The Forge is an American Christian film about nineteen-year-old Isaiah Wright and his journey in navigating faith and surrendering himself to the Lord. Isaiah was raised by his single mother, Cynthia, and he held a deep-seated resentment towards his father. After graduating from school, Isaiah struggled to find a direction in his professional life. He used to spend all his time playing video games or hanging out with his friends at the basketball court. Cynthia wanted her son to help her with household chores and find a job, but Isaiah seemed too lost, and she did not know how to help him. Cynthia was a believer, and she begged the Lord to help her son find the right path. After his mother clarified that he would have to pay rent if he intended to keep on living with her, Isaiah searched for jobs. He met Joshua Moore, the president of Moore Fitness. Joshua decided to have lunch with Isaiah to find out what the young man was going through, and Isaiah had no idea that the conversation would change his life.
Spoiler Alert
How did believing in the Lord change Isaiah’s life?
Joshua had asked Isaiah three vital questions: What kind of man did he intend on becoming in the next five years? Did he expect to grow as a person in the near future? How did he expect others to perceive him? Isaiah did not have answers to his questions; he had never thought about his future. After he met with Joshua, Isaiah planned on continuing with his job search, but when his friends called him for a quick basketball match, he couldn’t say no. He was supposed to pick his mother up from the salon since he was driving her car. He was late, and he messed up Cynthia’s schedule. When he returned home that night, Isaiah realized that he had to become more responsible, and he decided to meet Joshua again the next day. He had his answers ready—he wanted to grow; he hoped to become a good man who always got the job done, and he wished for people to respect him. Joshua readily hired him for a part-time position, and his only condition was that Isaiah had to meet him twice a week before his shift for mentorship so he could teach him life principles.
Cynthia was over the moon when Isaiah told her that he had been hired by Moore Fitness. Cynthia had been praying for Isaiah to become a responsible man, and she believed the Lord had finally answered her. Isaiah’s uncle, Tony, was one of Joshua’s disciples, and Cynthia believed that Joshua and Isaiah had crossed paths because the Lord had great plans for her son. Twice every week, Isaiah met Joshua personally, and he taught him verses from the Bible and lessons inspired by the holy book.
One particular lesson that stuck with Isaiah was when Joshua mentioned that he had to become a fountain and not a drain; he had to love those around him instead of only using them to fulfill his own goals. The more Isaiah learned about Joshua, the more impressed he became—Joshua not only ran a successful business, he also conducted several donation drives for the underprivileged. Helping Joshua and his wife with their donation drive made Isaiah feel extremely fulfilled. He soon discovered that Joshua had lost his son, Jalen, when he was only seventeen, and that was when Joshua decided to dedicate his life to Christ. Jalen was out with his friends when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit their car. Joshua blamed everyone around him for his son’s demise, but his perspective changed when he started to spend time with an older member of his church, a mechanic, who helped him reshape his entire view of life and faith, and he became a disciple of Jesus Christ. Joshua’s life drastically changed, and he and his wife devoted themselves to the Lord and his wishes. Isaiah was not a churchgoer, but that day when he returned home, he prayed for the first time in ages. He was in tears thinking about what took him so long to turn to the Lord. Cynthia was overjoyed, and she believed that God had answered her prayers.
What was The Forge?
Isaiah expressed his desire to become a disciple of Jesus, and Joshua became his mentor to help him with the process. Joshua mentioned that to become a disciple, Isaiah would have to sacrifice something he loved. In Joshua’s case, he’d had to sacrifice his love for golf. Instead of spending hours each day playing the sport, he used the time to read the Bible and spread the word of the Lord. He believed Isaiah too would have to make a sacrifice, but he could not predict what it would be. Isaiah soon figured out that God wanted him to sacrifice his love for video gaming. He was an addict, and he would not have time to familiarize himself with the Lord’s teachings if he continued to play video games. Even though it was not easy for Isaiah, he intended to pass the test and prove his devotion. Cynthia could not believe her eyes when Isaiah left a message saying that his gaming device must be sent to a pawn shop. He had cleaned his room as well, and Cynthia could not thank the Lord enough.
In the meantime, Joshua had introduced Isaiah to the Forge, a group of men who were disciples of Christ. The group met every two weeks—they ate together, prayed together, encouraged one another to take chances, and held each other accountable if they faltered. The members welcomed Isaiah with open arms, and they discussed the importance of mentorship and how each mentor shaped their disciple, helping more and more men find their true calling.
