Forging dates back as far as 4000 BC, but it truly left its mark around 1200 BC with the rise of iron. The process of forging iron is rugged, monotonous, and time-consuming. You heat the metal, beat it, reheat it, and reshape it again and again. Yet the result is stronger, more durable, and more useful than in its raw form.
Maybe you’ve heard the name Frank Abagnale—the real-life con artist who became famous in the film Catch Me If You Can. Before the age of 21, he successfully convinced the world that he was, among other things, an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer. Each identity came with confidence, credentials, and applause. And for a while, the masks worked—Abagnale fooled many people. However, it eventually caught up with him. Every false identity he wore led him deeper into consequence, fear, and exposure.
Who are you becoming in Christ?
Prayer and fasting are deeply personal practices, but they are not meant to be practiced only in isolation. When they are shared in community, they become places of encouragement, accountability, and deeper formation. As you discuss the following questions, resist the urge to perform or fix. Instead, listen well, speak honestly, and encourage one another. Growth begins with truth, and God often uses community for the forming work he wants to accomplish in us.
We live in a culture obsessed with self-indulgence. From the moment we wake up, we’re told we deserve more: more comfort, more success, more experiences, more stuff. Bigger is better. Newer is necessary. If something feels hard, inconvenient, or uncomfortable, we’re encouraged to avoid it or upgrade out of it. The message is constant and convincing: you owe it to yourself.
One of the most iconic parts of the Christmas season is the lights. They’re everywhere: on our houses, wrapped around our trees, lining our streets. But for a lot of men, all the brightness on the outside only highlights how dark things feel on the inside. We know the world is broken. We feel the weight of our own failures. And no matter how many lights we hang, they can’t hide the truth that sometimes life feels pitch black.
We wake to alarms, rush through coffee, fight traffic, answer emails, juggle meetings, pick up the kids, mow the lawn, scroll ourselves to sleep, and then wake up and do it all over again. But beneath the hum of productivity and performance, most of us are bone-tired. Our souls are weary.
Conflict is unavoidable. Whether at home, at work, in friendships, or even within the church, we all face moments of disagreement and tension. Unfortunately, when it comes to conflict, our culture normalizes unhealthy responses, sometimes teaching that the loudest, angriest voice wins, and other times, justifying quiet resentment and passive-aggressive behavior. But Jesus shows us another way. A better way. Conflict is not about overpowering others or passively withdrawing, but about tapping into God’s truth, peace, and strength whenever it arises.
Recently on The Redeemed Man Podcast, we had the privilege of sitting down with our friend TJ Mackenzie, a relationship coach and licensed therapist with Refined Iron. TJ specializes in helping men navigate the hard places in marriage with hope, resilience, and practical tools. He doesn’t just speak theory, he’s lived through struggles, mistakes, and redemption, and now equips men to find connection and restoration where it often feels impossible.
We live in an age where advice is endless, but true wisdom is rare. From well-meaning family and friends to bestselling self-help authors and polished social media influencers, wisdom seems to be everywhere. Don’t be fooled though. Not all wisdom is equal. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that when it comes to seeking wisdom, there are two competing sources at work: wisdom that comes from the world and wisdom that comes from God.
Psalm 107:2
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