2012

Discussion Guide: Courageous

Movie Dates:
Name:
May 25, 2012 (Friday) &
June 2, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 8.00 p.m.
Venue: FGA Sanctuary

Contribution of Family Life Counseling Working Team

(Lillian Dorai, Janice Tan, Paul Thomas, Marcio Batista, Sew Yin Yin,
Benny Mun, Angela Lian, Michelle Eng & Yeo Pei Li)

Compiled by Yeo Pei Li

Yeo Pei LI
Source:
Family Life Counseling Unit
Adapted from Study by Russ Breimeier, Christianity Today film critic
and editor of NoisyWhisper.com. 1/1/2012

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 Reflection
Do you believe things are getting better or worse in the world today? Why?

INTRODUCTION
Leading our families at home in a God-honoring way takes courage.
Courageous Project includes a 4-session discussion to help strengthen families,
especially fathers.

Goal of Courageous Project

Parents, especially fathers, to be courageous in leading their families at home
in a God-honoring way.

Focus of Courageous Project

The Courageous discussion focus on the following areas:
1. Demonstrating Priorities
- Focusing on eternal things rather than what is temporary
2. Demonstrating Responsibility:
- Serving, protecting, and casting a vision for the family
3. Demonstrating Legacy:
- Recognizing a father’s potential impact as a godly role model
4. Demonstrating Faith
- Increasing in wisdom and strengthening a father’s identity in Christ

Suggested Discussion schedule

Discussion Before the Movie (Optional)
- Show the promotional video
You may download from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY1oQMY9nv0
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/44717838/Courageous_Promo_FL-HF.wmv
- Discuss about the top 10 facts about fathering

Discussion After the Movie (HF Level)

Week 1 (June 1): Demonstrating Priorities
Week 2 (June 8): Demonstrating Responsibilities
Week 3 (June 15): Demonstrating Legacy
Week 4 (June 22): Demonstrating Faith

Corporate Commitment After the Movie

Week 5 (July 1): Making the ‘I Will!’ Resolution (Church level)

Note: Please note that the dates are subject to change.

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 FACILITATING vs TEACHING
What is the difference between facilitating and teaching?

WHAT IS FACILITATION?

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 What is NOT facilitation?
- Being the expert - Getting bogged down
- Providing answers - Losing control
- Dominating discussion - Getting sidetracked
- Making judgment

Facilitation
- Is the process of enabling groups to work cooperatively and
effectively.
- Gives opportunities for members to share, listen, make decisions, and
to take responsibility.
- Is to bring out and focus on the wisdom of the group, often as the
group creates something new or solves a problem (Hogan, 2002).

Roles of Facilitator
- Setting the scene
- Defining boundaries
- Establishing common purpose
- Clarifying objectives
- Moving group through conflict
- Remaining impartial

The facilitator’s PRIMARY role is to manage the process of a group and

NOT to add content.

Qualities of a Good Facilitator

- Trust in others and their capacities
- Good listening skills
- Respect the opinion of others (not imposing ideas)
- Create a safe atmosphere for sharing
- Able to sense the group’s mood at any given time and be flexible to
adjust the program accordingly.
- Ability to balance between being directive and non-directive, and to
know when each stance is needed at different points during the
discussion.

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 Six points to remember when facilitating
1. Help members see the bigger picture or vision.
2. Resist temptation to teach.
3. Resist temptation to answer all the questions.
4. Resist temptation to convince. Use questions to get them thinking.
5. Find your own words and examples
6. Make the discussion flow.

Final word
As a facilitator, your only objective is to have a discussion. You are not trying
to preach Courageous, but to have members reflect about the issues and
discover their own “AHA!” moment.

Summary
Teacher Facilitator

Content expert; Guides process

Presents information
Provides the Provides the
right answer right question

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 Summary of the Courageous Movie component
“Courageous” is an independent Christian drama film produced by
Sherwood Pictures and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is
the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the
Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010. The
film was marketed by Provident Films, which also marketed their previous
films.

The film was directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote its screenplay with
his brother Stephen Kendrick. Kendrick also stars in the film, along with Ken
Bevel, Kevin Downes, and former running-back Tony Stallings. About half of the
cast and crew were volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church, while the
remainders were brought on through invitation-only auditions.

