Beliefs of the Heart: Reflections

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, and the Devil. While most teaching mentions these three enemies, the spiritual warfare enemy most frequently publicized is the Devil. (Though some churches emphasize the Flesh.) But Scripture warns us of the perils of the World one hundred times more than the Devil or the Flesh. One Hundred Times More! The battle against Satan is ubiquitous (even Hollywood gives it lip-service) and the nature of the Flesh is obvious (nobody committing adultery says, “Wait a minute, you’re not my spouse”). But the war of the world is insidious. Its very hiddenness enforces its potency. Last week I was asked to preach at the Springs Church in Colorado. On any topic I wanted. And I finally decided to speak on the topic that is most deeply on my heart. That sermon expresses the substance of the first chapter of my next book, the book titled (can you guess?), The War of the World. I invite you to listen to that sermon either on my podcast Beliefs of the Heart Reflections or watch it on the video player below. And I would really appreciate any comments, insights, corrections, and even a little (if you want) sharing of your own experiences. Sam You can email me at: Sam@BeliefsoftheHeart.com Support the show

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? How good really is that "good"? A reading and commentary on this article: These Inward Trials - Beliefs of the HeartAnd very 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/ Support the show

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 handle the evils do to us? A reading and commentary on this article: The Evil Done to Us - Beliefs of the HeartAnd very 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/ Support the show

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: And very 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/ Support the show

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 this article: And very 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/ Support the show

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: And very 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/ Support the show

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 mortification. A reading and commentary on this article: And very 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/ Support the show

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: And very 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/ Support the show

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: And very 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/ Support the show (https://beliefsoftheheart.com/giving/) Support the show

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 reading and commentary on this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/11/03/when-salvation-isnt-enough/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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 offended, so much so that he completely, 100%, rejected the Gospel of God in favor of the gospel of self-deceit. A reading and commentary on this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/06/30/is-it-dangerous-to-hear-god-outside-of-scripture/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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 well. A reading and commentary on this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/06/30/is-it-dangerous-to-hear-god-outside-of-scripture/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/06/23/when-success-fails/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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/2021/03/17/enlightened-supernatural-light-switches/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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 this article: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2021/06/09/counterfeit-spirituality/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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. And very 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/ Support the show (https://beliefsoftheheart.com/giving/) Support the show

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 for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song, Ancestors. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/ Support the show

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-silent/ by Sam Williamson. And very 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/ Support the show

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 very 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/ Support the show