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 51 to 75 of 127 results
51. Trust versus Self-Reliance
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Teach the Text
Preben Vang
... such an event and encourages them to recognize God’s faithfulness (Deut. 7:9). If he speaks to the strong, however (which seems most likely), who consider participation in such banquets their right, the word “test” may best express the sense. If they abstain from participation in these idol banquets, they are heeding Paul’s call to watch out that they do not fall. They will therefore pass the “test.” God is faithful; his test is not intolerable—they will be able to endure it. The test reveals ...
Teach the Text
Ronald W. Pierce
... only human greatness but also its duration. Bible: Judges 13–16. Samson is an example of human greatness granted and removed in God’s timing. He is raised as a Nazirite (cf. Num. 6:1–21), dedicated to the Lord, and instructed to abstain from drinking wine, touching dead bodies, and cutting his hair. Samson frequently uses abilities beyond the natural, as God’s Spirit empowers him to kill a lion barehanded (Judg. 14:5–6) and fight victoriously when greatly outnumbered (14:19; 15:14–17). Though ...
Sermon
Durwood L. Buchheim
... enhance their popularity. Only when some of them got caught violating the sixth commandment, did some of their adoring public turn on them. One gets the impression that people are not immoral even though they lie, steal, covet or cheat their neighbor, as long as they abstain from illicit sex. For Christians, sex is a gift from God. Sex is a part of God’s created order. The fact that women and men are sexually attracted to each other makes life richer, more exciting and beautiful. But to live for sex as to ...
54. Clean Hands
Mark 7:1-23
Sermon
King Duncan
... other missionary families in their community because of their "sin" of indulging in peanut butter. Because peanut butter was a luxury that had to come from the States, some of the other missionaries considered it a sign of spiritual maturity to abstain from peanut butter. Giving up peanut butter was, in their perspective, a sacrifice for their faith. When this young missionary family continued to eat peanut butter, the other missionaries ostracized them. In the end, the young missionary family gave in to ...
Sermon
James Merritt
... . 4:1-3, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." There is going to be a time when you are going to see who makes up the wheat and who makes up the tares. In the church you have ...
56. Dust in the Wind
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Sermon
Timothy Cargal
... called this association into doubt, but by sincerely entering into the rituals they will once again mark themselves as those whom the world will expect God to protect (v. 17). But simply going through the motions won’t do. They cannot simply abstain from food, but must “sanctify a fast.” They cannot simply gather together to commiserate, but must “call a solemn assembly.” In these ways they reclaim for them­selves the dignity of God’s own people, and with that, God’s protection rather than ...
Sermon
Richard Gribble
... special actions -- fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We can prepare ourselves for the renewal of our relationship with God by making the conscious decision to eat less and to avoid certain things that we might especially like. One might also consider abstaining from some habitual pleasure that is harmful to us, such as drinking or smoking, during this holy season of homecoming preparation. We can also prepare by greater devotion to prayer. This may manifest itself through a daily reading and reflection upon ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... run after sin. Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful . . . Let the ear fast . . . by not listening to evil talk and gossip . . . Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?” That’s hitting the nail squarely on the head. Even a good thing like fasting can be abused. The central purpose of lent is to bring us back to God. That is the message of our lesson from the ...
Sermon
Charley Reeb
... being by the power of God’s love. God’s will is for you to be well adjusted emotionally, spiritually, sexually, and mentally. So what is the first thing Paul tells us not to do if we want to be healthy and whole human beings? “That you abstain from fornication.” That’s an old fashion word! It sounds like it came out of a tent revival. What is fornication? Fornication is any sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage. So the Bible says that any sexual activity that is not within the bounds of ...
60. Proper 18 & Pentecost 16
Ezekiel 33:1-20, Psalm 119:1-176, Psalm 95:1-11, Psalm 115:1-18, Exodus 19:1-25, Romans 13:1-7, Romans 13:8-14, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 18:15-20
Bulletin Aid
... Moses had to go up Sinai a second time with that message and Gold told him to go down and assemble the people so that they could hear him speak in the thunder when he addressed Moses on the mountain. They prepared themselves, washed their clothes, abstained from sexual relations, and on the third day they were ready and gathered at the foot of the mountain. From there, they saw the mountain covered with smoke, felt the thunder as God gave additional instructions to Moses. He was to go down and get Aaron and ...
61. The Cloak
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Sermon
Rick Brand
... again as the writer flees from the presence and grace of God because the poet is afraid that in serving God, all the beauties and blessings of earth will be taken from him. In order to serve God, the poet fears that he will have to abstain from all the good things of the earth. But God continues to pursue. God, the Hound Dog of Heaven, keeps stirring up the hunger of the heart. That hunger that is not satisfied with anything the earth offers. "Naught shelters thee," God tells the poet, "Nothing will ...
Understanding Series
Cheryl A. Brown
... Nazirite, but nowhere does it state that he was a Nazirite from birth. In the NT, John the Baptist appears to have been a Nazirite from birth. The text states that he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb and that he should abstain from wine and fermented drink (beer) (Luke 1:14–15). 13:15 We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you: The allusion to Abraham was surely intentional (Gen. 18:1–10) and underscored the contrast between Abraham’s son, Isaac, and their ...
Teach the Text
Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
... human rules, but rather heartfelt loyalty (Matt. 15:8; Mark 7:6). No one can honor the Father without honoring Jesus (John 5:23). Those who serve and therefore honor Jesus will be honored by the Father (12:26). More specifically, we honor the Lord by abstaining from sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:12–20) and by generously sharing our material wealth with those who are in need (2 Cor. 8:19; Gal. 6:10). This is a story about honoring God and experiencing spiritual renewal, not about how God reveals himself to ...
