In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Hosea chapter 6, a passage titled A Call to Repentance. Hosea invites the people to return to the Lord with the assurance that God will respond as surely as the dawn breaks and the spring rains fall. Yet the chapter also reveals God’s grief over Israel and Judah’s fleeting devotion—love that evaporates like morning mist.

The discussion explores God’s heart for relationship over ritual, emphasizing that He desires love and obedience rather than empty sacrifices. Curtis and Sally connect Hosea’s message to Jesus’ words in Matthew 9, where He calls for mercy instead of ritual offerings, reminding us that God has always sought hearts that truly know Him. They also consider the cost of discipleship: being vulnerable before God, allowing His Word to cut to the heart, and engaging deeply in scripture, prayer, and community.

Amid judgment, Hosea points to God’s enduring desire to heal, restore, and make His people whole. The episode closes with the reminder that obedience and love are greater than any outward act of sacrifice, and that God’s promises of renewal are as steady as the morning light.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis reflect on Psalm 133 and its powerful imagery of harmony. David compares unity among God’s people to the anointing oil flowing over Aaron and the refreshing dew of Mount Hermon—both symbols of blessing and life. Together, Sally and Curtis explore how true harmony cannot be manufactured by individual effort but comes from God’s Spirit, covering us like oil and refreshing us like dew.

They discuss the rarity and preciousness of harmony, connecting it to Paul’s call in Philippians 2 to live with humility, put aside selfishness, and consider the needs of others. Harmony, they note, is not just pleasant but eternal—pointing us toward the blessing of life everlasting. Through stories, analogies, and Scripture, this conversation reminds us that when we live in God’s truth and love, we join in the beautiful, Spirit-led symphony of unity that reflects Christ’s character and promises life both now and forever.

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Hosea chapter 5, a sobering passage that exposes the failure of Israel’s priests and leaders. The text reveals how arrogance, idolatry, and misplaced trust in foreign powers led God’s people into spiritual ruin. Despite their sacrifices, the Lord had withdrawn, leaving them to experience the consequences of their rebellion.

Curtis and Sally discuss how this chapter shows the depth of Israel’s brokenness—their deeds would not allow them to return to God without His intervention. They explore how God’s judgment, though severe, carries the promise of restoration when His people confess their guilt and earnestly seek Him again. Drawing connections to Jesus’ teachings, they reflect on the cost of discipleship, the danger of idolatry in modern life, and the enduring call to repent and turn back to the Lord.

Even in the midst of judgment, Hosea 5 reminds us of God’s steadfast desire to be known by His people and His readiness to heal and redeem those who humbly return to Him.