Synonyms: renounce, relinquish, dispense with, forswear, disclaim, disown, disavow, discard, wash one's hands of, give up, stop, cease, drop, forgo, desist from, have done with, abjure, abstain from, discontinue, break off, refrain from, set/lay aside, desert, leave, leave high and dry, turn one's back on, cast aside, break (up) with, vacate, quit, evacuate, withdraw from, surrender, cede, yield, indulge in, give way to, give oneself up to, yield to, lose oneself to/in, uninhibitedness, recklessness, lack of restraint, lack of inhibition, unruliness, wildness, impulsiveness, impetuosity, immoderation, wantonness
Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on
Showing 3076 to 3100 of 4914 results
Sermon
Eric Ritz
We continue on our journey today as we examine and reflect on--for our spiritual edification--"The Fifth Word" of our Lord Jesus Christ from the cross. So far, we have heard our Lord share these words from the cross: First he said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Then he promised the repentant thief, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." He committed the care of His mother, Mary, to his closest friend John. Last week we heard that powerful cry from the cross "My God, My God, why ...
Sermon
Eric Ritz
There is a story about a first year theological student who was given to napping in her Basic Theology Class. Over a period of time the professor took notice of it and was somewhat angry. One day he noticed her falling off to sleep and decided that he would catch her in the act of taking a snooze. The professor had the habit of asking questions off the top of his head during class sessions. One afternoon the professor asked the question, "Why does God permit hardships, troubles and adversity in our ...
Sermon
Eric Ritz
There is a story in the Bible that, for some of you, happened yesterday, and for others will take place tomorrow; for a few it may be lived out today. It is the story of a boat ride across a beautiful lake. As Mark, the Gospel writer, tells it, it was on the lake of Galilee toward the end of the day. It was late afternoon and the scene was very soothing and pastoral as they cruised across the lake. The followers of Jesus were full of friendly chatter on the events of the day that Jesus had already done. ...
Sermon
Eric Ritz
I would fully understand if you told me that the scripture lesson read today is not found in your top ten list of favorite Bible passages. This reading from the word of God doesn't allow us to be "cozy and comfortable" about the reaction of King Herod to the birth of Christ in the drama of world history. We often place all our attention on the three kings who traveled from afar to the birthplace of Christ--we fail to devote any significant time to the one king who doesn't present himself to worship the ...
Sermon
Robert Noblett
Eleven people, so goes the story, were dangling from a rope beneath a helicopter in a rescue scenario. Being rescued were ten men and one woman. Word came down from the pilot that one of the eleven would have to let go; if not, everyone would perish. The woman spoke right up and said her whole life had been one of sacrifice -- for her children, husband, and parents -- and now she would be willing to sacrifice one last time by letting go. With that, the ten men applauded! The story's point? Never ...
Sermon
David G. Rogne
I came upon Jesus quite by accident. We didn't travel in the same circles, so it was unlikely that we would ever have met socially. I was passing through the marketplace in Jerusalem one day when I heard him speaking to a handful of people who had stopped to listen. "Just another wandering street-preacher," I thought to myself. But as I passed by I heard him talking about the Kingdom of God, and about God himself, in such unsophisticated terms, uncluttered with a lot of theology, that I could see he was ...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
Will you hear the word of the Lord as found in the third chapter of the Book of Acts, the first ten verses? “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer. The 9th hour, and a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms, and Peter directed his gaze at him with John and said, ‘look at us,’ and he fixed ...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
There are a lot of images in the Psalms -- powerful, descriptive, suggestive images. Listen. "My God is a strong rock.""In the shadow of his rock I will rest.""In the shelter of his wings I will take refuge." The images abound. God is seen as a safe harbor -- a shepherd's arms -- our life is one in which we pass through the valley of the shadow of death -- and we walk by still waters and rest in green pastures. The images are on every page. But there's one image in our Psalm today that I'm sure will at ...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
I read recently of a young man, recently married, who chanced to meet an old friend. The friend had already notched several anniversaries on his belt. After a bit of small talk, the veteran said to the rookie: "How's married life treating you?" "To tell the truth," said the young fellow, "things don't seem to be going all that well. My wife is always telling me what to do...bossing me around...acting as if I can't think for myself." "Had that trouble myself," said the man with many years of marriage behind ...
3085. Saying Yes To Forgiveness
2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
Joe E. Trull tells of a primitive tribe located deep in the South American jungles. Anthropologists learned the most important role within the tribe was the "keeper" of the flame. Since fire is so precious -- and takes such effort to recreate -- one member is entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the flame alive. During the night the flame keeper adds wood to the fire. He keeps the fire alive whenever the tribe moves to another location -- carrying it in some vessel in order that the very difficult ...
Sermon
Phil Thrailkill
“I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” In a message titled Seizing Your Divine Moment Erwin McManus speaks of his son Aaron: “One summer Aaron went to youth camp. He was just a little guy, and I was kind of glad it was a church camp. I figured he wasn't going to hear all those ghost stories.... But unfortunately, since it was a Christian camp and they didn't tell ghost stories, because we don't believe in ghosts, they told demon and Satan stories instead. And so when Aaron got home, he was ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Many of you probably went to a university where one of the hot issues among students was, if the professor’s late, how long do we have to wait? At one university custom dictated that if a professor was ten minutes late, class was canceled. Well, a professor arrived early one morning for a 9:00 a.m. lecture. He placed his hat on his desk, and went to the faculty room. Before he knew it, it was 9:10. By the time he got back to his classroom, it was empty. The next day, he let his students have it. “When my ...