Why did Isaiah reach out to his father?
When Isaiah unexpectedly crossed paths with his father, he was furious. Joshua helped him calm down. Isaiah could not forgive his father for never living up to his promises and not being there for him all his life. He did not fulfill his duties as a father, and Isaiah despised him for his shortcomings. Isaiah could never forget how devastated he was when he realized that his father had left for good. He had taken with him all the cash that was in the house, and he did not respond to any of their calls or messages. Later, Isaiah’s mother discovered that he had cheated on her, and she was miserable. Joshua spoke from experience—he knew how often one’s first response tended to be anger; he too had wanted to kill the man who was responsible for his son’s death, but after he devoted himself to the Lord, everything changed. He started to accept that God saw everything and He was the perfect judge, so it was best to leave the decision to God. Joshua stated that God had forgiven him over and over again, and that left him wondering who he was to deny someone forgiveness. He advised Isaiah not to hang on to his bitter feelings because they would one day poison him. Isaiah ultimately considered Joshua’s advice and forgave his father. Later, Isaiah texted his father, hoping to reconnect with him. He wanted to give his father another chance, and he did not expect anything in return. At the very end of the film, his father responded to his text, hinting that their relationship would possibly improve with time. Isaiah had learned the importance of forgiveness from his mentor, who had not only forgiven the driver but had also become his mentor and helped him find the right path in his life. Isaiah was inspired by Joshua, whose actions demonstrated how he stayed true to the teachings.
How did Isaiah save Joshua’s business?
During The Forge’s ending, a crisis is introduced; Moore Fitness’ competitor, Slayer Sports, aimed to take over their most profitable account, GymFit, by promising a faster delivery. The five-year agreement between Moore Fitness and GymFit was about to come to close in a month, and GymFit was already in search of a new supplier. If only Moore Fitness could prove that they could handle the same order in less time than Slayer Sports, GymFit would consider making an offer.
Isaiah was about to leave the factory when he overheard the discussion about the order. Even though most employees thought it was an impossible challenge to overcome, Isaiah did not agree with them. He was confident that if they worked together the whole night, they could fulfill the order. But not everyone was ready to work extra hours. Isaiah demonstrated his team management skills as he successfully convinced every employee to put their best foot forward. He explained that losing such a significant account would impact their salaries as well, and if they wanted to keep their jobs, they had to put in extra effort, especially because their boss had always been kind to them, and this was their time to prove their loyalty to the company. Isaiah added that a significant portion of the profit Joshua made was used to conduct donation drives and food distributions among the underprivileged; if they lost the account, it would also affect the lives of those dependent on them. The entire team started to work extra hours. Joshua was proud to see his employees go above and beyond even though he had not asked them to. He contacted one of his employees, Cody, who was in charge of operating the robots used in the packaging procedure. Cody managed to remotely access the bots, and the team was thankful for the added help. Together, they completed the order a little ahead of time, and Joshua proudly contacted his client and asked him to receive the order.
Gym Fit’s CEO, Greyson Lance, arrived at the factory, and instead of directly talking to him, Joshua allowed Isaiah to represent him and his company. Isaiah was confident, and he smartly dealt with the pressure. When Lance offered Moore Fitness a five-year contract, Isaiah suggested that he offer them a seven-year contract, especially after they proved how deeply they valued partnerships. Lance was impressed by Isaiah’s confidence and the company’s dedication, and he agreed to the terms.
In The Forge’s ending, Isaiah expressed how grateful he was to The Forge for teaching him valuable lessons, challenging him, and praying with him. He believed he was ready to become a mentor and take on disciples and help transform their lives. One of the most important goals for The Forge was to spread the Word all across the globe by making disciples and helping them realize the true potential of belief. In the end credit scene, we learn that Isaiah had enrolled in college to study business, and he’d crossed paths with Abigail, the barista he had a crush on. Before his transformation, her father had thrown him out of his coffee shop, but after he found his true calling, Isaiah went back to the coffee shop. He had apologized to Abigail’s father for misbehaving with him. Abigail mentioned how his father was extremely impressed by Isaiah’s gesture. Abigail was a student of interior design at the college, and she helped Isaiah navigate the campus. It seems to be the beginning of their friendship, and who knows, they might well fall in love.
