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 4801 to 4825 of 5000 results
4801. John 12:20-33
John 12:20-33
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
Preceding this week's gospel text is the stunning miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Yet as amazing as Jesus' ability to bring Lazarus back to life was, for John that event is simply an introduction to the real heart and power of the gospel. The climax of the Lazarus drama does not come when the bound figure stumbles out of the tomb. The punch line of that story is here in chapter 12, where the true miracle yet to come is disclosed and the scope of Jesus' mission is revealed. Ironically, it is in ...
4802. Luke 24:36b-48
Luke 24:36b-48
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
This week's text picks up the post-resurrection events after several miraculous appearances have already been reported. At the tomb the women had encountered two angelic messengers who announced, "He is not here, but has risen." Notice that Luke has at least three women witnessing the pronouncement of the two heavenly beings more than enough to legally validate the testimonies of both the messengers and their tomb-side audience. Similarly, Jesus' Emmaus road appearance is to two men again meeting the ...
4803. Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians 1:3-14
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
The enthusiasm and eloquence of the Ephesians' author are magnificently apparent in these opening texts. Ephesians 1:3-14 is actually one very long complex sentence, into which the author weaves both the traditional opening blessing format of a formal letter, an internalized hymn and the outline of concerns and issues that will direct the rest of this epistle. While far richer and more extensive, Ephesians 1:3-14 is similar in style to the opening texts in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:3-12. All of ...
4804. John 6:24-35
John 6:24-35
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
As part of the fourth gospel's continuing efforts to disclose Jesus' identity so that people might believe, the "bread of life" discourse is crucial. Jesus distinguishes the "living bread" from all other human attempts to nourish body and soul. Not even the manna gathered in the wilderness can compare to the eternally nutritious power of the true bread of heaven. Chapter six begins with two of the most startling and impressive "signs" Jesus ever delivered: feeding five thousand hungry listeners with a mere ...
4805. Mark 8:27-38
Mark 8:27-38
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
The journey that drives Mark's gospel finds Jesus moving on continuing to spread the boundaries of his mission. Already Jesus has been well beyond Galilee, to the northwestern region of Tyre and Sidon, and to the southeast and Decapolis. Now as chapter 8 opens, Jesus and the disciples journey far to the northeast and enter Caesarea Philippi. Here in this distant corner of the countryside, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks, "Who do people say that I am" (v.27)? It is obvious from the recent discussion ...
4806. Revelation 1:4b-8
Revelation 1:4b-8
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
There is little agreement over anything having to do with the book of Revelation. True authorship remains a mystery - there is no clear evidence to establish whether the writer might have been John the gospel writer or John the son of Zebedee or if "John" was simply a late redactor's pseudonym used to heighten the acceptance of this book of visions. Neither does internal evidence clearly suggest when this book may have been written. While most scholars place it about 94 A.D., there are arguments for ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
How would you describe a color to someone who had been blind since birth? [This would make a great moment to walk down into the congregation and turn your “audience” into “participants,” or you can continue on probing the question yourself.] What can you say about “blue” or “red” or “green” to someone who has no concept of color, of bright, light, or dark? Well, you would almost have to use examples from the sense the blind person did have - touch, scent, sound, taste. Blue is “cold” compared to a “hot” ...
Sermon
King Duncan
A Sunday school teacher was proud of her lesson for the day. She thought she had presented the material quite nicely. Summing up, she asked the class, “And what do we learn from the story of Jonah and the big fish?” Eight-year-old Suzy thought for a moment and answered, “Always travel by air.” Well, I hope that’s not the only thing we learn from the story of Jonah. Most of you know at least part of the story of the prophet Jonah. It is one of the most colorful and memorable stories in the Hebrew Bible. ...
4809. Three Fishing Stories
Mark 1:14-20
Illustration
Jacob M. Braude
1. An old-timer sat on the river bank, obviously awaiting a nibble, though the fishing season had not officially opened. A uniformed officer stood behind him quietly for several minutes. "You the game warden?" the old-timer inquired. "Yup." Unruffled, the old man began to move the fishing pole from side to side. Finally, he lifted the line out of the water. Pointing to a minnow wriggling on the end of the line, he said, "Just teaching him how to swim." 2. Mark Twain once spent a pleasant three weeks in the ...
