Courageous Teens not only talks about that, but it also shows the similarities with different people in the Bible, with what they went through compared to how it can affect your life today. I found this to be a very uplifting book that really spoke to me and hope that many teens find the courage to be strong and put their trust in God.

Very easy to read with questions at the end of each chapter and section recaps that would be really good to use in a classroom style or youth group setting.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3NNE0XY...
Review on my blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...

Courageous Teens was a good non-fiction book that I enjoyed reading. I loved all of the quotes from the movie, Courageous - for most of them I could picture the scene. That was probably my favorite part of this book.

I agreed with some things Courageous Teens said, but other things I wasn't so sure about, personally. At times, I got slightly bored when reading this book, but that may have just been with me.

Courageous Teens was a good encourager to be more courageous in your life (no matter your age) and I am glad I took the time to read it. If this book sounds like something for you, then you should definitely read it. I liked it.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

[Jody Reads Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be a wonderful group bible study for teens and/or tweens. Mr. Catt gives teens a challenge to make a difference, be good at
it, and overcome any challenge, become stronger in their faith. Catt gives them examples from the Bible of what and the how to do the challenges.

I am glad that I was given the opportunity to read and review Courageous Teens. I almost passed on it, and I am so glad that I did not. I respect the idea that Catt talks with these teens with maturity and respect for their thoughts and feelings. I enjoyed going through each challenge in the book i.e.: Courageous Faith, Courageous Leadership, Courageous Priorities, and Courageous Influence, I needed to read this book and apply allot of the content to my own life. I believe this book could benefit adults as well as teens. I felt the challenges made me stronger in my faith and taught me that we can all own our feelings, and have the right to feel the way we do.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the message of the movie Courageous did for fathers everywhere, Courageous Teens could do for our youth. Courageous Teens is about empowering and encouraging our youth in their faith and living out that faith courageously.

Each chapter begins with a clip of dialog from the movie Courageous and scripture about the men and women in the Bible that God used in great ways. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter to help facilitate conversations. This book would be a fantastic study for youth in small groups, a mentoring study, or an individual study.