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 4276 to 4300 of 4681 results
Sermon
Robert C. Cochran
... (who is only three years older than I am). It was a very expensive coat and looked practically new, so I knew George hadn’t worn it. The reason was obvious: it was an extremely thick, long ski jacket that made the wearer look like a pregnant, black polar bear. The fur that covered the whole coat had to be four or five inches long. The really sad thing was that the satin lining had a terrific embroidered snow eagle. I would have loved wearing the coat if I could have turned it inside-out. But, alas, this ...
4277. Cargo Cults - In John They Trust
Matt 24; Luke 21
Illustration
Paul Raffaele
... . They never forgot the mysterious luxury goods that the G.I.’s brought with them. After the troops moved away, some of these remote people groups developed “cargo cults,” religions based around the worship of a god who would one day return bearing material gifts, like cars and flashlights. One of the last known surviving cargo cults still exists on the island of Tanna, where many people identify themselves as members of the John Frum religion. According to the worshipers, John Frum was an American ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... final plan to restore the world to a relationship with Him. Don’t just go through the motions this Christmas season. Don’t just make an outward show of your religion. Turn back to God. Confess your sins. Get the garbage out . . . and bear the fruit of joy and peace that comes from knowing that you’ve been restored to God. 1. https://www.parents.com/baby/development/talking/moms-speak-out-on-babys-hilarious-first-words/. “Children’s Weirdest First Words” by Cheyenne Ellis. 2. PreachingNow. Editor ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... the character and the values of God. But our bodies are still living in this world—a world full of sin, a world in which people neither fear God nor care for their fellow man. Walter Payton played thirteen years as a running back for the Chicago Bears. During his career he rushed for 16,726 yards. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? That’s a lot of running, more than nine miles worth of rushing yards. You know what makes it even more impressive? He achieved that record with someone knocking him down every ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... they confront him with a ridiculous, hypothetical question about a woman whose husband dies. According to the law given to Moses in Deuteronomy 25, if a man dies and leaves a childless widow behind, that man’s brother has an obligation to marry her and bear children with her, so that she would inherit family land and have some financial security and protection. So, the next brother marries her and also dies soon after. The same thing happens with the next brother, then the next one, until this poor widow ...
4281. From Bad to Worse
Illustration
Staff
... . When the bull passed, the cowboy jumped out of the hole again. He did this several times. Finally, the other cowboy, who was watching it all from a distance yelled out, “Why don’t you just stay in the hole?” The cowboy yelled back, “I would, but there’s a bear in the hole!”
4282. Point of Reference
Illustration
Dick Cupp
... 100 yards away from the safety of his South Pole hut when a sudden blizzard hit. The temperature was several degrees below zero, and the snow was blinding. There were no landmarks in the white expanse of snow and ice-covered sea that would help him get his bearings. Yet, he knew that if he didn’t find the comparative warmth and safety of his hut, he would freeze to death in a matter of minutes. Admiral Byrd could not see his hut or anything else in the freezing blizzard that would guide him to safety. His ...
4283. Order of the Iron Cross
Illustration
Author Unknown
... jewelry to be melted down and made into money for their country. He resolved, moreover, that for each gold or silver ornament contributed he would give in exchange a bronze or iron decoration as a token of his gratitude. Each decoration would bear the inscription, “I gave gold for iron, 1813.” The response was overwhelming. And what was ever more important was that these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former possessions. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations ...
4284. How My Light Is Spent
Luke 17:5-10 and Mark 10:46-52
Illustration
Robert Pack and Jay Parini, Editors, adapted from Miller Williams
... bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he returning chide, "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need Either man's work or his own gifts: who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed And post o'er land and ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and wait." True faith has vision that goes beyond mere sight. Or as Jesus would say ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.” Let that sink in. You think your sin is only between you and God? We all bear the image of God. If we are in conflict with each other, then we are in conflict with God. The gift Jesus is referring to is the sacrificial animal laid on the altar and killed to atone for a person’s sins. But Jesus is saying, “Forget about the sacrifice ...
Sermon
Arley K. Fadness
... any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another." Friends in Christ, Recently, we heard the news of a Chicago couple who left their two little ...
4287. Don't Give In
Matthew 4:1-11
Sermon
David & Marian Plant
... of the Hebrew people as they struggled with their own temptations in their lives, being tempted by self-doubt, and an often quiet God who seemed to speak only to select people with way too much space in between encounters. You have likely heard that it bears an uncanny resemblance to our own lives. It shines a light on our experience with God, particularly fragile in the face of the temptations that are around us, but pointing us to the possibility that we can face down the demons of temptations and come ...
4288. But What of Lazarus?
John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44
Sermon
David & Marian Plant
... Lazarus and sees another tomb waiting. He called forth his friend from death and knew one cannot give life unless one died. He said it himself: unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. As surely as Lazarus had left the tomb, Jesus must enter it. What else was happening here — what was really happening here — was Jesus performing the very act that would bring about his own death. And so here we stand on the Fifth Sunday of ...