Synopsis
Honor Begins at Home
Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement
officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are
confident and focused. 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. 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?

Plot
As the police force of Albany, Georgia, attempts to stop drug smuggling
in the city, the sheriff urges his deputies to spend time with their families
based on statistics that fatherless children are several times more likely than
those with fathers to turn to lives of crime. Among his deputies are Adam
Mitchell (Alex Kendrick), Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel), Shane Fuller (Kevin
Downes), and rookie David Thomson (Ben Davies). Mitchell adores his young
daughter, but is distanced from his teenage son. Hayes never knew his
biological father but would risk his life to save his children; however, his
teenage daughter Jade (Taylor Hutcherson), resents him because of the strict
rules that he has set for her dating life. Fuller is divorced, as were his parents
before him, and must share joint custody of his son. The group also befriends
Javier Martinez (Robert Amaya), an immigrant struggling to provide for his
family, and Mitchell arranges a job for him.

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 One day, Mitchell's daughter is killed by a drunk driver, devastating
Mitchell and his family. After extensive research into the Bible over the next six
weeks, Mitchell creates an elaborate "Resolution" to honor God in every
aspect of his family; Mitchell, Hayes, Fuller, Thomson, and Martinez take the
vow in a formal ceremony by Hayes's adoptive father. Mitchell rebuilds a
relationship with his son and attains catharsis by slowly dancing at a site where
he had previously refused to dance with his daughter. Hayes mends his
relationship with his daughter and presents her with a purity ring that she is to
wear until marriage; he also visits the grave of his biological father. Fuller
improves his relationship with his son. Thomson, who is revealed to have
fathered a child in college and deserted the child after the mother's refusal to
have an abortion, contacts the mother at her trailer home and asks to have a
relationship with his daughter. Meanwhile, Martinez's factory employer offers
him a promotion on the condition that he report a false inventory count of
incoming crates. After Martinez refuses to be dishonest, his boss reveals that
the request was a test of Martinez's integrity. Martinez is promoted and his
financial problems are resolved.

Mitchell and Hayes discover that Fuller has been stealing drugs from the
evidence room at the police station to sell on the street. Mitchell is forced to
report the corruption, leading to Fuller's arrest and separating Fuller from his
son. Mitchell later visits Fuller in jail, where Fuller takes responsibility for his
actions and begs Mitchell to act as a father figure to his son.

Hayes and Thomson, on a minor traffic stop, unknowingly confront the

leader of the drug ring they have been eradicating, resulting in a roadside gun
battle. As the gang attempts to take a young girl hostage, Mitchell and other
officers arrive as additional support. As the girl's father rescues her, Mitchell,
Hayes, and Thomson subdue the gang members. One of the gang members is
Derrick Freeman (David Howze), a teenager who Hayes had earlier prohibited
from dating his daughter; Derrick attributes his decisions to his lack of a family.

At a Father's Day church service, the men present the resolution and
Mitchell urges the fathers in the congregation to influence their families for
God. Mitchell is shown running in a 5K race with his son and Fuller's son. Hayes
is shown reading the Bible with an imprisoned Derrick. Thomson is shown
meeting his daughter for the first time. The film ends with a portion of Joshua
24:15: "Choose today who you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord."

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 Main Casts

Alex Kendrick Renee Jewell Rusty Martin Jr.

(Adam Mitchell) (Victoria Mitchell) (Dylan Mitchell)

Ken Bevel Eleanor Brown Kevin Downes

(Nathan Hayes) (Kayla Hayes) (Shane Fuller)

Robert Amaya Angelita Nelson Ben Davies

(Javier Martinez) (Carmen Martinez) (David Thomson)

Others
 Taylor Hutcherson as Jade Hayes
 Lauren Etchells as Emily Mitchell
 David Howze as Derrick Freeman
 Tony 'T.C.' Stallings as T.J.
 Ed Litton as Pastor Rogers

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 Pre Session 1: Setting the Stage
(Optional for pre-movie promotion and/or discussion)

Though Courageous is a film that focuses on the lives of four policemen, there
is a lot that will ring true to anyone who views it. Questions concerning the
need for morality and ethics in our everyday lives relate to all of us, no matter
what our professional or home life may look like.

