The Forge

The latest entry from the Kendrick Brothers is one of the best to date. This film develops the theme of discipleship and what that looks like in the life of a new believer. Matters such as responsibility, authority, prayer, and giving things up for the sake of the Lord are addressed in this movie and presented well and with conviction.

All of the cast does an excellent job, and there were appreciated moments of humor.

This review won’t give away much as regards to the plot, but we do want to note that this is a spin-off of the movie “War Room,” so those who have seen that film will be delighted to see the return of some beloved characters. The “War Room” characters do not dominate this film—it is not after all a direct sequel. The writers gave them just enough of a presence, but not enough to overshadow the main characters of this film.

The story follows a young man named Isaiah who is angry, lost, hurt, and confused. He meets a man named Joshua who takes him under his wing, leads him to faith in Christ, and disciples him. This film presents the gospel at various points, including Isaiah reading the Romans Road on screen.

Then the film really focuses in on what the Christian life looks like after one has come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Joshua mentions to Isaiah that discipleship has a cost, and that very few want it. There is definitely a particular challenge that Isaiah has to overcome after he becomes a believer, and it has to do with forgiveness. It is handled really well.

The discipleship focus centers in on a men’s fellowship called The Forge, from which the movie gets its name. It’s a group committed to discipleship. The movie makes clear that all the men of this fellowship have someone they are discipling, and though Joshua is Isaiah’s main discipler, all the men play a role in encouraging him to grow in the Lord. “The Forge” highlights the importance of men discipling men. Joshua and the other men are invested in Isaiah’s spiritual growth, and we need to see more of that in our churches.

I was also happy to see that the theme of discipleship is developed within the context of the local church. Isaiah, at the beginning of the film, before he is a believer, says that he doesn’t have a need for church. Joshua, the character doing the discipling, belongs to a church. Early in the film we see Joshua bringing Isaiah to a church outreach event, and after Isaiah gets saved, we see him get baptized. It is important to highlight this because the discipleship process must involve connection to a local church.

We also see how Isaiah’s discipleship makes a difference in his work ethic. There are many practical lessons in this film including one on the importance of being on time. Joshua tells Isaiah that he needs to be a fountain and not a drain. The idea being to give more to others, rather than taking. Along those lines, he encourages him to treat others the way he wants to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

Another important theme is prayer, which picks up on the main theme of “War Room.” One of the characters at one point says, “You can’t treat prayer like it’s some spare tire.” She also encourages the other characters to start prayer by “praising the Lord for who He is.”

There is a scene of Isaiah having personal prayer time in his room, and it is one of the most realistic and moving prayer scenes I have viewed on screen.

At some points it may seem like Isaiah is yelling at the Lord. This could have been his passion in the moment. And while we must always approach the Lord our God with reverence and respect, we can also be honest and know He understands our passions and struggles. Many of the Psalms model this for us. So, while I can’t know exactly what was intended to be going through the character’s minds, we understand that like all of us he is a flawed and fragile human being.

What was most certainly conveyed was his brokenness in the moment. Isaiah’s prayer is heartfelt and his love for the Lord is apparent.

Answered prayer in particular is a theme in this film, and indeed answers to prayer are a reality in the believer’s life. Some may argue that the film could give the impression that prayers are always answered the way we expect. I don’t know that this is necessarily a fault in the movie, simply because of the fact that this is a movie, and it cannot portray everything in a perfectly corresponding way to real life. I believe that the Bible teaches God answers prayer (John 15:16), and I have also have personally experienced it.

Further, it is certainly good to encourage believers to pray by pointing to answered requests, but at the same time it is worth noting there is much more to learn about prayer. Some prayers are not answered immediately, and we must wait for extended periods on the Lord (Psalm 13). Sometimes our prayers are not aligned with God’s will, and the answer is no. Sometimes the answer is different than what we expected. We also have to allow for misunderstandings on our own part. The more we know God’s will in His Word, the more we will know what to pray and will see answers (John 15:7). But even then, it is always subject to God’s timing, not ours. These are all important things to keep in mind about prayer.

Another matter to note is that the film talks about the “sinful-nature” which is a translation of a Greek word which literally means “flesh.” There is debate over whether sinful nature is an accurate translation. “Flesh” can be used in many senses, but one of those senses refers to the sinful part of believer. It is used this way in Galatians 5:13. More literal translations simply translate this as flesh. The flesh is that sinful part of the believer that fights against the Holy Spirit working in the believer (Galatians 5:16-26). Every believer has this battle, and victory comes only through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 7:24-25; Galatians 2:20).

Overall, this is a highly enjoyable and impactful film. My wife and I found ourselves thinking about it for days after. Personally, I was both challenged and motivated by this movie. The Gospel is presented, discipleship is emphasized, and there are many important life lessons. This is a great film for a family or church group to see and talk about after.

• Violence: Minor
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Sex: Minor
• Profane language: None
• Vulgar/Crude language: None
• Nudity: None
• Occult: None
• Wokeism: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.