4289. The Call of the Wild Within
Genesis 12:10-20, Genesis 12:1-8, Luke 2:41-52
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... jail, floggings, stoning, broken bones, near drowning, and continual threat of death, would never stop proclaiming Jesus as Lord for the entirety of his torturous yet joyous life. Think of the courage of young Mary, an unwed teen mom, who would go on to bear the Messiah, despite the potential consequences of dishonoring her family and the stoning that could follow. Think of the courage of our forefather Abraham, who at the age of 75along with his nephew Lot, led his entire family out of civilization as they ...
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... tools are directed at your own soul? What happens when you look at the occurrences in your life with those tools? What do you see?] Magnifying glass: Inspecting for Radiant Joy Mary, Jesus’ mother sings a beautiful song when she finds that she is going to bear the Messiah. It begins like this: “My soul magnifies the Lord! And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior!” (Luke 1). Hannah sings a similar song: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; In the Lord my horn is lifted high.” (1 Samuel 2). A heart ...
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... was hit by a car and was lying by the road when his owner found him. He had serious looking injuries, and he appeared to have taken his last breath. His owner was so distraught that she asked her neighbor to bury him for her, because she couldn’t bear to do it. The woman mourned deeply, but about five days later, she walked into the yard and encountered Bart purring up at her. She nearly fainted for fright. But it was surely Bart. She took him to the vet. He had a broken jaw and severe lacerations. One ...
4292. A Taxing Encounter
Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... the Lord! Jesus explains that this abundance is not just a result of following lots of empty rules and coming from the right lineage. But the Hebrew lineage is full of those who have erred and those who are not from a pure bloodline. Those who bear the covenant of the Lord are those who are faithful and devoted to God in all things. “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings,” says the prophet Hosea (6:6). Jesus often quotes from the prophets as well ...
4293. Moving On
Luke 6:12-16, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... his group of disciples would become his most trusted representatives, those who knew and understood his mission the best and had the loyalty and faith necessary to receive the power and authority of Jesus –and the Holy Spirit. They would be sent to towns ahead of Jesus, bearing the news of the coming kingdom and telling them that the Messiah would be coming there. They had the authority to expel demons and to heal, so that all would know, they were sent by the One who had the authority of God. Some of the ...
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... notion was. He walked, and dead men cannot move themselves. He was thinking his brain was functioning, and he was breathing; and that, after all, is the quintessence of living. But none of these arguments had any effect. No matter what reason was brought to bear against his position, no matter how sensible the argument, the man maintained that he was dead. He parried their thrusts with ingenious skill. He seemed to have a way of constantly putting the burden of proof on the other. He never quite came right ...
4295. Scandal
Matthew 16:21-28, Matthew 17:14-23, Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 26:1-5
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... to heaven, so that all present would hear God’s voice blessing him. He tells them what will happen using key metaphors that he hopes they understand. But they don’t. Perhaps they don’t want to understand. Perhaps denial is so much easier for them to bear. Is it that they don’t want to lose their rabbi, their master? Or is it something more? Has he disappointed them? Has he challenged their view of what the messiah should be? The gnawings of doubt begin to creep in, even as they claim to recognize ...
4296. The Light That Dwells Among Us
Matthew 16:13-20, Matthew 16:21-28, Matthew 17:1-13
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled ...
4297. The Great Dinner
Luke 14:1-14, Luke 14:15-24
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... to implicate them, perhaps even to his surrounding listeners. Those same Pharisees plot quickly to trick him up. The environment in Matthew seems much more contentious and charged than the one in Luke. The stories are so similar that it bears mentioning them both here. Did Jesus repeat the story tweaked a bit for two different audiences? Perhaps. Whichever story you choose, the lesson is pretty much the same, except in Matthew’s account, the consequences are clearly elaborated. The Pharisees --Israel ...
4298. No Fair!
Matthew 20:1-16
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... for those decisions will always be our challenge. In this parable as well, the image of vineyard workers is vital. We are not just hanging about in God’s kingdom garden doing nothing. But we are spending our time working on behalf of God to spread God’s seed, to bear fruit, to praise and worship God with our labor and lives. We all have a job to do in God’s kingdom. We are to invite all of God’s children to join us in our endeavors. This is particularly a strong message to the church, who tends to ...
4299. The Lamb
Luke 19:28-44, Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, John 12:12-19
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... to let it go. A true sacrifice has to be given “from the heart.” This was the willingness of Abraham. And the necessity for atonement at the Passover sacrifice. In fact, at the time of sacrifice, when it came your turn to come to the Priest bearing your lamb, you would need to declare your love for the animal. Only then would your sacrifice be accepted and your atonement ensured. “Do you love your lamb,” the Priest would ask. “I love my lamb,” you would confess. Then you would let go of your ...
4300. True Colors
Acts 9:1-19a, Acts 9:19b-31
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... a person alive in Christ. Each time, God, the everlasting Light, is making something new. The word for that darkness that Abram felt was “emah” –a dread, a terror, a fear, a darkness. But when he emerged, the Light had changed his life. And he would bear a son. He would be the father of all of God’s people. From the sleep of “death” comes the Everlasting Light. In Greek, the word is “doxa,” from which we get the word “doxology,” the “glory” of God that is the shekinah. When Saul was ...
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