Episode 1097: Partial Obedience is Disobedience

Episode 1097: Partial Obedience is Disobedience

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety when everyday life is full of grey areas? This episode of Take 12 Recovery Radio’s *Came to Believe Recovery* series tackles that question head-on by wrestling with the bold idea that “partial obedience is disobedience.” Host Monty Dale Meyer (the Monty’man), a recovered alcoholic, sits down with Tom Williams to chat about how faith, conscience, and recovery collide in the small choices people make every day.

They start light-heartedly with classic TV trivia, then move into the mailbag, where a listener asks if it’s alright for an alcoholic to drink wine during communion. Tom breaks down three Christian views on communion—transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and symbolism—while Monty shares how some sober believers approach this without calling it a relapse. From there, the conversation widens: is sneaking food into the cinema really a big deal?

What about speeding "just to keep up with traffic", tipping, or sliding past the donation box? Monty points out how “compromise starts with just a little tiny bit of door opening,” while Tom wrestles with the tension between grace and legalism and how far “rigorous honesty” should go in Twelve Step living.

They also tie in the biblical story of Saul and David to ask whether doing *most* of what’s right can still carry serious consequences, especially for someone whose sobriety depends on spiritual principles. The tone stays warm and humorous, but the questions are challenging: “Folks, you know when you’re not doing what you should be doing. Come on. We know.

We know.” If you’ve ever wondered whether the “little stuff” in your life really matters to your recovery, this conversation might get under your skin—in a good way. Where might your own version of partial obedience be quietly chipping away at your peace?