Arise and Abide

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis read and reflect on 2 Chronicles 31, where the joy of Passover leads the people of Judah into renewed worship, repentance, and generosity. After celebrating together, the people return home and immediately tear down the idols, shrines, and altars that had drawn their hearts away from the Lord. Their worship becomes more than a festival moment; it becomes a wholehearted turning back to God.

As Hezekiah reorganizes the priests and Levites and calls the people to support the work of the temple, the people respond with overwhelming generosity. Their gifts pile up in abundance, showing the blessing and provision of God among a people united in worship. Sally and Curtis discuss how God's abundance often results in "more than enough," and how true worship costs something: old habits, misplaced trust, personal resources, and daily surrender.

This chapter gives a beautiful picture of revival, unity, faithful leadership, and wholehearted devotion. Hezekiah's success is not merely political or material; his success is seen in pointing the people back to their true King, the Lord their God.

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally read and reflect on Proverbs 3, a chapter filled with fatherly wisdom, practical instruction, and the well-known call to "trust in the Lord with all your heart." The conversation explores how wisdom is not merely something to know, but something to store deep within the heart, hold tightly, and allow to shape daily life.

Curtis and Sally discuss the danger of depending on our own understanding, the loving purpose of the Lord's correction, and the promise that God's wisdom leads to security, rest, healing, provision, favor, and peace. They also connect Proverbs 3 to the broader biblical story, from Jeremiah's promise that God would write His law on His people's hearts to the new covenant fulfilled in Jesus. Wisdom is a gift of God's love that draws us away from self-reliance and back onto the path that leads to life.

In 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah invites all Israel and Judah to return to the Lord by celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem. Though the celebration happens later than prescribed and many people are not ceremonially prepared, Hezekiah intercedes for them, asking the Lord to pardon those whose hearts are set on seeking Him. God listens, heals the people, and turns a delayed and imperfect gathering into a joyful celebration unlike anything Jerusalem had seen since the days of Solomon.

This episode reflects on the grace and mercy of God toward those who humble themselves and return to Him. Curtis and Sally discuss how Hezekiah's leadership reveals a pattern of calling people back to God, praying for them, encouraging them, and celebrating with them. Even when many mocked the invitation, God gave His people one heart to worship Him. The chapter reminds us that it is never too late to seek the Lord, and that God delights in healing, restoring, and uniting His people in joy.

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on 2 Chronicles 29:18–36 and the restoration of the temple under King Hezekiah. After years of neglect and unfaithfulness under King Ahaz, the temple is cleansed, purified, and reopened for worship. What follows is a beautiful picture of repentance, sacrifice, praise, and wholehearted return to the Lord.

They explore the significance of Hezekiah's leadership—not only restoring the physical temple, but seeking spiritual restoration for all of Israel, not just Judah. His desire for national repentance reveals a heart aligned with God's purposes rather than personal ambition. They also discuss how Hezekiah chose to follow the example of King David rather than repeat the destructive patterns of his father, reminding us that we all must decide which examples we will follow in our own lives.

This episode is a reminder that repentance opens the door for restoration, and God is ready to move quickly when His people return to Him. No matter what has been neglected, broken, or shut down in our lives, the Lord is eager to restore relationship with those who turn back to Him.

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Proverbs 2 and the treasure of godly wisdom. Solomon's words invite us to tune our ears to wisdom, cry out for understanding, and seek insight like hidden treasure. Together, they explore what it means to admit that we do not already know the right way and why true wisdom must be received from God rather than assumed from ourselves.

Curtis highlights the deliberate choice to silence the many competing voices around us and listen for the voice of wisdom. The conversation connects this pursuit to humanity's original deception in the garden—the false belief that we can define right and wrong apart from God. Sally expands on the beautiful imagery of wisdom as God's gift: a treasure, a shield, and a guide that protects us from twisted voices, destructive paths, and poor decisions.

Drawing from both personal experience and workplace leadership lessons, they discuss how easily we can become too invested in the wrong direction, making repentance difficult. Yet God, in His grace, continually calls us back to the path of truth. The discussion also beautifully ties Solomon's promised land imagery to Jesus as the true vine, reminding us that remaining rooted in Him is where wisdom, fruitfulness, peace, and joy are found.