1. Do you believe things are getting better or worse in the world today? Give
examples for your worldview. Read Romans 8:19–21 and consider whether
or not the passage supports your perspective.

2. More specifically, what do you think about parenting today? Is there a

correlation between broken homes and crime?
(See Handout 1: Top Ten Facts on Fathering)

3. Do you believe there are less good fathers around today than in previous
generations? Why is good parenting fundamental to our society? What
does God expect of a good father (or mother)?

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Handout 1: TOP TEN FACTS ON FATHERING

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 Week 1: Demonstrating Priorities
(Matthew 18:3; Colossians 3:13; Proverbs 3:11-12

Opening Discussion
Which movie character did you most identify with? Why?

Discussion (Optional)
A father is unwilling to run with his son and dance with his daughter. A young
man is unwilling to support his girlfriend and their daughter. Another man
decides to finally put his abusive past behind him by forgiving his father for
past sins. It’s often been said that the first step on the road to recovery is
admitting you have a problem. For many of us, including Adam, David, and
Nathan in Courageous, that problem is buried beneath our pride—our
reluctance to admit that we’re wrong. One of the key traits of being a good
father demonstrated in the film is a willingness to humble ourselves and reset
our priorities to come alongside our children in their times of need.

1. Why do you believe Adam was unwilling to get out of the car and dance
with his daughter out in the open? What about his unwillingness to run
with his son?

Has there been a time when you were similarly unwilling to do a seemingly
simple act for a loved one? What stopped you?

2. Do you think Adam had a different relationship with his daughter than with
his son? How do we treat our sons and daughters differently?

3. Considering what happened to his daughter, what does this story element
have to say about using the time we’ve been given by God?

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4. Read Matthew 18:3. What does Jesus mean by this? What is he saying to
us about our pride and the need to love others?

5. How does Adam ultimately humble himself and bring closure to his regret?
How does that humility spill into other areas of his life for the better?

6. Now consider David’s situation as a deadbeat husband and father. What’s

holding him back from doing the right thing? How does accepting Christ
affect his attitude and outlook?

7. Why does Nathan visit his father’s grave? Read Colossians 3:13.

Why is it important for Nathan to forgive his father at this point, especially
since his father has long since passed away? How does forgiving his father
not only bring closure to his life but also affect his morals and enable him
to model Christ-like behavior to his family?

Deepening Discussion
8. Priorities shape our family dynamics and our relationship with God. How
did changing priorities impact families in the movie?

9. What are your top 5 priorities as a family? Do you think all the member of
the family agrees with it?

10.What areas need to shift for your family to honor God more?

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 Week 2: Demonstrating Responsibilities
(1 Timothy 5:8; James 1:27; 1 Corinthians 13:11; 1 John 1:8–9)

Opening Discussion
What is courage? (See 2 Tim 1: 7-8)

What are you currently being asked to do that requires courage (for you)?

Discussion (Optional)
Once fathers are humble enough to take on their role and reprioritize their
time, it is important to follow through by taking responsibility. In the film,
Javier is willing to do whatever it takes to make ends meet for his family
(though not at the cost of his integrity). After accepting Christ, David reaches
out to his estranged girlfriend and daughter to be more active in their lives.
Even Shane must accept responsibility for his actions, serving time in prison
and explaining to his family that he was wrong. If we’re to be called fathers
(parents), we need to accept the responsibility that comes with the part.

1. What do you believe it means to accept responsibility as a parent and

spouse? What are some of the actions that come with that?

2. Describe Javier’s relationship with his wife and kids. Has he taken
responsibility for them despite his unemployment?

3. How does this contrast with David’s relationship with his “wife” and child?

4. Read 1 Timothy 5:8 and James 1:27. Why does Paul say that not providing
for family is the same as denying the faith?

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 How do these verses explain David’s letter to his girlfriend and daughter?

How do they also explain why he first needed to accept Christ into his life?

5. Recall the scene where the men ask each other when they first considered
themselves “a man.” Then read 1 Corinthians 13:11. What does this
passage say about embracing the responsibility of becoming a man,
husband, and father?

