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 901 to 925 of 4939 results
Sermon
Charles L. Aaron
... in the face of all of the corruption, bickering, pandering, false promises, and just general buffoonery that go on in our government. We feel a bit better if we can poke fun at our leaders. If we are not careful, however, we can slide into cynicism. We can give up and stop caring. We read today of an antidote for cynicism. First Timothy calls us to pray for kings and all who are in high positions. In the United States, we don't have kings to pray for, so we pray for the president and our elected officials ...
902. The Total Gift
Romans 1:1-17
Sermon
Timothy J. Smith
... on the Damascus Road where he met the Lord Jesus. It was then that he was, “set apart for the gospel of God.” From that moment on Paul would spend the rest of his life laboring for the Lord Jesus. More than that, Paul was willing to give up his entire life, everything he had labored for up to that moment, to put himself to use for Jesus. Because of that powerful experience Paul completely surrendered to his Lord. We are called to follow Jesus just as Paul was called. Paul in his opening words to the ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... , the little girl who was not supposed to live, and then who was not supposed to be able to walk, ran in the biggest races of them all. Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in track in Rome’s 1960 Olympic Games. (1) It is always easier to give up than to endure. It’s always easier to blame others than to take responsibility for one’s life. There’s power in determination. Every person who has ever made any significant contribution to society is a witness to that. Secondly, in the story of the man with ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... his closest friends said of him, “He would march into the heart of hell to see it firsthand.” (2) “He would march into the heart of hell . . .” I know someone else who was willing to march into hell to rescue those he came to save—one who was willing to give up his own power and divinity to walk in our shoes—one who gave up his life on the cross to save us from the power of death. Easter reminds us that Jesus came to save us. Help and hope are closer than we think. The poet wrote that “hope ...
905. Down by the Riverside
Mark 1:4-11 · Genesis 1:1-5
Sermon
Billy D. Strayhorn
In one of my favorite commentaries, the comic strip "Peanuts", Linus says to Charlie Brown: "I guess it's wrong always to be worrying about tomorrow. Maybe we should think only about today." To that, Charlie Brown responded: "No, that's giving up. I'm still hoping that yesterday will get better." Haven't you ever fellt like that? The Good News is that Jesus says "YES" even to our yesterdays. He accepts us as we are, forgives us and renews us, and as one preacher put it, "Washes behind the years." Because ...
906. No Other Gods
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Sermon
King Duncan & Angela Akers
... things away, have you ever thought of how fortunate we are to have modern conveniences like garbage collection and recycling services? I respect people who want to live “off the grid,” but these are two perks of modern life I don’t ever want to give up. In ancient civilizations, people used to throw garbage on the floors of their homes, or out in the yard or the street. Of course, the garbage didn’t just sit there and rot. They had plenty of pigs and rats roaming the streets, which helped with ...
Sermon
John B. Jamison
... oppose Rome. As a result, the Appian Way, the road that reached three hundred miles between Rome and Brindisi, was lined on both sides with six thousand crosses, each holding a crucified slave. Rome was very good at making their point. Some people who refused to give up their Christian faith were tied, dipped in tubs of oil, and tied to poles in the main courtyard of Nero’s house. That night, those Christians were used as torches to provide the light for Nero’s parties. For more and more members of the ...
Sermon
Jill J. Duffield
... , knowing all Jerusalem loomed in the distance? Was calculated Christianity all about our gut-it-out, stick-to- it, never-give-up, grit? Or could it be Jesus wanted us to make intentional choices, to be informed, and smart. Maybe this calculated ... them? Would it be something like ― I will donate ten items of clothing in order to be closer to Jesus’ admonishment to give up my possessions. I will measure this by counting out ten items of clothing and taking them to Goodwill. This is attainable because, ...
909. Your Wake-up Call
Philippians 3:1-11
Sermon
King Duncan
... Syrian army who contracted leprosy. You remember that story. In order for God to heal him, the prophet Elisha told Naaman he had to remove all his armor and bathe himself in the Jordan River. Laurie made the point that Naaman had to humble himself, give up his symbols of strength and protection, and submit to God’s plan before he could be healed. Something in the story of Naaman spoke to Chad Williams’ deepest needs, and he gave his life to Jesus that night. Today, Chad Williams is a bestselling author ...
Sermon
Lee Griess
... free! In Christ Jesus I am free! I am free to be who God has made me to be. It is up to me to get on with it. I only need allow Christ to live in me and take control of my life. Sometimes we think that when we give up control of our lives to Christ, we are no longer responsible for them. But just the opposite is true. When we turn our lives over to God, allow Christ to direct us, then we become truly responsible for ourselves. Jesus' parable of the fig tree calls us to take responsibility ...
911. Yearning For A Loyal Friend
Job 6:14-30 · Matthew 26:69-75
Sermon
Wallace H. Kirby
... as I look about the room: tables overturned, dishes stacked in the sink, garbage piled in one corner. As I sit and try to be quiet, a little voice whispers: "You're no good. You never were any good. You will never be any good. Why don't you just give up, curse God, and die?" As I think about the negative things the voice whispers, I hear a soft, persistent knocking. The voice on my shoulder tells me to ignore it, and I realize the voice is afraid that I'll discover something if I answer the knock. I go over ...
Sermon
E. Carver McGriff
... acceptance of a set of religious teachings, more than the embracing of a set of moral principles which make so much sense to be sure -- all of which are important -- and becomes an inner realization of the unfailing and undying love of a God who never gives up on us, transformation takes place. When I realize that Jesus died, not just for "the world" or "all humanity," but for me personally, and when I understand there's a sense in which his spirit lives in the people around me so that hurts I may ...
