Entering The Crucible
A 40-day Christ centered formation challenge for men who are tired of carrying life alone.
February 23, 2026 thru April 3, 2026
Self Reliance Became Weight
You learned to rely on yourself because it worked. It kept things moving. It earned trust. But over time, that strength became strain. The load you’ve been carrying was never meant to sit on your shoulders alone.
Capable. Faithful. Exhausted.
A lot of men live here. You love your family. You want to honor God. You keep showing up. But inside, you’re running on effort and managing outcomes. You’re not failing. You’re depleted.
God Doesn’t Orbit Your Life
God is not an assistant or an emergency contact. From the beginning, His invitation has been simple: walk with Me not ahead. Not alone. The Crucible is where you stop gripping for control and learn to live in step with Him.
Who The Crucible Is For
The Crucible is for:
- Men who feel spiritually dull or distracted
- Men carrying pressure, responsibility, and quiet fatigue
- Men ready for commitment, honesty, and brotherhood
The Crucible is not for:
- Men looking for a quick fix
- Men unwilling to be known by other men
- Men who want inspiration without obedience
The 40-Day Devotion Path
Creation → Fall → Promise → Redemption → Restoration
In The Crucible, you will walk the Gospel story daily until it becomes your story again. You’ll move through God’s unified narrative from the goodness of creation, through the fracture of the fall, into the rescue accomplished in Jesus, and toward the restoration God is bringing to completion. Over 40 days, your smaller scripts get exposed and replaced as you learn to see your life inside God’s story and live from your identity in Christ.
The Daily Rhythm
The Crucible is built around a simple, repeatable rhythm that fits a busy man’s life. Each day, you’ll meet with God through His Word, remain with Him in silence, practice embodied obedience, and stay connected to your brothers. This isn’t about intensity. It’s about showing up daily and letting the Gospel form you over time.
Listen or read in a quiet space with your phone on Airplane Mode. Each day includes an opening prayer, scene setter, Scripture, reflection, and a closing prayer designed to walk you through God’s story and anchor your identity in Christ.
Silent Prayer (15 minutes)
After the devotional, sit in silence for fifteen minutes. No journaling. No talking. Just presence with God. When your mind drifts, return to the bolded Scripture phrase from the day and begin again.
Commitment to daily Discipline
You’ll commit to the prescribed disciplines for the full 40 days. If you need to modify or substitute a discipline, you’ll work that out with your Team. Consistency matters more than intensity. The goal is obedience, not performance.
Brotherhood Check In
Each day you’ll check in with your Team with a word or short phrase. You’ll encourage one another, stay visible, and keep walking when you’d normally disappear. You are not doing this alone and your perseverance strengthens the group.
The Weekly Rhythm
The Crucible isn’t meant to be a grind. Each week includes a steady structure that keeps you anchored in prayer, trains your appetites, and protects rest. These rhythms are simple by design so you can live them consistently in real life with real responsibilities.
Wednesday: FORGE Prayer (Optional)
Every Wednesday night at 9:30pm EST, FORGE TRIBE hosts a call for men to gather in prayer. Join in if you want to lock arms with brothers across the world and seek God together.
Friday: 24 Hour Fast
From Thursday dinner to Friday dinner, you’ll fast from food (water only, black coffee if needed). The purpose isn’t punishment it’s surrender. Fasting realigns appetite, exposes what you reach for, and retrains your body toward dependence on God. If health requires a modification, discuss it with your Fire Team.
Sunday: Sabbath Adjustment
On Sundays, one discipline of your choice is intentionally relaxed. This is not indulgence it’s Sabbath. Rest teaches you that you are not God, that the world will keep turning without your control, and that joy is part of formation. Don’t skip your daughter’s birthday cake or date night with your spouse to “win” the challenge. The Crucible is about ceasing your striving and finding joy in Christ.
One Weekly Fire Pit (With Your Team)
Once a week, your Team meets face to face or on video for a Fire Pit. You’ll pray, open Scripture, speak honestly, and encourage one another toward obedience. Keep it simple, keep it moving, stay gospel centered. This is where isolation breaks and brotherhood becomes real.
About The Disciplines
The Crucible is not comfortable but it’s necessary and worth it.
It’s not an aesthetic program. It’s not a self-help tool. It’s an intentional, daily sacrifice of ease designed to help men hear from God clearly. For some, it’s a time to reconnect with Him. For others, it may be the first time they ever have. Either way, the point is to draw near and be changed. For 40 days, we cut off the noise, deny our bodies and our senses their usual control, and rebuild spiritual focus through silence and stillness, discipline and brotherhood. This is formation through commitment not hype.
1) The Holy Hour (Every Day)
One hour set apart. Phone on Airplane Mode. Earbuds in. Quiet room. No multitasking. No performing. Just showing up.
- Devotional (15 minutes): Read or listen with full attention.