3088. Called to Freedom
Matthew 11:25-30
Sermon
Mark Trotter
The temptation in all times, the temptation in the Middle ages and the temptation of many in our time, is to make religion a matter of rules, and to believe that those who obey the rules are the ones who are good, and saved, and those who do not obey the rules are the ones who are damned. Which is bad enough as religion, but what made it worse is that God is made the enforcer of this system of rewards and punishment. What Luther did was break through all of that and establish for all time that Christianity ...
3089. Get a Charge
Matthew 21:28-32
Sermon
Mark Trotter
The news media is turning its attention now to the 2000 elections, which means that for the next year we are going to be preoccupied with politics. I think if you asked someone in our society what they expect of a politician, they would say leadership. If you asked them to define that, I think they would say it means selflessness, giving oneself to the common good of the nation, standing for what is right, and not only for what is expedient, representing everyone, the common folk as well as those in power ...
Sermon
Mark Trotter
We were all attracted to the story of Lance Armstrong winning the Tour de France last weekend, that grueling bicycle race. It is one of the great endurance races in the world today. Lance Armstrong won it in record time, two years after undergoing surgery and then chemotherapy for cancer that spread throughout his body, including to his brain. It is a testimony first of all to the wonderful advances that medicine has made in curing cancers, but everyone recognizes as well that it is a terrific testimony to ...
Sermon
Mark Trotter
Lord Dunsany said, "It is seldom that the same man knows much of science, and about the things that were known before science." That has been my experience, and I think there is a reason for it. You can blame it on the Darwinians, and their assumption that life is always evolving into higher, more complex forms, so that what is now is better and more sophisticated than what was before. That was brought home to me when our children pointed out to me, "This is the 80s." They said that back in the decade in ...
3092. Christ the King
Psalm 100:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:1-31
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
COMMENTARY Old Testament: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 As the shepherd for his people, Yahweh will seek the lost, gather, and feed his sheep with David as the prince among them. A popular metaphor for a religious-political leader in Judah was "shepherd." False shepherds, says Ezekiel, led Judah to ruin and captivity. So, Yahweh will be her shepherd who will bring his sheep out of captivity in Babylon, feed them with justice, and restore them to their former homeland. The nation will be restored under a davidic ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
This is one of my favorite gospel stories. It tells of Jesus' power – power to bring light to blind eyes and empty lives. Too much of Christ's church has become a wuss. Like those of us who live in states where a normal winter is constant snow showers, for the past few winters we've been spoiled by warm weather and snowless skies. Now when a rare snowstorm does appear, look at how we handle the challenge. We're no different from those living in the Sunbelt – we huddle in our homes because of below-zero ...
3094. Epiphany 3
Psalm 27:1-14, Isaiah 9:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Matthew 4:12-17, Matthew 4:18-22
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Isaiah 9:1-4 has been chosen as the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday because it is quoted in Matthew 4:15-16. The larger text of Isaiah 9:2-7 was the Old Testament lesson for Christmas Day. Psalm 27:1, 4-9 is the first section of a psalm that presents the prayer of an innocent person who is being falsely accused and persecuted. Isaiah 9:1-4 - "Salvation for Zebulun and Naphtali" Setting. The historical setting of Isaiah 9:1-4 is most probably in the latter third of the eighth ...
3095. Proper 17
Exodus 3:1-22, Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 12:9-21, Psalm 105:1-45
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 3:1-15 is the call of Moses, which ends with the revelation of the divine name, while Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b adds an alternative section (vv. 23-26) to the historical hymn of praise that was also the psalm for Proper Fourteen. The replacement section recounts Israel's oppression in Egypt and the calling of Moses and Aaron to save them. Exodus 3:1-15 - "Deciphering God's Call" Setting. Exodus 3:1-15 is best characterized as a call narrative. The call narrative is an established ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Over the years, Reader’s Digest has printed many quirky items from the daily lives of ordinary people. Many of these items are quite amusing. For example, Jennifer Pace wrote in a few years ago to tell about a billboard she passed while driving through Texas. The billboard read: “Stand Up and Be Counted for the 2000 Census.” The sign was sponsored by the Rosewood Cemetery. (1) Another woman wrote in with a funny excuse she heard from a co-worker. The man explained his absence from work by saying, “I’m ...
3097. The Gift of Newness
2 Corinthians 5:17-20
Sermon
James McCormick
What picture pops into your mind when someone says the word, “church”? Is it a picture that quickens your pulse and stirs your blood? Or, is it a picture more likely to encourage a snooze? Is it characterized more by excitement and adventure? Or more by dullness and predictability? If we are talking about the first century church, those questions are easy to answer. Those first century Christians became so excited about their message that onlookers accused them of being drunk. They became so energetic ...
Sermon
King Duncan
A little boy was taken to the dentist. He had a cavity that needed to be filled. “Now, young man,” asked the dentist, “what kind of filling would you like for that tooth?” The youngster thought for a moment and replied, “Chocolate.” That young man is a positive thinker. It seems to me that we don’t hear as much about positive thinking as we used to. Some of you will remember when, under the influence of the late, great Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, positive thinking was the rage. “If you can think it, you can ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
We are a “celebrity culture,” fixated and fascinated by the rich and famous because everything they do seems so much larger than life. They are over the top gorgeous. (Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt, anyone?) They are outrageously rich. (Julie Roberts gets $20 million per movie). They are hysterically funny (one of my favorite comedians, Bill Murray, has a sister who is a Sister: Nancy Murray, a member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, a flourishing Congregation of the Order of Preachers, which has a motherhouse ...
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
Many years ago, my wife Gloria and I decided to take dancing lessons at the local Arthur Murray studio. We knew a few dances already but we wanted to add to our repertoire. So, we took lessons one night per week for about six weeks. Quickly we discovered that we needed some place to practice our lessons, especially the foxtrot and the waltz. Our home did not have a room large enough for that purpose. Then we thought about a large classroom at our church. It had plenty of space. So, following our lessons, ...
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