Beginning The Ascent
A 40-day journey through the Sermon on the Mount. For men who want to hear the words of Jesus and live them together.
September 14, 2026 thru October 23, 2026
You’ve Heard It All Before
Blessed are the meek. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies. The Sermon on the Mount is so familiar it has become background noise. And what is most familiar is what we stop paying attention to.
Information Isn’t Formation
Sermons, podcasts, devotionals, books, clips, and quotes are everywhere. Most Christian men do not lack access to information. But information alone does not form a man.
Sand or Rock
A man can hear the words of Jesus, agree with them, even admire them and still build his life on sand. Jesus does not bless the man who merely hears His words. He blesses the man who hears and does. (Matthew 7:24–27)
Build Your Fire Team
Sign up free, name your team, and invite 2–4 men you already know. The Ascent begins September 14.
The Ascent is better with brothers.
You haven’t invited anyone yet. Even one man you trust changes the whole climb. Sign up solo for now?
You took point. Invites are on the way.
Now send the text — personal beats inbox, every time. Copy the link and put it in their hands:
Link copied.
Who The Ascent Is For
The Ascent is for:
- Men who know the words of Jesus but want to actually live them
- Men tired of admiring Christ from a safe distance
- Men ready for commitment, honesty, and brotherhood
The Ascent is not for:
- Men looking for a quick fix
- Men who want inspiration without obedience
- Men unwilling to be known by other men
The 40-Day Devotion Path
The Good Life → The Heart → Hidden Righteousness →
Kingdom Treasure → The Two Foundations
For 40 days, you will move slowly through Matthew 5–7 from the Beatitudes’ upside-down picture of the good life, through Jesus’ searching work on anger, lust, truth-telling, and love for enemies, into hidden righteousness in giving, prayer, and fasting, then treasure, money, and anxiety. All the way to the question the entire sermon builds toward: will you hear these words and do them?
The goal is not merely to know what Jesus taught. The goal is to become the kind of man Jesus describes.
The Daily Rhythm
Read. Pray. Reflect. Practice.
Each day is built around a Holy Hour, one protected hour to sit under the words of Jesus. Scripture and devotional reading. Ten to fifteen minutes of silent prayer, with no music, no phone, no multitasking. Honest journaling: not what sounds spiritual, but rather, what is true. Then a closing prayer.
The goal is not to finish the content. The goal is to sit under the words of Jesus. Then stay visible to your brothers in your fire team.
The Weekly Rhythm
The Ascent is not meant to be a grind. Each week adds three anchors to the daily climb: a Sabbath to rest, worship, and receive; a Fire Pit gathering with your team; and one Doing the Work challenge that puts that week’s teaching into practice.
• Week 1 — Practice Mercy. One concrete act of mercy for someone
who cannot repay you.
• Week 2 — Repair Your Witness. Make right one place where your
life has not matched your faith.
• Week 3 — Make Peace. One faithful step toward reconciliation,
truth, or forgiveness.
• Week 4 — Give in Secret. Meet a need without being known. Let the Father see.
• Week 5 — Seek First With Your Money. Cancel one unnecessary purchase and give that money away.
• Week 6 — Draft Your Rule of Life. Leave with a simple plan for
obedience, shared with your team.
This is not extra homework. This is the work.
About The Disciplines
Five disciplines stay constant for all 40 days: the Holy Hour, Scripture and devotional, silent prayer, journaling, and a weekly Sabbath. None of them require heroics. All of them require consistency.
The Ascent is serious, but it should never become joyless performance. Sabbath reminds us that we are sons of the Father, not slaves trying to prove ourselves. Consistency matters more than perfection. Miss a day? Begin again tomorrow. The
goal is not flawless performance. The goal is faithful formation.
Gear and Setup
You don’t need
much to begin. Keep it simple and remove friction before Day 1.
• Bible (paper or digital)
• Journal and pen
• Skool mobile app (daily journey and community)
• Headphones (focused devotional listening)
• Fire Team text thread (daily check-ins)
• Video platform for weekly meetings, if your team gathers online
What You Get Inside The Ascent
A clear path and the support to stay on it. No hype. Just a steady formation experience that helps you hear the words of Jesus and do them.
• 40 daily devotionals through Matthew 5–7 inside the Skool app — Big Idea, Scripture, formation reading, and reflection questions for every day
• Daily prayers adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, plus guided
silent-prayer prompts
• Six weekly Doing the Work challenges that train obedience, not justinsight
• A weekly Fire Pit rhythm with your Fire Team — honest, confidential,
Christ-centered
• A capstone that outlasts the challenge: your own Rule of Life, written plainly and shared with your brothers
Frequently Asked Questions about The Ascent
What is The Ascent?
The Ascent is a 40-day formation journey through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). It is not another Bible study, a content series, or self-improvement with Christian language. It is an invitation to climb the mountain, sit under the teaching of Jesus, and practice the life of His Kingdom.
How is The Ascent different from The Crucible?
The Crucible is a fire-tested season of surrender and spiritual reset. The Ascent is a mountain-shaped season of apprenticeship — 40 days in Matthew 5–7 learning to live under the authority of Christ. Different season, same brotherhood, same goal: hearing the words of Jesus and doing them.
How much time does it take each day?
About an hour. Each day is built around a Holy Hour: Scripture and devotional reading, 10–15 minutes of silent prayer, honest journaling, and a closing prayer. Then a one-line check-in with your Fire Team. Protect the time, turn off distractions, and come ready to listen.
What is a Fire Team and how do I form one?
A Fire Team is a small band of 3–5 trusted brothers who walk the 40 days together — friends, men from your church, a Bible study, or neighbors. When you sign up, you can name your Fire Team and invite up to four men to join you. You’ll check in daily and gather weekly for a Fire Pit conversation.
What if I don’t have four guys?
Come anyway. Invite one or two — a Fire Team needs trust, not a headcount.
What are the weekly challenges?
Each week includes one shared act of obedience called Doing the Work: Practice Mercy, Repair Your Witness, Make Peace, Give in Secret, Seek First With Your Money, and Draft Your Rule of Life. The devotionals reveal the teaching. The weekly challenge trains obedience. This is not extra homework — this is the work.
What if I travel or have family commitments?
You can still do The Ascent. This is formation for real life, not an escape from it. Keep the daily rhythm, communicate with your Fire Team, and adjust with wisdom. Sabbath and love of neighbor are part of the journey — don’t skip date night with your wife to “win” a challenge.
What happens if I miss a day?
Begin again tomorrow. Consistency matters more than perfection. The goal is not flawless performance — the goal is faithful formation.
What platform is it hosted on?
The Ascent is hosted on Skool and is fully mobile-friendly through the Skool app. All the daily devotionals, weekly challenges, and community live there.
What happens after the 40 days?
You won’t leave with vague inspiration — you’ll leave with a Rule of Life: a simple, livable plan for Scripture, prayer, brotherhood, family, work, church, rest, stewardship, and mission, shared with your Fire Team. And the brotherhood doesn’t end at Day 40: Fire Pit and the Forge Tribe community continue as a way of life.