64. Called to Bigness
Isaiah 58:1-12, Matthew 5:13-20
Sermon
James L. Killen
... many things we have managed to convince ourselves are okay. That too has infiltrated our religion. It has not been many years since churches required all of the people who would be Sunday school teachers to promise to be regular in church attendance and to abstain from the use of tobacco and alcoholic drinks so they can set a good example for the young people of the community. Now very few churches have any such expectation. Many church members insist that what they do in their "private lives" is nobody's ...
Sermon
Brett Blair
... for the Hebrews centuries ago. They are not just a set of social mores that had their day but have long since faded away. A page from the 1905 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church stated that, along with smoking, the clergy should abstain from drinking Coca Cola. It went on to enumerate the detrimental effects that such stimulants could have upon the body. This view was stated after cocaine was outlawed in 1902 and removed from Coca-cola. Well, to be sure, there are rules that are here today ...
66. Fans or Followers
Matthew 4:18-22
Sermon
King Duncan
... , yeah, but isn’t bacon a meat? Is it really accurate for her to identify herself as a vegetarian? . . .” Then he adds that the discrepancy was solved by coming up with a new term to describe vegetarians who aren’t committed to abstaining from meat. They now identify themselves as “Flexitarians.” “A Christian,” continues Idleman, “by definition, is a follower of Christ. So, I’m thinking that what might help make sense of the 233 million number is a new word to describe people who identify ...
67. Getting It Straight
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Sermon
Donald Charles Lacy
... allowances for repentance and forgiveness are absolutely necessary. Surely we don't have to be caught between a rigid moral code that lacks compassion and a licentious lifestyle that preaches anything goes. We must pray daily for our young people to abstain from sexual activity until marriage becomes realizable. In a Christian sense, how can the prospective bride and bridegroom prepare for the wedding vows, promising until death do they part? We might suggest for them to begin as new teenagers to promise to ...
Understanding Series
Elizabeth Achtemeier
... . 7:6, etc.). We also know that such fasts were held in commemoration of past catastrophes, such as the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 587 BC (Zech. 7:1–7). During the usual one-day fast, the people abstained from all normal activities—from eating and drinking, from work, and from sexual intercourse. Instead, they devoted themselves to prayer in loud weeping and wailing before God, often rending their clothes or striking themselves on the cheek, sprinkling themselves with dust and ashes ...
Sermon
Ronald Love
... I. Augustine’s writings influenced the late fourth-and early fifth-century church, and still guides us to this day. In his commentary on Titus 2:12 Augustine wrote: But there is a great and general fasting, which is perfect fasting, to abstain from the inequities and illicit pleasures of the world: “that, by denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we may live soberly and justly and godly in this world.” What reward does the apostle add to this fasting? He continues and says, “Looking for that ...
Sermon
Sandra Hefter Herrma
... light, we will begin, as Paul did, to see ourselves as though we were foreign nationals, living away from our own home country, keeping our allegiance to the Kingdom of Heaven while enjoying our service in this nation. After all, no one expects an ambassador to abstain from enjoying the country in which he or she is posted. How well can I represent the United States, if I despise everything about the country in which I am serving? So we are not expected to despise this life, this earth, this nation. But we ...
71. Proper 8
Genesis 32:22-32
Sermon
... of the night. Was this a literal contest? There is no reason to deny it. There must have been some sort of physical contact because, when Jacob resumed his journey the next morning, he was lame. This physical fact is commemorated today by Jews who abstain from eating that part of the animal which corresponds to the hip and thigh area in Jacob. People are not normally hurt in imaginary contests. At the same time, it is fair to conclude that the outward wrestling was only a symbol of the spiritual struggle ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... Son, when you grow up, you can marry any girl you please.” When he grew up, he learned that he could not please any of them. Some people choose not to marry. Others have no opportunity for marriage. They never meet the right person. Others may choose to abstain from marriage to devote their life to serving God. The Bible says in Genesis 2:18 “it is not good for man to be alone,” and therefore God created woman. And it is true we were not created to be alone. Everyone needs someone. But that does not ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... sense. So they are to emulate the holiness of their God (11:44–45), from whom impurity is to be kept separate (cf. Lev. 7:20–21), by separating themselves from specified physical impurities (chaps. 11–15). In chapter 11 this means abstaining from eating meat of creatures regarded by God as “unclean” in the sense of unfit to eat. Some impurities are temporary and it is permitted to incur them, provided that proper purification is carried out, but an impure kind of creature is permanently prohibited ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... man or woman could voluntarily take a special Nazirite vow of separation in order to be holy to the Lord for a period of time that he or she would specify. A holy lifestyle during the period of dedication would include abstaining from drinking intoxicating beverages or consuming any grape products, letting one’s hair grow without cutting it, and avoiding the severe physical ritual impurity of corpse contamination (6:3–8). Through the Nazirite vow, the Lord makes it possible for nonpriestly Israelites ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... after the meal; (4) the rest of the Hallel psalms were sung. (There is disagreement over whether there was a fourth cup.) Jesus expresses his intense desire to partake of the Passover with the disciples (22:15). Some scholars have said that Jesus abstained from the meal, but the most natural meaning of verse 15 is that Jesus did eat the Passover with the disciples. This Passover meal, however, is the last one Jesus will eat with his disciples. But the meal also takes on eschatological significance. Jesus ...
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