Hey man of God,

You get a ton of emails in your inbox, but don’t scroll past this one. 

Your next year hangs in the balance. 

• Will you keep drifting?
• Will you continue to let the same old habits take root?
• Will you still be here, wondering where the fire and purpose in your heart have gone?
• Will you still be wishing things could change, but not knowing where to begin?
• Will you have these God-inspired dreams and projects that sit unfinished?

I know you’re a tough dude, but it should scare you to think that one year from now, you could be stuck in this exact same place … or worse, spiraling deeper into apathy and numbness.

It’s not because I have some inside information. It’s because I’m right here with you. 

We do not drift toward maturity. Our fire doesn’t stay hot by accident.

Custodes Ignis

In ancient Rome, mariners were kept safe by colossal lighthouses called pharos. Each night, a massive fire was lit and tended on top of these stone towers. Think about the undertaking of gathering the fuel, transporting it to the top, and keeping the fire burning all night long. This was not a one-man job. It took a team of men working night and day without fail. If the fire went out, ships and sailors would be dashed against the rocks. The men who did this diligent and dangerous work were called… 

Custodes Ignis - literally Fire-keepers

You are a man of great importance to God, your family, and to us… Your brothers in Christ. You have a selfish and empty shadow mission that you are tempted to pursue. You also have a purpose that is not self-serving, but full of selfless Kingdom good. Which one will you choose?

If you are going to sustain a fire for God in 2026, there is one extremely important question to wrestle with.

Who are your fire-keepers?

Specifically, who are the men in your life helping you tend the fire in your heart for God, your family, and your Kingdom mission?

Who do you stand with as Custodes Ignis?

THIS WEEK’S TOP 3

1. READ: Proverbs 29

2.THINK:

Words from the demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood from C.S. Lewis’s novel, The Screwtape Letters.

“It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is not better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

3.ACT: Take 5 minutes: 

1. Who are the men in your life in various circles who are or have the potential to be fire-keepers with you? Write 1-3 names.

2. Forward this email to them. 

3. Set up a meetup or night around a fire-pit to answer the questions I’ve given you over the last few weeks. Here is a PDF with a summary of Parts 1-5.

I want the guide! 

Stay sharp,
Aubrey

Look for the final Light The Forge email next week...

It's time to take the next step!