
Beliefs of the Heart: Reflections
A reading of Beliefs of the Heart weekly article, followed by a reflection: the reason behind the article, comments from readers, or other versions that were edited out. Live comments by author Sam Williamson. You can find more of Sam's writing at: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/ Special thanks to Keith Medley for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song, Ancestors. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/
Episodes
28 episodes
Embracing Transcendent Pursuits: A Journey of Spiritual Growth
Fifteen years ago, a journey began that would change my spiritual life forever. Inspired by a conversation with my friend Gary Barcalow, I embarked on a series of "transcendent pursuits," a concept that diverges sharply from the traditional, of...
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Season 2025
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Episode 1
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24:03

Are We Unconsciously Controlled?
Years ago I read an article that describe how out thoughts, feelings, desires and tastes are influenced by factors completely out of our control. And usually by factors and environments of which we are completely ignorant.And I think it...
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Season 2024
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Episode 4
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20:54

Chasing Lovers
In this episode, I talk of a business experience I had when our company tried to break into the software market in France. And I talk about how we did so by showing solutions to problems that people faced.All the while, our competitors ...
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Season 2024
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Episode 3
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18:48

Spiritual Warfare Is WHENEVER Two Parties Claim The Same Throne
The idea of "spiritual warfare" is a long-standing principle of the Christian life: knowing that there are enemies of God who delight in battling His chosen people. Psalm 83 says:Those who hate you raise their heads. They formulate ...
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Season 2024
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Episode 2
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20:01

Is Modern Therapy Serving Up Spiritual Malnutrition?
Almost every person I speak with is suffering, or has suffered. And the world has a boatload of answers for our problems. Many of them are fine, helpful even; but many are dangerous and against God.What are we to do? I suggest we keep r...
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Season 2024
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Episode 1
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20:51

The War of the World
For two thousand years, believers have prioritized the importance of “spiritual warfare” for Christian health. Heck, I was raised Presbyterian, and even Presbyterians taught it.The battle comprises three enemies: the World, the Flesh...
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Season 2023
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Episode 4
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41:16

Inward Trials
Almost every person I speak with has suffered. We hear, "For to those who love God, everything works out for the good," but it doesn't work for us, or at least we have very different ideas of the "the good" is. What is God up to? H...
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Season 2023
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Episode 3
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13:20

How Do We Handle the Evil Done to Us?
Almost every person I speak with has suffered some sort of betrayal from parents or teachers or bosses or spouses. And it affects us on so many levels, most of which we can't see--but our friends can.We are imprisoned.How do we ...
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Season 2023
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Episode 2
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13:34

Talking With God - Just Like A Friend
This podcast describes what is the single greatest lesson (and invitation) that God has been speaking to me about for the last five years.Maybe ten.A reading and commentary on this article: https://beliefsoftheh...
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Season 2023
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Episode 1
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14:28

Controlling God
Three years ago, I dedicated the year to meditating on thinking of Jesus as LORD. Not just savior, not just friend, not just confidante, not as rabbi. But mild Jesus, JESUS AS LORD. And these are my thoughts.A reading and commentary on ...
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Season 2022
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Episode 5
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17:20

When Helping God Is Lethal
We so often work directly against God in our greatest attempts to help Him. And our efforts wreak havoc in our lives and in the lives of our families and friends. What are we to do?A reading and commentary on this article: ...
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Season 2022
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Episode 4
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12:46

I Was Mortified
Oh My Goodness! I've been mortified, humiliated, and embarrassed many times in my life (and some of you know those other times), but this was a double mortification: what it said TO me and what it said ABOUT me. Join me in rehashing my mortific...
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Season 2022
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Episode 3
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12:39

The Measure of Our Lives
A friend's dissatisfaction with "I only have 6 million dollars to my name" led me to think more about how the world creeps into how we measure our lives.A reading and commentary on this article: https://beliefsofthehear...
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Season 2022
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Episode 2
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14:25

Imagine There's No Heaven
Lennon's haunting, beautiful, whimsical song has always fascinated me and frustrated me. It's delightful music sucks me into a vortex of lies and death. It is really a deadly song.A reading and commentary on this article: <...
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Season 2022
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Episode 1
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12:51

When Salvation Isn't Enough
I once observed a man--A Christian man!--desperately trying to gain approval from work colleagues, and it got me thinking about the breadth of God's salvation. Is there a heaven, a kind of heaven, that God wants for us today?A ...
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Season 2021
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Episode 14
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15:27

The Pimps and the Prostitutes Are Closer to Heaven Than We Are
We don't let Jesus offend us enough. When he says things like, "The pimps and prostitutes are closer to heaven than you are," we should be shocked. But mostly we just miss his point, or don't even think about it.But Emmanuel Kant WAS of...
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Season 2021
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Episode 13
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14:58

Is It Dangerous to "Hear God" Outside of Scripture?
A friend recently corrected me for writing my book, "Hearing God in Conversation," by saying any kind of hearing God outside Scripture is dangerous and usually just wrong. And she was convincing. But I think she was wrong as ...
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Season 2021
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Episode 12
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15:57

When Success Fails
We want success, impact, significance. Right? But our success is not always the best thing for our friends. Not that they are jealous but that we are sometime insufferable without suffering. A reading and commentary on this article...
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Season 2021
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Episode 11
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11:49

Dregs of Culture
I am ashamed to admit my participation in a kind of humanistic viewing of evangelism prospects. We called it "Selective Evangelism, and this is my story.https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/03/17/enlightened-supernatural-light-switches/&n...
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Season 2021
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Episode 10
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14:14

Can A Light Switch Really Disprove Supernatural Activity?
Too many people try to "save" Christianity by choosing to ignore core elements. One modern "salvation" attempt is to eliminate the supernatural. How important is the supernatural to Christianity? To you?https://beliefsoftheheart.com/202...
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Season 2021
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Episode 9
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13:50

Counterfeit Spirituality
The world gives us false answers to our problems. Initially, they sound good and God's answer seem week. But in the long run, the answers of the world are counterfeit spirituality, even when preached from the pulpit. Adapted from t...
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Season 2021
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Episode 8
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13:02

Why Can't We Admit the Evil Within?
The world tells us to cling to something inside us for significance; God says there is a better way.Adapted from this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/04/07/why-cant-we-admit-hidden-evils/ by Sam Williamson....
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Season 2021
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Episode 7
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12:38

Fearing Go[o]d
The spiritual necessity of fearing God; and why doesn't our culture like this?Adapted from this article:https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/04/21/fearing-good/ by Sam Williamson. And very special thanks to Keith Medley...
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Season 2021
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Episode 6
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17:59

When God Seems Silent
God is always speaking, and one of the ways he speaks most powerfully is in His silence. Learn to recognize this amazing and comforting voice of deeds.Adapted from this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/04/29/when-god-seems-si...
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Season 2021
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Episode 5
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13:08

My First Parachute Jump Ever -- And My Last
Why do we all long so deeply to be a hero, to be seen, to be noticed? What is the longing beneath the longing? Adapted from this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/05/05/my-first-parachute-jump-and-my-last/ by Sam Williamson, and...
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Season 2021
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Episode 4
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10:32
