In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally walk through Isaiah 2:1–22, a powerful vision of the Lord's future reign. Isaiah paints a striking contrast: a coming day when God is exalted above all things and humanity's pride, idols, and false securities are finally brought low.

The episode opens with the promise of hope—a vision of the Lord's house raised high, drawing people from every nation to learn His ways and walk in His light. Under God's reign, justice is restored, disputes are settled, and instruments of war are transformed into tools for flourishing. This is a peace no human system can manufacture.

From there, the conversation turns sober as Isaiah confronts Judah's present reality: a people filled with wealth, power, and idols they've crafted with their own hands. Curtis and Sally explore how this ancient warning speaks directly to modern life, where idolatry often looks less like shrines and more like misplaced identity, self-reliance, achievement, and trust in human strength.

Throughout the discussion, the theme remains clear—when God is rightly exalted, people flourish. The chapter ends not only with judgment, but with hope: idols will disappear, hearts will be restored, and peace will follow God's reign. The episode closes with a call to honest self-examination, confession, and a renewed commitment to walk in the light of the Lord, trusting Him alone to lead us on the path of everlasting life.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Psalm 144, a prayer of praise that declares God as our rock, fortress, and rescuer. Before David asks for deliverance, he first names who God is—faithful, powerful, and deeply attentive to His people. The hosts explore how this order matters: worship and trust come before petition.

As the conversation unfolds, Curtis and Sally highlight the tension between human frailty and God's care. David's question—"What are human beings that you should notice them?"—becomes an invitation into humility, reminding us that our worth and security are not self-made but rooted in God's love and attention. They contrast this biblical humility with modern messages of self-sufficiency, pointing instead to an identity grounded in belonging to God.

The episode also reflects on God as provider and protector—not only rescuing individuals but blessing entire communities with peace, abundance, and stability. Drawing connections to Isaiah, the wilderness narratives, and the New Testament, Curtis and Sally emphasize that everything we depend on ultimately flows from the Lord. Psalm 144 becomes both a song of trust and a call to place our hope fully in God, who prepares us for what lies ahead and holds the victory over every battle we face.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally continue their journey through the opening chapter of Isaiah by reflecting on Isaiah 1:21–31, a passage that confronts the spiritual corruption of Jerusalem and the leaders who once upheld justice and righteousness. What was meant to be a faithful city has become compromised—its leaders driven by greed, its worship emptied of truth, and its people disconnected from the life-giving presence of the Lord.

As the conversation unfolds, Curtis and Sally explore God's sharp yet hopeful imagery: silver refined from slag, a city washed clean, and a garden restored by living water. Though the passage speaks strongly of judgment, it is also filled with promise. God does not abandon His people; instead, He commits to a painful but purposeful process of cleansing and restoration. Justice will return. Righteousness will be revived. Wise counselors will be raised up again.

The episode also draws connections between Israel's leaders, the religious authorities in Jesus' time, and the ongoing human temptation to misuse power. Curtis and Sally reflect on how leadership—when disconnected from God—can easily drift into self-preservation rather than service. Yet the passage ultimately calls listeners back to hope: God Himself will rule, restore, and reign. True justice and righteousness are not achieved through human effort alone, but through humility, repentance, and dependence on the Lord, who alone is worthy to sit on the throne.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Psalm 143, a raw and urgent prayer that cries out, "Answer me quickly, Lord." David finds himself overwhelmed—pursued by enemies, afraid, and on the brink of despair—yet he anchors his plea not in his own righteousness, but in God's unfailing faithfulness.

As the conversation unfolds, Curtis and Sally explore the powerful gospel theme woven throughout the psalm: God rescues not because we deserve it, but because He is good. David's prayer models a posture of humility—acknowledging sin, remembering God's past faithfulness, and asking to be taught and led by God's Spirit even in the midst of distress.