913. Lent 2
Mk 8:31-38 · Rom 4:13-25; 8:31-39 · Gen 17:1-7, 15-16; 22:1-18 · Ps 22
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
... all that was familiar without telling him his exact destination. God promised that he would make a great nation of him but waited until he and his wife were old before he fulfilled that promise. Now it was time for the final exam. Would he be willing to give up his son, his only son, in obedience to the Lord? Such a demand seemed contradictory to God's promises. That three-day trip to Moriah must have seemed like an eternity. Yet Abraham knew his subject and trusted that God would not ask him to do anything ...
Sermon
Lee Griess
... free! In Christ Jesus I am free! I am free to be who God has made me to be. It is up to me to get on with it. I only need allow Christ to live in me and take control of my life. Sometimes we think that when we give up control of our lives to Christ, we are no longer responsible for them. But just the opposite is true. When we turn our lives over to God, allow Christ to direct us, then we become truly responsible for ourselves. Jesus' parable of the fig tree calls us to take responsibility ...
915. Proper 14
Mt 14:22-33 · Rom 9:1-5 · Ex 14:19-31 · Ps 106:4-12
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
... may face all kinds of hardships, even persecution. God does not promise "skies always blue and flower strewn highways all our lives through." His only promise is that he will be with us. This was demonstrated by Jesus' coming to their rescue by walking on water. 2. Giving up Security for Adventure. Peter thought, "What Jesus can do, I can do. If Jesus can walk on water, so can I." He asked Jesus to invite him to come to him by walking on the water. Jesus said, "Come." Before he could walk on water, Peter ...
916. Nothing Is Impossible
Exodus 13:17--14:31
Sermon
Walter Kimbrough
... an evil spirit. His father was concerned sufficiently enough to seek help for the boy in a time when all help had failed. The boy was brought to the disciples of Jesus with the request for healing, but they were powerless and confused. The father did not give up hope in the quest of healing for his son. So, with an insistent spirit he saw Jesus and reported on the condition of his son with the declaration of the disciples’ inability to help. It is almost like saying that Jesus becomes, for all of us, our ...
Sermon
Robert Beringer
After a service of ordination to the Christian ministry, a sad-faced woman came up to the newly-ordained pastor and said, "It's a grand thing you are doing as a young man - giving up the joys of life to serve the Lord." That woman's attitude reflects a commonly held belief that to be serious about our faith means that we expect all joy to be taken out of living. For many, Christianity appears to be a depressing faith, with unwelcome disciplines, that cramps ...
918. Nervous Hands
Psalm 139:1-24
Sermon
... he could gain other's approval. But only hours later, due to a new fear, he was willing to deny the Lord. He was nervous when he thought his own hide was in jeopardy. When it came time for Peter to be approved by the crowd, he was willing to give up the Lord because of his own fear. That's exactly what happens to you and me, as too frequently fear becomes a motivator in us. Fear becomes the motivation in us that causes us to do things that are not in keeping with our relationship with the Lord. It is ...
Sermon
... , like Thomas, he would believe. The same thing is happening to many people in the United States and other parts of the world. People demand first-hand religious experiences. When congregations and denominations do not provide such experiences, some simply give up on the church and turn to spiritualists and mediums who promise to provide them with direct access to the divine dimensions of truth and personal revelations from God. But that is not the way that God usually operates, despite Moses’ experience ...
Sermon
Richard F. Bansemer
... . "Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That’s quite a deal. Why turn it down? Why carry more in life than God intended? We ought to simplify our lives, throw away those luxuries that have become burdens; give up trying to be happy by getting more things, because things don’t grow or flower. Things we own begin to own us. Things need attention, and attention takes time, time better spent listening for the voice of God. What sound, man-made, can compare to God’s ...
Sermon
Hubert Beck
... the gospel is to be proclaimed to all the world. For Peter in this moment, though, even with the vision still dancing in his head, a very basic thought must have been going through his mind. That thought must have been an inner reluctance to give up life-long habits. His whole life had been under the influence of understandings that said the Lord God of Israel was not only in himself unique, but Israel as a nation was uniquely identified with him. The Jewish faith was for Jews, and to aggressively address ...
Sermon
Brett Blair
... to ministry. There are disciplines that go along with that. All of us are under the burden of righteousness. Ask Paul, ask Martin Luther, ask John Wesley. All in their own way attempted a life of righteousness and it almost brought them to their knees in despair. We give up. In our own way we say “Lord, we have been going to church for so long and we have been praying so hard, and there seems so little answer, just let us rest and leave us alone.” This Christian life can be a burden. Let me tell you ...
Sermon
Gregory J. Johanson
... living and surviving. Number 5: Jesus asked Peter three times to feed his sheep. Earlier in the Gospel story, Jesus tells Peter he must forgive his brother not seven times but seventy times seventy. As members of the body of Christ, we must never give up our efforts to provide nourishment for ourselves and others, to work through whatever is getting in the way of our feeding, and to challenge destructive ways of feeding. We are called to follow Christ into the thick of our human predicaments, alcoholic or ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... ignoring the importance of works. The Christian life is a life of action. It is a life of striving, of never giving up. Why do I stress this? There are times when a Christian needs to know how to fight. For example, research shows that people can sometimes improve ... their odds in battling cancer if they do not give up. The person who caves in and says, "Oh well, this is just God's will," may very well be decreasing his or her odds ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... alcohol--70 percent more likely to have been intoxicated than their peers in large metropolitan areas (2) This is a universal problem. And here is the scary part: many of these people who are afflicted with chemical addictions sooner or later face this dilemma: give up your addiction or die. And some of them are into their habit so deep that they choose death. A scientist conducted an experiment in which he made cocaine available to some monkeys. These monkeys could pull a lever in their cages to release a ...
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