4810. Mark 1:21-28
Mark 1:21-28
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
Mark’s gospel is an action story, which explains why live-action sermons can work well when you’re preaching from the earliest gospel. For Mark what Jesus DOES is a more direct revelation of who he is than what he says. Today’s gospel reading demonstrates that focus perfectly. While Jesus is described as teaching in the synagogue, Mark’s text fails to record a single word of that learned lecture. Instead Jesus’ authority, his authority over scripture and his authority over demonic spirits, is showcased by ...
4811. Jesus Christ Marked Down 50%
Mark 1: 21-28
Illustration
Staff
Chuck Swindoll tells about a commercial product put out by one of the largest department stores in our nation. It proved to be disastrously unsuccessful. It was a doll in the form of the baby Jesus. It was advertised as being unbreakable, washable and cuddly. It was packaged in straw with a satin ribbon and plastic surroundings, and appropriate biblical texts added here and there to make the scene complete. It did not sell. The manager of one of the stores in the department chain panicked. He carried out a ...
Sermon
King Duncan
One of the best known stories in all literature is the story of Noah and the Ark. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the more modern version of that story. Let me give you an abbreviated version as posted by somebody on the Internet: The Lord spoke to Noah and said, “Noah, in six months I’m going to make it rain until the whole world is covered with water. But I want to save a few good people and two of every living thing on the planet. So I am ordering you to build an Ark.” “OK,” Noah said, trembling ...
4813. Etched in Stone
Exodus 20:1-21
Sermon
King Duncan
A mother and her two small boys were having a serious discussion about stealing and why it was wrong. “Tell me,” she said, “Why do you think stealing is wrong?” Five-year-old Luke said that stealing was against God’s laws. He had learned about the Ten Commandments in Sunday school. Mother asked the boys if they knew any of the other Ten Commandments. Luke remembered two others: “You shall not murder,” and “Honor your father and mother.” But the boys couldn’t think of any other commandments, until little ...
Sermon
King Duncan
A woman was getting swamped with calls from strangers. The reason? A medical billing service had launched an 800 number that was identical to hers. When she called to complain, she was told to get a new number. “I’ve had my number for twenty years,” she pleaded. “Couldn’t you change yours?” The company refused, so the woman said, “Fine. From now on, I’m going to tell everyone who calls that their bill is paid in full.” The company got a new number the next day. This is the day on the church calendar when ...
4815. 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
1 Corinthians 9:1-27
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
You think the year 2008 was filled with highly charged political debate? Forget it. That was nothing compared to the heated battles that kept tempers taut between Jews, Christians, and Gentiles in the first century. The key issue of these debates? Nothing less than the requirements necessary for salvation. As the most outspoken Christian apostle to the Gentile community, Paul was on the front lines of every battle, every skirmish, every fracas fought between and among the Jewish/Christian/Gentile faithful ...
4816. The Direction of Icebegs
Mark 1:29-39
Illustration
Staff
Countless icebergs float in the frigid waters around Greenland. Some are tiny; others tower skyward. At times the small ones move in one direction while their gigantic counterparts go in another. Why is this? The small ones are pushed around by the winds blowing on the surface of the water, but the huge ice masses are carried along by deep ocean currents. What moves you? The prevailing wind or deep currents?
4817. Being Christian
Mark 1:29-34
Illustration
King Duncan
Gorman Williams spent most of his life as a missionary to India. In 1945 he purchased tickets for a long-awaited vacation back to the United States. He had counted down the months and days until he would be home. A few days before he was to leave he heard about some Jews who had escaped the wrath of the Nazis. They had traveled by boat to India seeking refuge. Since it was a time of global war, the Indian government denied their request to immigrate. They were granted permission to stay for a short time in ...
