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 726 to 750 of 1354 results
726. 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... is raised is imperishable. If what dies is physical, therefore, what is raised must be spiritual. Verse 44b is presented as an inescapable ontological outcome of the preceding logic of argument. Now Paul reaches back into scriptural tradition to further define and defend his position. Harking back to Genesis 2:7, Paul reminds readers that Adam was created as a "living being." But since Hebrew theology made no distinction between this living "psyche" and any "pneuma" that may or may not have been associated ...
727. Matthew 20:1-16
Matthew 20:1-16
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... surprising for the hired day laborers to confront their employer, so it is unusual that he deigns to give them a reply. But he does. Again, although the day's wage is the unspoken issue here, the focus is once again beamed elsewhere. First, the landowner defends himself against the charge of unfairness he has paid his workers exactly the agreed-upon amount. The landowner has kept his word to his workers. As for those who came late to the vineyard, the landowner asserts that it is his decision to do whatever ...
728. Galatians 2:15-21
Galatians 2:15-21
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... Paul emphatically denies this, utterly rejecting even the premise of such a question. His answer may be variously interpreted as "by no means" or "unthinkable" or "certainly not!" In verse 18, Paul addresses the relationship between the law and the grace he so adamantly defends. There appears to be a slight break in the text here Paul's "we" references now revert back to a self-conscious "I." Yet, just as in verse 15, Paul's personal confession surely includes Peter as well. Though Paul describes what would ...
729. Luke 10:38-42
Luke 10:38-42
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... her home, Martha is quickly caught up in the demands and responsibilities incumbent upon one who would be a good host. Second, the focus of the story now shifts to Mary, who "sat at the Lord's feet and listened" (v.39). Here, the defenders of Jesus' radical acceptance of women grow quite excited Mary appears as one being taught by the Lord. She assumes the traditional posture of a student who is learning from a great rabbi. Those arguing this interpretation suggest that culturally, this picture seems quite ...
730. Luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1-10
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... testifies that he "will give" half of his possessions to the poor and that if he has defrauded anyone (the inference now is that this is an unintentional action), he "will pay" back four times as much. This translation suggests that Zacchaeus is defending himself against the "mutterings" of the crowd, that is, the charge of being a "sinner." Now this is seen not as a declaration of new behavior or repentance, but is Zacchaeus' defense of his usual behavior. Zacchaeus gives regularly to the poor, and ...
731. 1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... make himself an example, good or bad, for the sake of the gospel. While today we encourage people to "write what they know," Paul apparently came under fire for his personalized preachings before some Christian communities. In 2 Corinthians we find Paul defending himself against a number of unspecified accusations, one of which appears to be the criticism that he talks too much of himself and not enough about Christ. The fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians thus begins with Paul disclaiming any gift of special ...
732. Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... 's immediate reaction is incredulity that Absalom was left there alive. He tempts the informant by offering both monetary rewards (ten pieces of silver) and military honor (the belt) if he would kill the helpless Absalom. The informant responds with calculated shrewdness. Defending his own inaction based on loyalty to David, the informant suggests to Joab that, had he been there himself, Joab simply would have stood by and then let his underlings do the dirty work of dispatching Absalom for him. Joab is so ...
733. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... no doubt that the fish are there. Simon's answer is barely respectful. His retort clearly indicates that he is convinced that his old way of fishing, his established way of living and making a living, is the only true assessment of the situation. Having defended his reputation before Jesus in verse 5, you can almost hear Simon muttering disgustedly under his breath as he "humors" Jesus by casting out his nets anyway. The fact that despite their doubts Simon and the others do act creates the turning point in ...
734. 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... is raised is imperishable. If what dies is physical, therefore, what is raised must be spiritual. Verse 44b is presented as an inescapable ontological outcome of the preceding logic of argument. Now Paul reaches back into scriptural tradition to further define and defend his position. Harking back to Genesis 2:7, Paul reminds readers that Adam was created as a "living being." But since Hebrew theology made no distinction between this living "psyche" and any "pneuma" that may or may not have been associated ...
735. 1 Timothy 1:12-17
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... and mercy of God made incarnate. Another bolster to those claiming the authenticity of Paul's authorship lies here in verse 15. As in Ephesians 3:8 and 1 Corinthians 15:9, Paul once again identifies himself as the "foremost" among sinners. Those defending his authorship point to this unflattering self-image as both a common Pauline trait and a characterization that would not readily be boasted by an anonymous writer composing when Paul was a martyred, much venerated church father. Paul himself had no qualms ...
736. Colossians 1:15-28
Colossians 1:15-28
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... the Colossians to understand experiences of suffering not as signs of weakness or as testaments against a faithful proclaimer of the gospel, but rather as a model of Christian behavior for the church. It may be that Epaphras, whom Paul upholds and defends throughout this epistle, may have himself suffered attacks or losses that were being used as evidence against the truth of his teaching or the power of Christ. Here Paul proclaims suffering as a primary means of experiencing oneself as a genuine servant ...
737. Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... prophetic mission and message to Israel in one brief command: "Cease to do evil, learn to do good" (vv.16-17). He then expands slightly on this directive by offering the fundamental point as people of the covenant: "Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow" (v.17). The final two verses of today's text offer what might be termed "conditional reconciliation." Isaiah's words emphasize the Technicolor depth of the people's sins against God they are like "scarlet" and "crimson ...