Each day includes: Opening Prayer, Scene Setter, Scripture, Reflection, Psalm, Closing Prayer. - Silent Prayer (15 minutes): Sit still and say nothing.
No journaling, no talking, just presence. When your mind drifts, return to the bolded Scripture phrase from the day. - Free Prayer (30 minutes): Bring what’s real to the Father.
Pray, meditate on scripture, or remain in silence. Journaling is recommended, not required to track what God is surfacing, where you’re resisting, and what He’s inviting you into.
2) No Hot Showers (40 Days)
This is voluntary discomfort with a purpose: train the body & mind that they are not in charge. Every cold shower is a reminder: “I don’t obey my cravings.”
3) No Entertainment Media (40 Days)
No social media. No TV entertainment. No video games. No internet for fun. No unnecessary phone use. No music except worship or instrumental.
Only use media when it applies to work.
We are not “cutting back.” We are cutting off the noise so men can regain clarity, attention, and presence.
4) Bodily Disciplines (40 Days)
Only 3 meals a day, no snacking, no sweets or sweet drinks, no alcohol, a minimum of 6 hours of sleep, exercise at least 3 days a week.
Snacking is rarely about hunger. It is often about boredom and coping. Instead of immediately soothing yourself, you learn to pause, pray, and wait. Over time, appetite stops dictating your behavior.
5) Weekly 24 Hour Fast (Once per week)
From Thursday dinner to Friday dinner.
One day a week, hunger becomes the bell that calls you back to God: humility, prayer, dependence, and strength.
*A note on fasting: The Crucible is built with the idea that you will fast from food for 24 hours each Friday. However, there are some health conditions that may require modifying this discipline. Perhaps you only fasting from one meal instead, or perhaps you need to make some other modifications as necessary. You do not need to jeopardize your health. The point isn’t in how long you fast, but in the meaning behind it. Discuss how you will participate in this discipline with your Team.
6) Brotherhood
Daily check-ins and a weekly meeting.
Each day you check in briefly with your brothers using a word or short phrase. This discipline prevents disappearance. It keeps men visible when shame or fatigue would normally drive them underground. Small faithfulness builds long-term endurance.
Gear and Setup
You don’t need much to begin. Keep it simple and make it easy to show up every day.
- Bible (paper or digital)
- Skool mobile app (to access the daily journey and community)
- Headphones (for focused devotional listening)
- Team text thread (daily check ins and quick coordination)
- Video platform for weekly meetings (Zoom, FaceTime, Google Meet, etc.)
What You Get Inside The Crucible
The Crucible is built to give you a clear path and the support to stay in it. No hype. Just a steady formation experience that helps you follow Jesus with clarity, discipline, and brotherhood.
- Daily guided formation content inside the Skool app with Scripture, prompts, and prayer
- A clear rule of life for 40 days so you know exactly what to do each day and each week
- Brotherhood that keeps you visible through daily Fire Team check ins and shared commitment
- Weekly Fire Pit structure and prompts to help your group meet simply, honestly, and gospel centered
- A path into long term formation through The Foundry, where men keep walking after the 40 days are done
Frequently Asked Questions about The Crucible
What makes The Crucible different from a devotional?
The Crucible is not just daily reading. It is a guided formation challenge built around a daily rhythm of Scripture, silence, embodied obedience, and brotherhood. The goal is not information intake. It is letting the Gospel reshape your identity and habits over 40 days.
How much time per day does it take?
Most men spend about an hour a day on the core practices:
- 15 minutes listen to devotional
- 15 minutes silent prayer
- 15 minutes journal
- 15 minutes team check-in
Then you live the disciplines throughout the day and do a brief Team check in.
What if I travel or have family commitments?
You can still do The Crucible. This is formation for real life, not an escape from it. Keep the daily rhythm, communicate with your Fire Team, and adjust with wisdom. Don’t skip your daughter’s birthday cake or date night with your spouse to “win” the challenge. Sabbath and love of neighbor are part of obedience.
Do I have to fast for 24 hours?
The weekly fast is the standard rhythm (Thursday dinner to Friday dinner), but we do not jeopardize health. If you need to modify the fast due to medical or other reasons, you’ll work that out with your Team. The point is surrender, not suffering.
What is a Fire Team and how do I join one?
A Fire Team is a small band of 3 to 5 men you walk with for the full 40 days. You’ll check in daily and meet weekly for a Fire Pit conversation. After you join The Crucible, you’ll get instructions to join an open Fire Team or start one with men you know.
Can I do this alone?
You can access the daily content on your own, but brotherhood is core. Men don’t drift because they lack information they drift because they’re alone. The Crucible is designed to be lived with other men who help you stay honest, steady, and committed.
What platform is it hosted on?
The Crucible is hosted on Skool and is fully mobile friendly through the Skool app. Join here.
What happens after the 40 days?
The Crucible is the on ramp. After the 40 days, men are invited into The Foundry. The long term formation path of FORGE where brotherhood and discipleship continue as a way of life.