Sermon
Mike Ripski
Last Sunday we began Advent, our preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ first coming and of our anticipation of his Second Coming. This Advent we’re looking at one of Jesus parables through the lens of Advent. It’s the parable that goes by different names, depending on which of the characters is put in the spotlight: the Elder Son, whom we focused on last Sunday; the Loving Father, whom we’ll focus on next Sunday. And the Younger Son, the Prodigal Son, whom we’ll focus on today. Using the lens of Advent ...
4819. Thin Spaces
Matthew 17:1-13
Sermon
Mike Ripski
A few Sundays ago I observed that in the Celtic Christian tradition there is an appreciation for what are called, “Thin Spaces” – those times when heaven and earth intersect. Those occasions when extraordinary and ordinary merge. When John Wesley had the experience of having his “heart strangely warmed” – that’s an example of a “Thin Space.” Jesus took three of the disciples, Peter, James, and John up on the mountain. There they saw Jesus transfigured before their blinded eyes. They saw Moses and Elijah ...
4820. Mark 1:40-45
Mark 1:40-45
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
There is one particular facet of Jesus’ mission that was a complete failure. At least in Mark’s gospel, time and again Jesus instructed those he healed to keep quiet about their experience (see Mark 1:25, 34, 44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:56). Yet those who experienced healing or witnessed Jesus’ miraculous works blabbed the news to everybody they met. The result, according to Mark’s gospel, is that Jesus ended up surrounded by great crowds of the curious (1:45; 6:35-34; 7:24-25; 10:1). What has been tagged as “the ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Author Larry Davies, in his book Sowing Seeds of Faith in a World Gone Bonkers, tells a story with which many of us can identify. He says the check‑out line at his local grocery store was long and he was in a hurry. Seeing another line nearby nearly empty, he walked over and stood behind the only customer still to make a purchase. A young twenty‑something woman was holding a small basket with fifteen to twenty jars of baby food. There was nothing else in the basket: just baby food. “This is great,” he ...
4822. Sometimes It Isn’t about Winning
Mark 1:40-45
Illustration
Billy D. Strayhorn
Back in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, there was a swimmer by the name of Paula Barila Bolopa. Paula was the women's 50 meter freestyle swimmer from Equatorial Guinea. She had also never been in a 50 meter swimming pool until she arrived in Sydney to compete. How did Paula qualify for the Olympics? Compared to her competition, she can barely swim across the pool and doesn't even get her face wet when she swims freestyle. She had never stood on a starting block before the Olympics. In fact, Paula didn' ...
4823. Mr. Macho & Forty Days of Love
Mk 9:2-9
Illustration
King Duncan
Have you ever been confronted with a message that changed your perspective? One church chose as its Lenten theme, "Forty Days of Love." Each week members of the congregation were encouraged to show their love and appreciation in different ways. The first week they were encouraged to send notes to people who had made positive contributions to their lives. After the first service a man in the congregation wanted to speak to his pastor. The pastor describes the man as "kind of macho, a former football player ...
4824. A Visionary Moment
Mark 9:2-13
Illustration
Edward F. Markquart
One of my favorite stories about the United Nations is the story about Dag Hammarskjold, who was Secretary General of the UN many years ago in about 1961. Many of us like his book entitled, MARKINGS. MARKINGS is Hammarskjold's notes of his life as Secretary General of the United Nations but it is also a spiritual diary of his spiritual journey. Hammarskjold was a mystic, believing in the mystery of life and the mysteriousness of God. In his diary, he wrote the following words: "Summoned to carry it; alone ...
4825. Lent: Giving Up
Mark 1:9-15
Illustration
Billy D. Strayhorn
Self Denial is about making a sacrifice that makes a difference, focusing on the Cross and reminding ourselves what Christ gave up for us. Rev. Craig Gates of Jackson Mississippi has a great list of suggestions. He says we should: GIVE UP grumbling! Instead, "In everything give thanks." Constructive criticism is OK, but "moaning, groaning, and complaining" are not Christian disciplines. GIVE UP 10 to 15 minutes in bed! Instead, use that time in prayer, Bible study and personal devotion. A few minutes in ...
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