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 4851 to 4875 of 4915 results
4851. Real Heros
Hebrews 11:1-40
Sermon
King Duncan
Those who are into Xtreme sports know that there are cameras that will allow you to film your exploits. You have probably seen ads for these cameras. It is specially designed for bikers, surfers, snowboarders, scuba divers, dirt track drivers, skiers, auto racers or participants in any other action sport. The name for one of these cameras is the HD GoPro HERO camera. You can mount the HERO camera to your helmet, handlebar, windshield, car bumper or any other place you can think of where you might capture ...
Sermon
David O. Bales
In 1936, near the beginning of the Spanish Civil War one horrible center of fighting was the Alcázar fortress near Toledo. In the middle of horrific fighting, however, every day the firing stopped twice in order to allow a blind beggar to tap his way on the street between the firing lines. We can imagine how welcome those few minutes were to the men on both sides. They probably hoped that the blind man walked slower to give them a few more seconds of peace. Then the reprieve ended and the slaughter again ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Business writer Dan Miller in his book Wisdom Meets Passion reveals some fascinating information about the brilliant artist, sculptor and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci, the ultimate “Renaissance Man,” was interested in about anything of consequence. He had an intense curiosity about birds and how they flew. He studied their wings and modeled helicopters, parachutes, and flying machines based on their anatomy. The freedom and movement of birds served as a metaphor for da Vinci’s life. He observed ...
Sermon
A piece of humor has been circulating on the Internet for some time about a young polar bear cub that approached his mother one day and asked, “Mom, am I a polar bear?” “Of course you are,” she replied with a smile. “OK,” said the cub, and padded off. Later, he found his dad out by the iceberg. “Dad, am I a polar bear?” he asked. “Sure you are, son!” said his dad, wondering why his son would ask such a silly thing. The next day, the cub asked the question again and again. “Are you and mom polar bears?” he ...
Sermon
Wayne Brouwer
Even though we like laughter and enjoy praise and celebration, especially at this time of year, it doesn't always come easily. One fellow tells of his work as a hospital volunteer. He couldn't believe the pain and suffering he saw there: burn victims, deformities, terminal cancer. He watched the little ones cry. Some children were so lonely. Their parents couldn't take the trauma, so they never came to visit their own children. How horrible! This fellow decided to get a clown's nose and a pair of oversized ...
4856. The Wrong Gift
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Sermon
Wayne Brouwer
What did you get for Christmas? We shouldn't ask it, but we do, don't we? It is part and parcel of our experience of the season. While Christmas gift-giving may have originated in Christian communities seeking to celebrate the divine gift to us, it is now our culture that demands we spend and purchase and drive the economy into the black through our holiday purchases. We are obligated to give gifts. We are cajoled into giving. We must ?nd the "right" gift for each person on our list. Can you do it? Did you ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
The acceptance of the Gentiles into the church without the necessity of circumcision (with the implication of submission to the whole law) might seem to have been assured after the conversion of Cornelius and his friends. At that time, even in Jerusalem, the bastion of Jewish tradition, those Christians who had met to consider the matter had agreed that God had “granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (11:18), though they probably never dreamed that this would be anything more than an exceptional ...
Understanding Series
Donald A. Hagner
The Ineffectiveness of the Law The argument of the preceding two chapters is restated in this section (10:1–18), bringing the central argument of the epistle, namely, the imperfection of the old order and the perfection of the new, to a conclusion. The only new material in this section is found in verses 5–10, where the author’s thesis finds further support in his exegesis of Psalm 40:6–8. All the other material is a restatement of earlier points. The entire central section is then effectively rounded out ...
Understanding Series
J. Gordon Harris
Religious Preparation for War: 5:1 The wonders of crossing the Jordan demoralize the enemy for the tribal attacks. Enemy kings find their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites (lit. there was no spirit in them). Rahab’s analysis proves true as residents of Canaan experience the “melting of hearts” and “loss of spirit” when they hear of God’s victories east of the Jordan (2:11). Jericho and the cities become vulnerable when the God of the tribes conquers the Jordan. Joshua ...
4860. Moab Revolts
2 Kings 3:1-27
Understanding Series
Iain W. Provan
Elisha and the Conquest of Moab: Elijah has gone, and Elisha has been authenticated as his successor. We expect, on the analogy of Elijah’s own life (and because of God’s words in 1 Kgs. 19:15–18), that succession means involvement in politics, and this is what we now find as Elisha is consulted about a military campaign. Echoes of 1 Kings 22:1–28 are everywhere to be heard, especially in Jehoshaphat’s renewed alliance with the house of Ahab. We must listen to these words intently if we are to understand ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
Big Idea: Paul showcases another blessing from the Spirit of the new covenant: glory. More particularly, the Spirit is a sign of the glory of the age to come and the new covenant. And yet, that glory occurs in the midst of this age and suffering. Understanding the Text 1. Suffering/glory (8:18) 2. Three groanings (8:19–27) a. Creation groans (hope for the revelation of the children of God) (8:19–22) b. Believers groan (firstfruits of the Spirit / by hope we were saved) (8:23–25) c. The Spirit groans (the ...
4862. Eliphaz
Job 4:1–5:27
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
4:1–14:22; 15:1–21:34; 22:1–27:23 Review · Three Cycles of Dialogue: Job has no idea how true his last few words are. He has spoken them of his past. He will soon discover that they anticipate his future. The frustrating dialogues with the friends lie ahead—agitating trouble has indeed come. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar will by and large collectively affirm a traditional doctrine of divine retribution: God rewards good and punishes evil. Job will declare his innocence. The friends will increasingly grow ...
