Hey guys ... How is he moving where you are? Unexpectantly, he's created a Crucible group in Greece ... Rereading John 6 over my world here .... go with me here ☺️ ... As if Jesus asked me "Brad, how are you going to do/manage this Crucible Challenge back in the states ... as your life is quite full & intense?" I stayed silent ... as Phillip did ... not answering. But Jesus, he said this to test Brad --for he himself already knew what he would do. He was multiplying things all along He was ahead of me all long. The ways of Jesus as he is with us ... Oh Jesus ... you are so mysteriously faithful and good.

Job 5:7 NIV [7] Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. https://bible.com/bible/111/job.5.7.NIV

Life starts at 70!

Optional preparation in the weeks leading up to (but separate from) the 40-Day Crucible Challenge FORGE TRIBE is a men’s brotherhood centered on Gospel formation, discipline, honesty, and long-term faithfulness. The heart of FORGE TRIBE is simple: men are formed through Truth, Brotherhood, and Commitment—not hype, performance, or self‑improvement. In the weeks leading up to the 40-Day Crucible Challenge, I’m hosting FIRE PIT: a 6-week interactive lecture series designed to help men prepare with clarity and depth. FIRE PIT is optional. It’s not required for the Crucible. There’s no pressure, and no long-term commitment—you’re welcome to attend one session or all six. What it is: live teaching + guided participation + time for honest questions, grounded in Scripture and the Gospel. What it isn’t: a performance space, a hype event, or a “must attend” program. When: Saturdays, 0700–0830 EST (90 minutes) Where: Riverside.fm (recorded) Group: ***limited to the first 25 participants- email [email protected] to request your link Recording note: These sessions will be recorded and used for future content in case you are not able to attend the live sessions. THE SCHEDULE Week 1 — Jan 17 — Enter the Story Theme: Story → Identity Speaker: Chaplain Pete Stone Bio: Pete Stone is a U.S. Army chaplain serving with the Eagle Commission and has spent years walking with men in high-pressure environments where identity and resilience are tested. He’s also the founder/host of Word for the Week, where he helps people connect faith, life, and story in a grounded way. Scripture primer: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Psalm 139:13–16 Week 2 — Jan 24 — Sent, Not Scattered Theme: Mission (long obedience & calling) Speaker: Topher Wallace Bio: Topher Wallace serves as a missionary and founder of The Pucusana Project, a Christian nonprofit in Pucusana, Peru focused on poverty alleviation through education, community projects, and business growth. He previously lived in Peru, became fluent in Spanish, and has returned with his wife and son to help lead the work on the ground.

This recently came up in a text message exchange I had with @Pete Stone and it got me thinking. Sometimes I dread the weekend. Not because I do not love my family, but because the weekend breaks my structure. During the week I know who I am. I have a routine. I have a role. I produce. I provide. Quick dopamine hits. I feel useful. Then the weekend shows up and that scaffolding disappears. I am no longer measured by output. I am measured by presence. And presence is harder for me than productivity. When things slow down, I notice how quickly I want to escape. Not physically, but mentally. I get irritated by small things. I look for something to manage or fix- usually my wife, and I miss the clarity of structure. The Sabbath stops feeling like rest and starts feeling like exposure. It confronts how much of my sense of worth is still tied to usefulness. How much I trust my own structure more than God’s. How uncomfortable I am being seen without a role. I do not experience Sabbath first as relief. I experience it as resistance. And maybe that resistance is the point. I am not writing this with an answer. I am writing it because Sabbath keeps showing me parts of myself I would rather avoid. God tells us to rest so that we leave our structure and enter His structure.