Hi All, Matt here and thought to take a moment and introduce myself and hope to get to know as many folks as possible in the days/weeks/months ahead. My wife and I, Elizabeth, live in Charlotte NC and married for 6 years. She's in real estate and I work in e-commerce marketimg. I'm looking forward to starting the Crucible later in the month for a lot of reasons, and mostly because I want to give proper attention to my walk with God and his word. I think after a 30 year break from organized "religion", cutting out the noise and distraction for 40 days will be very powerful. Send me a message if you want to know more and I'll do the same!

One of the most formative (and often most uncomfortable) spiritual disciplines for a man is prayer that includes his marriage. God calls men to lead spiritually in the home, not by having all the answers, but by taking the first step toward prayer and dependence on Him. This week, our habit is simple but powerful: ✅ The Practice - Pray with your spouse at least once a day (ideally daily, even if brief, but at least once this week) If praying together daily feels like a stretch, start small: - 30–60 seconds - No sermons - No fixing - Just prayer If Your Spouse Is Not Willing or You Are Not Married That’s okay. - Set aside intentional time to pray specifically for your spouse or future spouse - Pray for your marital relationship, your heart, and God’s work in that area - Faithfulness matters more than form. ⏱️ What This Can Look Like - Before bed - Before work - After dinner - Holding hands or sitting quietly - One prays, or both pray briefly This isn’t about being polished—it’s about being present. 🙏 Suggested Prayer Topics (Choose What Fits) You don’t need to pray through everything. Pick one or two. For Your Spouse - Health, rest, and emotional well-being - Stress, burdens, and unspoken worries - Faith, trust in God, and spiritual growth - Protection from discouragement or isolation For Your Marriage - Unity and oneness - Contentment - Patience and gentleness in conflict - Clear communication and listening - Healing of old wounds or misunderstandings - Rekindled affection and friendship For Yourself as a Husband - Humility and selflessness - Courage to lead spiritually - Repentance where needed - Wisdom in words and actions For Your Family & Home - Peace in the home - God’s presence in daily routines - A legacy of faith for children - Alignment with God’s priorities 💬 ACCOUNTABILITY After you pray this week, comment in this thread with: - “Prayed with my spouse” or - “Prayed for my spouse”

This week, our focus is forming consistency in prayer by letting Scripture shape our words, specifically through the Psalms. The weekly task is simple and repeatable: ✅ The Daily Practice Each day this week: 1. Choose one Psalm (any Psalm, you decide). 2. Pray it slowly, verse by verse, using the method described by Tim Keller on page 255 of his book on Prayer. 3. Move through the Psalm this way: Scripture first, then prayer. That’s it. I will throw an example based on Keller’s description in the comment section. ⏱️ How This Fits Into Your Prayer Rhythm Aim for ~30 minutes daily focused prayer (including meditation on scripture, free prayer, and silence). Continue praying briefly: - Upon waking - Before meals - Before beginning work - Before sleep 🚨If you are struggling with these habits, take this week to reset and just focus on praying one Psalm a day along with our group. 📝 Reflection (Optional but Powerful) As you go: - Journal what the Psalm teaches you about God - Journal what it reveals about you - Note how your thoughts and emotions shift before, during, and after prayer 💬 DAILY ACCOUNTABILITY (This Is Key) Each day, comment in this thread with the Psalm you prayed. - Minimum requirement: 👉 Just post the Psalm number (e.g., Psalm 27) - Optional (encouraged): What stood out, What you prayed, Why that Psalm mattered today This isn’t about depth competitions. It’s about showing up daily and encouraging one another by example. 🔎 Formation Questions to Keep in Mind - How do the Psalms give language to both joy and lament? - Which Psalm best reflects where you are spiritually right now? - How do the Psalms train emotional honesty before God? Let’s flood this thread daily with Psalms. 📖 Drop today’s Psalm below.

I was 47 years old when a friend told me how they constantly feel. I immediately related and thought "that's me since I was 5 years old." They described it as "Restless, Irritable, and Discontent." Their description struck me between they eyes and sticks with me to this day. I hadn't been able to put a label on the way I'd constantly felt for decades and the only reprieve was when I distracted myself with work, relationships, or extra-curricular activities. I distracted myself A LOT and to the point it became a massive blind spot. With most of those distractions cleared out over the past few years, I had still been left with these unresolved feelings of always wanting to be in motion, anxious about the world around me, and wanting it to be changed in my direction. Now though, with the ability to recognize those feelings, I can sit with them and sort it out with patience and God's view on the subjects. Working through the lessons in "Prayer" I set out to find God's hot take on these things that I wrestle with, meditate on the scripture, and progress towards peace. The verses below are what I found and how I've been thinking about them during my prayers this week and have been asking for one simple thing over and over "Lord, guard my mind with your peace." Philippians 4:6–7 “Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Meditating On: When my mind won’t settle, God offers guarding peace, not more pressure. Philippians 4:11–13 “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content… I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Meditating On: Contentment is learned dependence, strength for the moment I’m in, not the one I wish I had. Proverbs 14:29 “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” Meditating On: Irritability isn’t “just my personality”. Scripture treats it as a spiritual wisdom issue. Psalm 131:1–2 “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother…”

Trying something here from what we learned in "Prayer" last week, about meditating on scripture and praying about it. These verse hit me: Scripture on How Christians Should Deal with Fear 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." For me, sometimes what looks like resentment on the surface is really entitlement and fear underneath. “I’m done with that guy. He should've had my back.” “I don’t need them, I gave more to the friendship than they did anyway.” “I pay every single bill around here. How about a little gratitude?” Those can all be a defense. It’s often easier to feel angry than to admit, “I’m afraid of being found out… again,” or “I’m scared I don’t measure up,” or “I’m terrified of losing control.” Resentment becomes a mask that keeps me from naming the real issues: Entitlement &Fear. And as long as fear hides behind irritation, sarcasm, or cold distance, it's a little easier to not have to surrendered it to Jesus. For me at least, resentment became a well worn path & dopamine hit. I actually felt better after getting a little angry about something. As men who want to be forged in Christ, I think we’re not called to stay numb and guarded. We’re called to courage, to bring our fear into the light, confess it honestly, and let the Lord meet us there instead of hiding behind a hard edge. I’ll share a personal story below, and I’d like to hear your thoughts: One of my bosses came into town and wanted to go paint the town that night. We did, and while she was lit up she said something that really ticked me off, and I called her a name that makes me cringe even thinking about it. 4 months later the head attorney of the very large Pharma company I worked for at the time, called me and said "Show's over, buddy." (I'm paraphrasing). This was in January 2020 two weeks before a little bug out of China hit the world stage. I was seething with resentment for months and the entire time I didn't even consider my part in it, ultimately I was responsible for what happened and my deepest fears had come true.