If you are seeking clarity, direction, or peace in the midst of competing voices, this conversation is an encouragement to ask God for wisdom, trusting that He gives generously to all who ask.

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on 2 Chronicles 29:3–17, where King Hezekiah begins his reign with a bold act of spiritual restoration: reopening and cleansing the temple of the Lord. After generations of neglect and defilement under King Ahaz, Hezekiah calls the priests and Levites back to their God-given purpose—purity, worship, and faithful service.

Together, they explore how Hezekiah's leadership models repentance as an active process, not merely sorrow over sin but a deliberate turning back to God through obedience, surrender, and covenant renewal. The temple cleansing, completed in sixteen days, becomes a powerful picture of the faithful and often gradual work of restoration in our own lives.

Curtis highlights the encouragement found in the fact that renewal was a process that required perseverance, while Sally reflects on God's faithfulness to meet His people when they return to Him with sincere hearts. This conversation invites listeners to consider the places in their own lives where God may be calling them back to wholehearted worship, faithful obedience, and trust in His promises.

Be encouraged today: even when restoration takes time, God is faithful to complete the work of renewal when we respond in repentance.

What voice are you listening to, wisdom or the world?

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally explore Proverbs 1 and the powerful image of wisdom crying out in the streets, calling us toward discipline, discernment, and the abundant life God desires for His people. They reflect on Solomon's God-given wisdom, the daily choice to reject sinful shortcuts, and the invitation to humble ourselves before the Lord.

This conversation highlights the truth that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge and that wisdom is still available to all who come and listen. The real treasure is not earthly success but knowing God and walking in His ways.

A thoughtful reflection on discipleship, surrender, biblical wisdom, and the life-giving promises of God's Word.

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Isaiah 15 and 16, where the Lord delivers a sobering message of judgment over Moab. These chapters paint a haunting picture of cities destroyed overnight, land left scorched and lifeless, and a people mourning the collapse of everything they trusted apart from God.

Curtis explores the suddenness of God's justice, connecting Moab's overnight downfall to Jesus' warnings about the coming Day of the Lord in Matthew 24 and Luke 17. What seems permanent can change in a single night, reminding us to live watchfully and remain ready for Christ's return.

Sally draws attention to the tragedy of misplaced trust as Moab continues turning to powerless idols even in the midst of devastation. Yet woven into the mourning is a remarkable promise of hope: a descendant of David who will rule with mercy, truth, and justice. Even in judgment, God's heart still grieves, still invites people to take refuge in Him, and still points forward to redemption.

Psalm 150 closes the Psalms with a joyful crescendo of worship, and in this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on the beauty of wholehearted praise. Drawing from the psalm's vivid imagery of ram's horns, harps, tambourines, strings, flutes, and crashing cymbals, they explore what it means to praise God with everything we have and everything we do.

The conversation moves beyond music into the posture of the heart: worship as surrender, gratitude, and a turning away from self-promotion. Curtis reflects on how every talent, skill, and daily task can become an offering of praise to God, while Sally highlights the psalm's rising sense of celebration—a gathering call that builds into awe at God's "unequaled greatness." Together, they connect Psalm 150 to Colossians 3, the parable of the hidden treasure, and Isaiah 45, showing how the greatness of God makes every earthly achievement fade in comparison.

This episode is a beautiful invitation to re-center your heart, lay down lesser crowns, and join the symphony of all creation in giving glory to the One who alone is worthy.

In this episode of Arise+Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Isaiah 14, a chapter filled with powerful imagery of the fall of the proud and the certainty of God's justice. As Babylon, Assyria, and Philistia each receive words of judgment, the deeper theme emerges: every power that exalts itself against God will ultimately be humbled.

Together, they explore the striking passage of the "morning star" cast down from heaven, considering its connection both to the king of Babylon and to the larger biblical picture of Satan's rebellion. The conversation turns inward as they reflect on how pride still tempts every human heart—the desire to choose our own way over God's will—and the call of discipleship to die to self, abide in Christ, and trust the Lord's ways above our own.

The discussion also highlights the promises woven through the chapter: God will protect his people, bring justice to the oppressed, feed the needy, and establish peace for those who trust in him. Even in a chapter centered on judgment, the heartbeat of God's mercy and refuge shines through.

This episode is a reminder that while human pride rises and falls, the plans of the Lord stand firm, and his peace remains available to those who abide in him.