A3 to the high note of F5. A rock, pop rock, and soft rock song, "Courageous" features "jangling" guitars and a "muscular" guitar riff. Lyrically, it calls fathers to be better spiritual leaders; the song's bridge quotes the Book of Micah, calling the listener to "live justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God". Critical reception "Courageous" was received positively by music critics. James Christopher Monger of Allmusic selected it as a 'Track pick' and felt it contributed to a strong opening for Come to the Well. Grace S. Aspinwall of CCM Magazine felt "Courageous" was one of the best tracks on the album. Tom Lennie of Cross Rhythms was less positive, calling the song "one of the least melodic tunes on offer on [Come to the Well]. Lindsay Williams of Gospel Music Channel felt the song demonstrated how Matthew West's songwriting on Come to the Well made the album better. Alex "Tincan" Caldwell of Jesus Freak Hideout felt the song was an "apt challenge to men of God in this world who maintain spectator lifestyles and live vicariously through television shows and sports teams" and said the bridge made the song "thought-provoking". Release and chart performance "Courageous" was released as a digital download on July 19, 2011 and to Christian AC, Christian CHR, and Soft AC/Inspirational radio on August 13, 2011. It debuted at number thirty-eight on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart for the chart week of August 27, 2011. It advanced to number eighteen in its second chart week and to number fifteen in its sixth week. In its eight chart week, it jumped from number eleven to number four. In its eleventh chart week, "Courageous" advanced to the number one position, which it held for a total of four consecutive weeks. It dropped to the number two position in its fifteenth chart week but returned to the number one position the following week. In total, "Courageous" spent twenty-seven weeks on the Hot Christian Songs chart. It also peaked at number one on the Christian AC Indicator chart, number two on the Hot Christian AC chart, number three on the Soft AC/Inspirational and Christian CHR charts. It peaked at number four on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which ranks the top twenty-five songs that have not reached the Billboard Hot 100, and at number sixteen on the Heatseekers Songs chart, which measures the