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 1176 to 1200 of 4490 results
Sermon
Leonard H. Budd
Caleb was probably the laziest boy in the whole village. At least that was his reputation, although no one had ever done scientific study on the question. Caleb could sit in one position - usually, shaded by a tree and upon a matting of soft grass - for hours. He could sit there and watch the clouds move across the sky from daybreak to sunset. Actually, he was never out of bed at day break so the statement was more for effect than truth! This day Caleb had chosen to escape his field chores by hiding away ...
Sermon
Leonard H. Budd
Matthias was the 13th of the 12 disciples! He had been chosen by lot to fill the 12th spot when Judas had removed himself from the close circle of Jesus' followers. Matthias had followed the crowds down from the Galilee and had been close to all the disciples through much of the teaching years. And so, with the casting of the lots that picked him, Matthias joined the inner circle of disciples. He was a serious man, trained in the religious law, and certain that Jesus was the expected Messiah. So certain ...
1178. Easter 3
John 21:1-14, Acts 5:17-42, Acts 9:1-19a, Jeremiah 32:1-44, Revelation 5:1-14, Psalm 33:1-22, Psalm 30:1-12
Sermon Aid
George Bass
THEOLOGICAL CLUE Compared with the traditional calendar of the church, the revised titles of the Sundays in the church year give only general clues to the theology of worship and preaching on the Sundays of Easter. At least, that is what is assumed to be true. Misericordia domini was the title of the Second Sunday after Easter - "Mercy Sunday" - which is now the Third Sunday of Easter. It was also Good Shepherd Sunday, because the traditional Gospel for the Day was John 10:11-16. That gospel and the name ...
Sermon
William Luoma
There is one morning in the year when churches can get away with scheduling worship at a very early hour. That is Easter morning, of course! Some people will be there because they want to make the resurrection of Christ a reality in their lives. Others will come because their teenagers are in the youth group that is serving breakfast after the service. But whatever the motivation, it is a unique opportunity for a meaningful worship experience. A sunrise service can be scheduled at one of the usual times, 6 ...
1180. Sealed by God
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Children's Sermon
Brett Blair
Props: A warranty for a small appliance, the small appliance, an electric receptacle if possible. For purposes of the children's sermon, I will refer to a hand mixer. You may adapt the children's sermon to the type of appliance you can bring. Lesson: Good morning. Do any of you know what this is? (Hold up the mixer) Yes, it's an electric mixer. Have you ever seen your Mommy or Daddy use this? (Responses) What sort of things do they use the mixer for? (Responses) Do you know how it works? Plug it in, if ...
Sermon
Kendall McCabe
"Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile," the weary black slave would sing to the hot southern night, giving expression to the condition of having been taken from home and family and subjected to the power of death. Although none of us has known the bitterness of that dehumanizing experience, the sung lament has surely expressed our own agony of soul from time to time, as we confront isolation and alienation and the world becomes too much with us. "The dark night of the soul" is a fact of the religious ...
1182. The Call to Obedience
Luke 22:42 · Romans 1:17 · John 15:10
Sermon
Robert G. Tuttle
In the last chapter we talked about the door of faith which opens upon the whole expanding Christian experience. In this chapter we want to look at the obedience to God in our inner nature and lifestyle that comes from and grows out of the experience of faith. The problem of disobedience began with the dawn of time and has been repeated in every generation. It is known to me in my own acts of rebellion against God. The original sin is probably my own natural bent to put myself at the center of the universe ...
Sermon
Harold Warlick
Do you remember the first time someone broke a promise to you? For most of us, I imagine, that occurred in our childhood. Remember what a shocking experience it was? A quote I uncovered from an unknown author stands unchallenged in the affairs of men: "The vast majority of man’s problems arise because individuals fail to keep their promises." The history of the Christian faith is a history of promises broken. The term covenant in our Scriptures means a solemn promise made binding by an oath which may be a ...
Children's Sermon
Wesley T. Runk
Object: Sticks, twigs, or pencils and a string Good morning, boys and girls. Have you noticed how much earlier morning comes every day now or how the night seems to go away sooner every day? That's the way God planned it when he made part of the day light and the night dark. The day that has the most darkness is December 22, and every day up until June 22 gets lighter and lighter and after June 22, it gets dark earlier until December 22 again. God divided the days so that they would be just right. God made ...
Sermon
Richard A. Jensen
"Daddy. When you came home last Saturday night and stumbled up the stairs and hollered at Mom I was scared to death. I get really scared and upset when you drink too much." Tracy Hayes was the speaker. She was eleven years old. She spoke these words to her father during what is called an "intervention." Mrs. Hayes and her children, Tracy and Kevin, along with their pastor, a few friends, and Mr. Hayes’ boss made the very difficult decision to "intervene" in the life of Wendall Hayes. It was their ...
1186. The Children of Promise
Jeremiah 30:1--31:40
Sermon
Harry N. Huxhold
A serial killer is the object of a serious psychological study in the novel The Alienist by Caleb Carr. The alienist in the nineteenth century was an expert in mental pathology. In this story, set in 1896, the alienist is Llazo Kreizler, hired by Theodore Roosevelt, then Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Mr. Roosevelt was intent upon apprehending the serial killer of the young boys caught in the web of an unsavory lifestyle. As Kreizler tries to develop a characterization of the nature ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Churches are funny places. Have you ever noticed that? Burt Kettinger tells about a small church in Rocky River, Ohio, just west of Cleveland where he grew up. This church had a small restroom behind the pulpit with a door right behind the pulpit for the convenience of the pastor. There was also a door on the other side of the restroom that led out to the church parking lot. One day the pastor was waxing eloquent on Rev. 3:20. With great pathos he exclaimed that the Lord is standing at the door of our ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Do you recognize the name Elwood Edwards? Many of you hear his voice every day, and yet you don't know his name. Actually, Elwood's voice is heard more than 27 million times a day. This equals more than 18,000 times each minute of the day. Elwood Edwards is the man behind those three special words (No, not "I love you") but three words that are dear to the hearts of computer users, "You've got mail!" In 1989, Edwards' wife Karen was working in customer service for a little-known outfit in Vienna, Virginia ...
