joshua421

Updates

What is new

Short notes on the companion we’re building and what you can try today.

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This week: more character, a smoother companion

This week’s work brings your Bible-character companion further into the everyday experience, from finding your match to making the app easier to use.

Joshua joins you in the quiz

The quiz now opens straight on the first question, with Joshua moving along as you answer. You can revisit skipped questions, take a second look at your answers and choose from the characters in your result.

The public character collection has also been checked against the Bible passages behind each profile. You can explore all 64 characters on the website, including their strengths, friendships and everyday examples.

A more familiar feel across screens

The website and iPhone work now share the same buttons, fields and visual language. This week’s refinements include clearer topic icons, better keyboard focus and motion that responds to what you do.

On the workbench

On iPhone, we have been checking larger text and reduced motion, and refining how goals break into smaller steps. Character artwork and customisation are still being refined; the animated companion remains a work in progress. The iPhone app is still by invitation.

Find your character or meet the collection. We’ll keep sharing progress here as the companion takes shape.

This week: a clearer quiz and more personal results

This week’s update covers 26 September to 3 October. These changes are live on the website now.

A refreshed character quiz

The quiz now has 32 questions, with shorter, friendlier wording from the first screen through to your result. You can review your answers before meeting your match.

A result that speaks to you

Your character reveal now includes a nickname and a short introduction. We have also rewritten the character profiles in a more direct, personal voice, with strengths, things to watch out for, friendships and examples from an ordinary week.

More to try on the homepage

The Daybook, AI journal connection and character rewards demos are back on the homepage, alongside the outfit preview. You can explore them without an account. These are interactive previews; access to the web app itself remains by invitation.

An update to the AI connection

The connection now supports the sign-in flow used by Codex. Invited members still choose what a connected assistant may access and review proposed changes before saving them.

Try the character quiz or explore the homepage demos.

Progress update, September 2026

Esther, the first character rendered in full 3D.

Joshua421 is a Bible-character companion for young people aged 13 to 23. Each person gets their own animated 3D character, and a Daybook where goals, habits, a calendar and private journalling sit together in one place.

What we have built so far

Over the past few months the work has gone into three things: the characters, the app, and the connection to the AI assistants young people already use.

There are 64 Bible characters. A 25-question quiz matches you to one, and every character has a public reading on the website, written to you by name. Esther is the first rendered in full 3D. The other 63 have their bodies built and are being checked into the app one at a time.

The app runs on the web and on iPhone through TestFlight, by invitation. Invited members have their character, goals, habits, calendar and private journalling working today.

The AI connection

Young people use ChatGPT and Claude whether or not we are there. So we built one connection, using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), that lets Joshua421 work inside both. A member can write there, and anything the assistant proposes comes back as an exact change to approve, edit or decline before it is saved. Saving an entry never sends it to AI.

Where we are

Everything above is working for invited members. What we have not measured yet is whether young people enjoy the companion, come back to it, and follow through better because of it. That is what the first trial is for.

Joshua421 costs about $7 AUD per person per month to run. There is no subscription. For now it runs on donations, and giving never decides who gets access.

What is next

Checking the remaining characters into the app, and running that first trial with invited members. New updates land on this page as each piece ships.

To follow along, or to talk about supporting the work, email ken@joshua421.app. Ask for an invite if you would like to try it.