6. What about Shane? Does he initially show responsibility as a father by his

actions at work? Why not?

Read 1 John 1:8–9. How does Shane eventually accept responsibility as a

spouse and parent?

Deepening Discussion
7. What about your own life? Have you taken full responsibility for the roles
in which God has placed you? Why or why not?

8. How could taking responsibilities and acting with courage help any of your
relationships?

9. How could being responsible and courageous help you fulfill your church
callings better?

10.How do we help each other be courageous?

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 Week 3: Demonstrating Legacy
(Ephesians 6:4; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Joshua 24:15)

Opening Discussion
Adversity can pull a family apart or bring them together. Discuss an example of
this in the movie.

Discussion (Optional)
Much of the last hour of Courageous shows the men responding to trials and
temptations in their lives. Javier is asked to turn a blind eye at work in return
for a promotion. Adam must consider reporting a friend’s indiscretions at
work. Nathan risks upsetting his daughter by forbidding her to date a local
teen involved with gangs. No one said integrity would be easy!

1. Ignoring how Javier’s situation was resolved, what would you have done in
his shoes? Would you have agreed to alter the inventory? Or would you
have said no based on principle?

2. What about Adam’s dilemma in reporting Shane to his superiors? Would

you risk a friendship to do what’s right? Why not deal with the situation
privately, between you and the friend doing wrong? Why was Adam’s
handling of the matter the right way?

3. Was Nathan within his rights as a father to determine who his daughter
should date? Or should she “decide for herself” as suggested by the boy in
question?

Read Ephesians 6:4. How was Nathan wise to offer his daughter an
alternative rather than to simply put his foot down and say “no”?

4. Read 1 Chronicles 29:17. Why does God allow dilemmas such as those
described above to enter our lives?

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5. Read Joshua 24:15.What does it mean to serve the Lord? Why is this verse
such a perfect choice for the men’s resolutions?

6. Why is integrity important to our role as spouse and parent? How does
courage work with integrity? How does taking responsibility reflect
integrity?

Deepening Discussion
7. How has adversity affected your family?

8. What are 2 things you can do now to position your family to support and
encourage each other through adversity?

As you are supporting others, who do you go to for support?

What kind of support would you like to get from this group/person?

9. The characters in the movie demonstrated a spectrum of values. [i.e.

integrity, dishonesty, greed, selflessness, etc.] Some were good. Some were
harmful. Talk about some specific examples from the movie.

10.What values currently define your family? (Optional: See Handout 2 - Short
list of 50 values)

How do they align with God’s values articulated in the Bible?

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 HANDOUT 2: SHORTLIST OF 50 VALUES
Put a tick  on the values that resonate within you.

 Accountability – mutually accountable to a consciously chose set of values.

 Achievement/Success – recognition from other for what you have done.
 Actualization/Success – realizing one’s full potential, an emotionally and
physically integrated.
 Administration/Management – exercising executive functions in an institution
 Art/Beauty – as enjoyed for its own sake
 Autonomy – to be independent and personally in control of one’s life
 Belonging (Liked) – to be regarded with favor by a group of significant others
 Care/Nurture – to care and nurture others as they grow and to expect the same
 Community/Simplicity – enriching and empowering relationships that exist
within a group who are intensely committed to one another
 Community/Support– seeking to have the whole greater than the sum parts
 Contemplation – mediative reflection that leads to intimacy and harmony
 Control/Duty - exercise of strong morale restraint to fulfill obligations
 Convivial technology – technology that improves society and that is
technologically sound.
 Corporate mission – designing of organizations that enrich persons within them
and that are beneficial to society
 Detachment – detachment from worldly issues to enrich the quality of one’s life
 Dignity/justice – commitment to providing every person with honor, respect and
worth
 Education – formal study / training to gain a recognized qualification
 Empathy/Generosity – reflecting on another’s feelings, thoughts and attitudes
with positive regard and acceptance.
 Equality – liberated for action through seeing oneself as having the same worth
as others
 Expressiveness/Freedom – able to express oneself fully and freely
 Family/Belonging – physical and emotional connectedness with parents and
children or their substitutes
 Health, well-being – health of mind and body that flows from meeting one’s
physical and emotional needs
 Insight – intuitive understanding of an underlying truth about the nature of one’s
internal and external realities
 Institution – concern for and devotion to a particular institution which is
committed to the provision of a particular product or service
 Intimacy – deep mutual sharing with another on a regular basis