Children's Sermon
King Duncan
Object: Bring a brightly colored Easter egg for each child. Have them in a basket for display at the beginning of the lesson. [Show your basket of eggs.] Does anyone know why we have Easter eggs? They are a symbol that helps us remember what Easter is really all about. Easter is about Jesus dying on the cross for us, then being raised from the dead. Think of this egg as Jesus' tomb. What happens if we let this egg hatch? A baby chick will break out of it full of life. The shell on the outside seems cold ...
Sermon
Arley K. Fadness
It happened to a rural Lake County, South Dakota, Lutheran church in August of 2000. Vandals attacked the fieldstone St. Peter Lutheran Church building with vengeance -- breaking windows, smashing light fixtures, flipping over the baptismal font, slashing a large "Jesus the Good Shepherd" painting, scribbling, and carving obscenities into the sanctuary walls and fixtures. The golden altar cross had been swung like a bat to gouge pews and walls. In the basement, kitchen dishes were broken and objects flung ...
1191. Epiphany 6
Matthew 5:17-37, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; 3:1-23, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 119
Bulletin Aid
John R. Brokhoff
COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (C) Moses gives his people a choice of life and death. The scene is Moab where the Israelites have assembled prior to crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. Our pericope is the conclusion to Moses' third address to his people in which he exhorts them to renew the Sinai covenant and warns them of disastrous consequences of their disobedience. The people are called upon to make a life or death decision. "This day" occurs three times to accent the urgency of the ...
Sermon
James McCormick
None of the four gospels tells the whole story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We have to read all four to get the full picture. The well known “seven last words from the cross” for example, are not found in any one gospel account. In order to hear all seven words, you’ve got to read all four of the gospels. And, accounts of the resurrected Jesus’ appearances to his followers are spread throughout the four as well. While all the gospels are important, probably each of us has his or her ...
1193. Easter 3
Psalm 116:1-19, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Luke 24:13-35
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
TEXTS FROM ACTS AND PSALMS In bringing these readings together, the lectionary focuses our attention on making our vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. The psalm meditates on fulfilling such a vow as an act of thanksgiving for all God's bountiful provisions for us, and the account from Acts shows us certain penitent persons at Pentecost publicly professing repentance and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in reaction to Peter's proclamation, "God has made him both Lord and Christ, ...
1194. Proper 23
Psalm 106:1-48, Philippians 4:2-9, Matthew 22:1-14, Exodus 32:1-33:6
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 32:1-14 is the story of the golden calf. Psalm 106:6-8, 19-23 is a historical summary that recounts this event in poetic terms. Exodus 32:1-14 - "The Power of Petition: Part 1" Setting. Last week we noted how the account of Israel at Mount Sinai actually lasted for 72 chapters in the Pentateuch (Exodus 19; Numbers 10) . Exodus 19-34 is frequently separated out as a distinct unit within the account of revelation at Mount Sinai, because it presents a self-contained story in three ...
1195. The 3 Rs of a Holy Life
2 Corinthians 13:1-14
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
An old adage warns, “bad things always come in threes.” Have you found this true in your own experience? That bad things (and good things) like to happen in community, in bunches? You say: we invent this connection by suddenly realizing that we got a flat tire on the same day that a computer glitch devoured our hard drive, shortly after our last contact lens just slid down the drain. I say: there seems to be something significant about the power of three. Today the church celebrates the Triune God—Father, ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims. His sinister presence ...
1197. A Life to Die For
Acts 6:8-15; Acts 7:54-8:1
Sermon
John E. Harnish
October 31…Halloween. It seems to get bigger every year. On my street, there are more decorations, more lights, more pumpkins, more ghosts and goblins. November 1, on the other hand, passed with little notice. For John Wesley, it was just the opposite. It was his favorite holiday. Reading his journals, you can pass December 25 with hardly a word about Christmas, and you can comb through his entries from February to June any year and hardly determine Ash Wednesday or Good Friday. But on November 1, Wesley ...
1198. Lent 3
Exodus 20:1-21, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, John 2:12-25
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-21 The 10 commandments are unconditional demands of God. They are absolute laws that express the will of God for his people. Israel is his people, for a covenant was established at Mount Sinai. The commandments follow the covenant relationship as the people's response to God's grace in making the covenant. They are not conditions to be met before God is their God, but rather because he is their God. They will live as his children according to these absolute laws. The ...
Sermon
Donna Schaper
I went to the store to buy a new pair of blue jeans. The clerk asked if I wanted slim fit, easy fit, or relaxed fit, regular or faded, stone washed or acid washed, button fly or regular fly ... and that's when I started to sputter. Can't I just have a pair of blue jeans, size fourteen? Then I went to the grocery store and found 85 varieties of crackers, 285 kinds of cookies, and thirteen different kinds of raspberry jelly. Can't I just get a cookie and a cracker and a bottle of jelly any more? I am in ...
Sermon
David O. Bales
Peter writes to Christian slaves. In the late first century AD, when the Christian church spread from Palestine into the larger Roman Empire, a greater and greater percentage of the church was slaves. In the ancient world slaves were any color. Masters thought up excuses why it was allowable to enslave another, but at least they didn't create the most laughable and tragic excuses, reasoning that it was okay to enslave a person of a different color. Slaves were a legal commodity, bought and sold. Some were ...
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