Sermon
Robert Leslie Holmes
This gospel according to John is filled with a series of vivid verbal masterpieces of the genius, glory, and grace of Jesus Christ, God's Son. Bible scholars have long believed that each of the four New Testament gospels is targeted at a particular group. Matthew writes his gospel to the Jews. We see that in his frequent references to the Old Testament. Mark writes his gospel with the Romans as his primary target. Hence, Mark is succinct and to the point. His is the first written among the four gospels. ...
4864. The Believer's Freedom
1 Corinthians 10:23--11:1
Understanding Series
Marion L. Soards
Once again Paul broaches the subject of merely eating idol meat, but now he seems concerned with the eating of such previously sacrificed foods outside the confines of the pagan temple. The section is challenging to translators and interpreters because Paul writes in a vigorous style that takes abrupt rhetorical turns that can be and often are lost in the reading of the text. Identifying Paul’s line of thought is crucial to comprehending this otherwise confusing passage. Paul gives a helpful hint when he ...
4865. Prologue
Revelation 1:1-3
Understanding Series
Robert W. Wall
The author’s prologue to Revelation intends to establish its content as a revelation (apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ. The book’s opening phrase has a twofold function. First, it situates the composition within a particular literary and theological tradition: apocalypticism. Within this tradition, the idea of revelation refers to a process whereby God makes known through visions the final days of salvation’s history. Such visions are not like dreams; they are revelatory acts of God, mediated typically through ...
Sermon
David & Marian Plant
If we take away nothing new from the Passion story this year let us take away this: through it we can learn to walk in the dark and remember that the dark is as day to God. Barbara Brown Taylor titled her 2014 book Learning to Walk in the Dark. .In the introduction she pointed out, “From earliest times, Christians have used ‘darkness’ as a synonym for sin, ignorance, spiritual blindness, and death. At the theological level, however, this language creates all sorts of problems. It divides the day in two, ...
Sermon
King Duncan
I’ve got a pop quiz for you today: how many steps does it take to walk around the world? Since we aren’t Jesus and can’t walk on water, we are excluding oceans and major bodies of water. Well, there is a website that measures such achievements as walking around the world. According to their calculation, it takes the average person around 20 million steps to make that walk. Can your Fitbit register 20 million steps? Or would it melt down after about 10 million? Among the handful of people who have proof ...
Sermon
Derl G. Keefer
My parents did not attend church when I was a child. A godly aunt and uncle asked my parents if I could attend church with them in 1951 when I was four. Fast forward to Christmas 2018 and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have missed church. I entered pastoral ministry in 1970 while in seminary and have preached dozens of Christmas sermons. Each time I preach an Advent message I have to ask myself the same question, “Why did Jesus come to earth?” The ending story of our text tells of ...
Sermon
Billy D. Strayhorn
The widow Jesus points out in today's passage is considerably different than one I read about in newspaper article a number of years ago. It seems that in Indianapolis, a wealthy widow was found dead in her home. The police discovered over 5 million dollars in cash stuffed in trash cans, shoe boxes, drawers, tool boxes, paper bags, the pockets of clothing and even in a vacuum cleaner bag. Most of the money was in $100 bills. Two million of the money was found in a trash can next to the widow's bed. Mrs. ...
Sermon
King Duncan & Angela Akers
Let me ask you a question: how many of you would like to trade places with me on a Sunday morning? How many of you wish you could preach a few sermons instead of sitting and listening to them? I read about one pastor who was shaking hands with his parishioners after worship. At the end of the line was a church member who always had something to say about his messages. The woman shook the pastor’s hand warmly and said, “Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!” The pastor beamed ...
Sermon
Lori Wagner
That’s so fire! That’s current Gen Z teen slang for “off the charts awesome!” When something happens that is dynamic, amazing, and, as we older generations might say, “really, really cool,” it’s now “SO fire!” People in the workforce recognize “FIRE” as a different concept. For many, FIRE means “financial independence, retire early,” a lifestyle aspired to by many. The idea is to work hard and long in your early years so that you can retire early and enjoy your later years. Sadly though, this strategy has ...
Sermon
Ron Lavin
We have before us two stories, the story of a sick woman with a twelve-year-old hemorrhage and the story of a twelve-year-old girl who has died. The stories are integrated by one theme -- the compassionate healing of Jesus. The Sick Woman Our stories start out with Jairus, a synagogue leader, approaching Jesus with a request to come and heal his sick daughter. On his way to the home of Jairus, Jesus was met by a woman who had been sick with bleeding for twelve years. In terms of modern medicine, she ...
Sermon
James McLemore
What is meant when we say, "Go down to the potter's house"? Let me explain through these illustrations. A young mechanic was doing his studies about engine repair. He was in the final stages and was discussing with his instructor what he felt was the most important thing he needed to learn to master the engine. He told his instructor that he had read all of the relevant material on the internal combustion engine, the rotary engine, and turbochargers. He stated that he knew that the engine has nine systems ...
Sermon
Charles H. Bayer
The story of Jesus turning water into wine has long been a puzzle. It was not just a bit of wine he produced, but a tank full! Those committed to abstinence at best and temperance at least find it hard to imagine Jesus beginning his ministry with such an invitation to drunkenness. Nor is it much comfort to construe the wine as unfermented grape juice. In the first place, the Greek word is wine, and in the second place any effort in those pre-pasteurized days to keep grape juice free from the yeasts of the ...
4875. Boast In The Lord
1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5
Sermon
Richard Hasler
A young man went for a walk to meditate. He soon found himself in a field of ripe pumpkins. Also in the field happened to be a great acorn tree. The young man observed the tiny acorns hanging down from gigantic branches of the tree. Then he glanced at the enormous pumpkins on the tiny vines. He meditated for a while, and then said to himself, "God made a mistake. He should have put the tiny acorns on tiny vines and the great pumpkins on the great branches." Pondering God's apparent mistake the young man ...
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