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 Law/Duty – legal and moral obligation to follow rules of an institution
 Law/Guide – laws not as absolute rule, but as a basis for rational decision making
 New order – the goal of creating new organizational forms that develop and
dignify persons
 Patriotism/loyalty – faithful loyalty to an institution
 Personal authority – confidence in the right to have one’s thoughts, feelings,
words and actions respected
 Play – non dutiful, undirected engagement in fantasy, pleasure and amusement
 Property/Economics – accumulation of material goods for security or power
 Research/Knowledge – gaining of knowledge for its own sake
 Rights/World order – commitment to improving the lot of people throughout the
globe
 Safety/Survival – avoiding the risk of personal injury or loss of order to survive
 Search – personal search to find one’s place in the scheme of things
 Security – interest in one’s physical comfort and protection
 Self-preservation – protecting oneself from physical harm
 Self-worth – knowing that when other people know me they will think well of me
 Sensory pleasure – experiencing physical pleasure through senses
 Service – motivation to make a contribution to others through one’s unique skills
and abilities
 Social prestige – display of hallmarks of reputation, influence, achievement, rank
or success
 Tradition – ritualization of beliefs, legend and customs so as to preserve their
meanings
 Transcendence/Ecority – motivation stemming from an ecological awareness, to
maintain beauty and harmony in the natural order through convivial technology
 Wisdom – knowledge of what is true and right combined with just judgment as to
appropriate action
 Wonder/Awe – overwhelming feelings of reverence, admiration and fear about
the natural order
 Word/Prophet – writing or lecturing to raise the consciousness of people to the
human condition
 Word/Confidence – self-assurance about one’s skills and abilities to perform
one’s work productively
 Workmanship/Technology – the art or skill of producing quality work through
the use of tools
 Worship –reverence for a belief in God that is expressed through a commitment
to the doctrines and teachings of the religious belief

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 Week 4: Demonstrating Faith
(1 Peter 4:12–14)

Opening Discussion
Read the ‘I Will’ Resolution (Handout 3). What is your opinion about the
statements listed? Do you think it’s realistic and achievable? Why?

Discussion (Optional)
As Courageous draws to a close, some viewers may feel compelled to stand
with others in the final church scene, ready to sign a resolution of their own to
become a more effective spouse and parent. You might consider drawing up
an original document with your own personal promises.

1. Aside from humility, grace, and integrity, what are some of the traits of
fatherhood championed in this movie?

2. Are there other traits this movie leaves out? Is there one you believe to be
more important than all others?

3. Do you believe the challenges the fathers faced played out realistically?
What if Javier had lost his job due to his honesty? Or what if Shane’s family
responded to Adam with anger and blame?

Read 1 Peter 4:12–14. Does God promise believers an easy path in

following his will?

4. How has seeing Courageous affected your view of parenting? Would you
consider drawing up a resolution similar to the one depicted in the movie?
If not, what changes would you make?

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5. Consider all that the Bible has to say on fatherhood, setting priorities,
accept responsibilities, and leaving a legacy. How important is good
parenting to God? Are God’s expectations easy? Are they doable? What
can you do to be a better spouse and/or parent?

Deepening Discussion
6. What do you like about the Courageous discussion?

7. What are some areas of improvement for the discussion?

8. What are the two major learnings you gain from this discussion?

9. What do you like to see happen proceeding from here?

10.Read each statement from the ‘I Will! Resolution again. Identify what does
each statement demonstrates - Priorities, Responsibilities, Legacy, and
Faith.

Are you ready to make a courageous commitment to demonstrate

Priorities, Responsibilities, Legacy and Faith? If yes, what do you think are
the benefits for making this commitment? If no, what are your concerns?

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 HANDOUT 3
’I WILL!’ Resolution

I DO solemnly resolves 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.

………………………………………………
Signed by:
Date:

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