738. Jeremiah 2:4-13
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... thus continues Hosea's tendency to humanize a God for a people who were more accustomed to the transcendent God of Isaiah. Speaking to this tiny enclave of Yahwism surrounded by pagan deities, and which itself was infiltrated by those same gods, Yahweh now defends his treatment of Israel as a wounded and jilted lover, and wonders "What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me ...?" (v.4). He laments the manner in which Israel's faithlessness cheapened her and ruined her: Israel "went ...
739. Luke 18:1-8
Luke 18:1-8
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... inclined on humanitarian grounds to assist this woman, finally does so as a matter of personal convenience. "I will grant her justice so that she may not wear me out by continually coming" (v. 5). It is unlikely that this judge was a referee and defender of the Torah law in the Jewish religious and judicial system. More probably, the judge was a functionary of the administrative law which was overlaid upon the religious law and had pre-eminence over it when the two occasionally were in conflict. The widow ...
740. Luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1-10
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... identifies him as such. Zacchaeus makes no statement of repentance, does not beg Jesus for mercy, and is not forgiven by Jesus. Thus, when the crowd complains, Zacchaeus, arguably the most notorious tax collector in the Jordan River valley, protests, defending himself as one whose custom is to give and repay. In verse 9, Jesus comes to his aid by vindicating Zacchaeus' character, saying that "Today salvation has come to this house," that is, "Today, Zacchaeus' character and reputation have been restored ...
741. Refusing to Quit
2 Timothy 4:5-8
Sermon
James McCormick
... team was doing pretty well. Then they called for the mile run. All the competitors moved onto the track to take their places. They were all finely conditioned athletes – that is, all but one. And, he took his place next to a boy from Birmingham, the defending champion, and the odds on favorite to win the mile. The gun sounded and the runners all started out. The runner from Birmingham took the lead early and never relinquished it. He won the mile in record time, amid cheers from his team and from all ...
742. Romans 10:5-15
Romans 10:5-15
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... between believing and living one's faith. Paul reinterprets Moses' lecture to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) who complained that the Mosaic law code was too long and too complex and too demanding to be really kept by ordinary human beings. Moses defended the code's authenticity and accessibility by observing that it required neither a trip up to heaven nor across the seas for people to keep it. Paul updates this Old Testament text by substituting Christ, the new law, for the legal demands of ...
743. Mark 7:24-37
Mark 7:24-37
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... the Jewish population. Secondly, in an attempt to disseminate his message and raise up leaders for the days to come, Jesus has been involved in a tiring, tedious, often tormenting attempt to tutor his chosen disciples on the message and mission he represents. As he defends his hesitancy to heal this woman's child, he speaks of his own "children" those dear, dense disciples who must be "fed," must become the bearers of the good news when he is gone. Jesus is as concerned about the success of his mission as ...
744. Mark 13:1-8
Mark 13:1-8
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... site for the past two chapters (11-12). Even this connection, however, is an odd one. Jesus' "temple tantrum" takes place where he had shown honor and worship (11:15), where he had been teaching and preaching with great success (11:18), where he had defended his proper and authoritative place (11:27f), where he had engaged in heady demonstrations of astute knowledge and wit before his enemies (11:27f; 12:12; 12:18f.; 12:28f.; 12:38f.). Now that very same place is suddenly relegated to nothing more than ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country.” The Scout’s promise. “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The President’s promise. “To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish ’till death us do part.” The promise we ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... something that is very wise. He said that people mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head. “It is actually done by the heart,” says Father De Mello, “which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.” And that’s true. We think we are reasonable people. We always weigh the pros and cons and make a rational decision. Good luck with that. If that were true, none of us would ever snap at one another or demean one another or ...
Sermon
Mike Ripski
... systems or border guards or airport x-ray machines or prisons. Jesus knew that ultimately the power of love must replace the power of fear, the power of forgiveness over the power of revenge. That until inner transformation takes place, outer measures to defend and protect will always be relative, porous inadequate. We’re fooling ourselves to think otherwise. IV. Testing our assumptions How are you being tested? For most of us, it comes at the point of the assumptions we live by that we believe are ...
748. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... the same themes and images Paul had started in 2:14-17 and 3:7-18: a discussion of the unique ministry this apostle of Christ preaches to the world. Paul’s words contain both an apologetic and an undercurrent of polemic. As Paul defends his actions and attitudes, he provides a list of deplorable characteristics that would identify a false preacher. Paul does not “lose heart” (4:1) because he is fueled by holy apostolic “boldness” (3:12-13). The transformation that Paul experienced on the Damascus ...
749. Give Me Back My Bite
John 2:13-22
Illustration
Richard J. Fairchild
... notice the snake lying in the grass beside the path. The snake was all cut and bruised and was in an awful state. "Whatever has happened to you, my friend?" the swami asked. "Since you have put your spell on me," the snake explained, "I have been unable to defend myself. Give me back my bite." "You foolish snake," the swami answered. "I told you not to bite anyone. But I never said that you couldn't hiss!" In today's gospel reading we see an angry Jesus, and it is rather refreshing, since we are so used to ...
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
... a crown, throne and scepter; he had no courtiers, no army, nor navy. All he had was a kingdom of truth and love. 2. No answer (v. 4). In the trials with Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate, a distinctive feature was the silence of Jesus. He refused to defend himself, to deny charges, or to expose his enemies. Why did he give "no answer?" An answer would do no good because his enemies had made up their minds that he was guilty of death. Moreover, they were not open to truth or to change. Jesus' silence indicated ...
Showing results