When Obedience Disrupts Comfort—and Faith Gets Real

“If that quote unsettled you, you’re not alone.”

That was my honest reaction after reading this line from The Daily Stand by my guest this week, Tom Snow:

“Therefore, let those who minister, pastor, teach, etc., do so for FREE… Let them work regular jobs and do this in parallel, out of conviction and in relationship to the Lord.”

I was confused. A little irritated. And deeply challenged.

In this episode of Honest Christian Conversations, Tom and I dive into what happens when long-held church assumptions collide with Scripture—and obedience begins to cost us our comfort. This conversation landed in the middle of a season where my own faith has felt like a roller coaster, full of re-learning, unlearning, and realizing that spiritual clarity often comes when life feels unstable.

Tom’s message isn’t about being provocative for the sake of it. It’s about being faithful—testing everything like a Berean, even when it disrupts familiar rhythms. Together, we wrestle honestly with topics many Christians avoid: tithing, leadership structures, denominational identity, forgiveness, and what it really means to live under Christ’s authority rather than church culture.

One of the most challenging parts of our discussion centered on money. Tom reframes giving not as autopay obedience, but as worship that begins with bringing our offering to God first and asking Him where it belongs. Some months that might be the local church. Other times, it might be a missionary, a struggling neighbor, or a need the Spirit places directly in front of you. The goal, as Tom explains, isn’t to starve churches—but to restore intentionality and humility to our giving.

From there, the conversation moves into leadership and authority. Tom reflects on early charismatic worship, marked by expectancy and shared participation, contrasting it with modern systems in which control can quietly replace dependence on the Spirit. His call isn’t rebellion or chaos—it’s discernment. Structures are not the enemy, but they become dangerous when they replace surrender.

Perhaps the episode's most piercing moment comes when Tom speaks of forgiveness. He describes unforgiveness as a kind of spiritual cancer—one that quietly consumes peace and intimacy with God. Forgiveness, he says, is not a feeling we wait for but a decision we make before the Lord. It doesn’t excuse evil; it evicts it from ruling our inner life.

This episode isn’t light listening. It’s stretching, refining, and deeply convicting—in the best way. It invites us to ask whether our faith is shaped more by Scripture or by comfort, more by obedience or by familiarity.

🎧 Listen to the episode if you’re willing to wrestle honestly with your assumptions, test what you believe, and let Christ—not comfort—define your next step. 

💬 After listening, join the conversation in the community.
This is a space to process, question, and walk together through the tension of faith that costs us something—but gives us everything.