by Zeke Flores<\/p>\n
Christianity, for most, is a venture into uncharted territory.<\/p>\n
It’s easier to shrink back into familiar practices than it is to change mindsets and behaviors. So, far too many people do just that; instead of delving into the unknown, which promises to make them better, they cling to the comfort of the past, though it keeps them bound from moving on.<\/p>\n
Even some who have tried to make the break find themselves retreating into the familiar simply because it’s what they’ve always known. And their spiritual growth is stunted, never reaching its full potential.<\/p>\n
Look, true Christianity isn’t for sissies. It’s unpopular, difficult, and more than a little scary. But it’s also freeing. Let it free you from the things that keep you bound from realizing your intended potential before God.<\/p>\n
Break the chains.<\/p>\n
“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?<\/em>” (Galatians 4:8-9).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Zeke Flores Christianity, for most, is a venture into uncharted territory. It’s easier to shrink back into familiar practices than it is to change mindsets and behaviors. So, far too many people do just that; instead of delving into the unknown, which promises to make them better, they cling to the comfort of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[1297,1288],"class_list":["post-87513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-habits","tag-steadfastness"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":60104,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-we-bound-by-our-cultures-traditions\/","url_meta":{"origin":87513,"position":0},"title":"Are we bound by our culture’s traditions?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 28, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In this region of my country, there is a traditional belief that the spirit of your ancestors will kill you and your children if your wife has an affair. If you present a cow to your in-laws during your father-in-law's funeral and you did not do the same during\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1858,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-are-your-opinions-about-the-disney-company\/","url_meta":{"origin":87513,"position":1},"title":"What are your opinions about the Disney company?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 13, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: The Disney company presents itself as a producer of family-oriented products, but it appears to be simultaneously promoting immoral ideas. What are your opinions about the Disney company? Answer: Whenever you find a group of people working together, you are bound to find people of immoral character within the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59222,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/religion-and-war\/","url_meta":{"origin":87513,"position":2},"title":"Religion and War","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer \"If religion is so great, why are religions responsible for so much war?\" First, this type of statement assumes that all religions are essentially the same. They aren't. Some religions actively teach peace. Biblical Christianity (not the perverted forms) is one of them. Second, this assumes that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/war.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":66626,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/christianity-is-a-crutch\/","url_meta":{"origin":87513,"position":3},"title":"Christianity Is a Crutch","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores Some people say, \"Christianity is a crutch for the weak!\" I agree; it is a crutch. More precisely, it's a help, a way to cope. God's way is a comfort for the afflicted (II Corinthians 1:3-5), help for the persecuted (Hebrews 10:32-39), and strength for the downtrodden\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88111,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-crutch-for-the-weak\/","url_meta":{"origin":87513,"position":4},"title":"A Crutch for the Weak","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores \"Christianity is a crutch for the weak!\" some say. I agree. God's way is a comfort for the afflicted (II Corinthians 1:3-5), a help for the persecuted (Hebrews 10:32-39), and strength for the downtrodden (Romans 8:31, 36-39). The reason we need this \"crutch\" is because we are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/overcome-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":38141,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/christianity-and-asceticism\/","url_meta":{"origin":87513,"position":5},"title":"Christianity and Asceticism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, I got a text from my brother. It read in part, \"If you want a mental exercise, compare and contrast Christianity, Stoicism, and the \"Dokk\u014dd\u014d\". See any commonalities?\" I've read my Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, so I have a handle on Stoicism, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Miyamoto-Musashi-225x300.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87513\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}