This episode invites listeners to consider how seasons of hardship become opportunities to remain deeply dependent on the Lord. Drawing connections to Jesus' words in John 15 and the promise of God's patient mercy, Curtis and Sally remind us that fruitfulness flows from abiding, even when hope feels thin. Psalm 143 ultimately calls us to trust God's character when outcomes are unclear and to lift our hands toward Him, thirsty for His presence like parched land longing for rain.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally read Isaiah 1:1–31, a powerful opening message addressed to rebellious Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah's vision confronts a people who continue their religious rituals while failing to recognize the Lord or reflect His heart through justice, obedience, and compassion.

The conversation explores God's sharp indictment of empty worship—sacrifices and prayers offered without repentance or care for the oppressed—and His call to something deeper. Curtis and Sally reflect on Isaiah's striking imagery of a nation that is wounded, sick, and unaware of its true condition, drawing connections to the ongoing human need for renewal of both mind and heart. They discuss God's desire not for performative spirituality, but for transformed lives marked by justice, care for the vulnerable, and faithfulness.

At the heart of the passage is a gracious invitation: "Come now, let us settle this." Despite rebellion, God offers cleansing, healing, and restoration—promising to make scarlet sins white as snow. The hosts connect this promise to the broader story of Scripture, pointing to Jesus as the one who alone can truly wash us clean and teach us how to live out God's call to love God and love people.

This episode invites listeners to slow down, allow God to search their hearts, and consider what faithful obedience looks like—not as a religious performance, but as a life shaped by humility, justice, and trust in God's provision.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Psalm 142, a prayer of David written during his time in the cave—a moment marked by fear, isolation, and deep dependence on God. As David cries out with honesty and desperation, he models a pattern we see throughout the Psalms: pouring out complaints before the Lord, acknowledging feelings of abandonment, and then slowly turning toward hope as he remembers who God is.

The conversation explores how David's circumstances were filled not only with physical danger, but also with subtle traps—temptations to take matters into his own hands rather than wait on God's timing. Drawing parallels to David's refusal to harm Saul, Curtis and Sally discuss how reliance on God often means resisting shortcuts, power grabs, or self-rescue, even when they seem justified.

This episode invites listeners to consider what it means to truly call God our refuge—not as a last resort, but as our greatest desire. Psalm 142 reminds us that even when others cannot save us, the Lord remains faithful. In hardship, loneliness, and waiting, God's goodness endures, and He alone is the One who brings us through.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally explore 2 Kings 17:24–41, a sobering passage that follows the fall of Samaria and the resettlement of the land by foreign nations. As Assyria relocates people from across its empire into Israel, the newcomers attempt to worship the God of the land—yet they also cling tightly to their former gods and practices.

The hosts unpack the strange and unsettling moment when lions are sent among the people, examining both the historical context and the deeper symbolism of God's righteous authority, strength, and judgment. Even when a priest is sent back to teach the people how to worship the Lord, their response reveals a divided heart: God is treated as a solution to a problem, not as the center of their lives.

Curtis and Sally reflect on what it means to truly worship the Lord—not as one voice among many, but as the only voice that shapes our lives. They draw thoughtful connections between the syncretism of ancient Samaria and the modern tendency to compartmentalize faith, trusting God in some areas while relying on cultural norms, influencers, or personal strategies in others.

This conversation invites listeners to examine where competing voices may be shaping their decisions, and to consider God's consistent call to covenant faithfulness. As Scripture reminds us, the issue is not a lack of information, but a lack of wholehearted devotion—a challenge that remains just as relevant to this day.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Psalm 141, a heartfelt prayer of David that invites us into a posture of humility, dependence, and trust in God. As David cries out for the Lord to "hurry" and hear his prayer, the conversation explores what it means to approach God honestly while recognizing Him as our true refuge.

Together, they unpack David's request for God to guard his words, restrain his heart from drifting toward evil, and help him receive correction as a kindness rather than a burden. The discussion highlights the subtle danger of spiritual "drift," the importance of accountability, and the willingness to invite God—and others—into the work of shaping our character.

Curtis and Sally also wrestle with the psalm's strong language toward the wicked, ultimately pointing to David's deeper desire that even his enemies would come to know truth. The episode closes with encouragement to trust God's guidance through unseen traps and snares, resting in the promise that He is faithful, near, and always attentive to the prayers of His people.