Exploring Intimate Theology

Beliefs of the Heart invests in Intimate Theology, drawing each of us into meeting God in every area of our lives.

Latest Articles

Read our articles with the idea of connecting with God, an intimacy with the eternal.

God Doesn’t Need Our Greatness

September 14, 2022 by Sam Williamson

On my twelfth birthday, I received four birthday cards, each with a personal message. My grandfather, my parents, my oldest brother, and an elder at …

The Worldly Deceit of Willpower

August 24, 2022 by Sam Williamson

In 1975, three friends and I participated in a 200-mile bicycle marathon on Belle Isle, an island-park owned by the city of Detroit. The course was a …

The Unworthiness of Self-Esteem

August 10, 2022 by Sam Williamson

The Times of London once asked leading British intellectuals to enter a competition, writing articles that answered this simple question: “What is the …

What Does God Sound Like When We Sin?

July 27, 2022 by Sam Williamson

Years ago I told a friend of an embarrassing, recurring temptation. Over the next month, he shared my secret with dozens of people, spicing up my …

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Cornerstone Content

The following articles represent key categories of my expressions of Intimate Theology: Hearing God, Grace and Morality, Nurturing the Life of God in Us, understanding Cultural Creep, and Christian Leadership.

Hearing God: Conversation Is the Point

August 25, 2021 by Sam Williamson

When I was growing up, my dad taught me to sail our small Sunfish sailboat. We took month-long summer vacations. We always camped on lakes, so we …

I Wonder If Sunday School Is Destroying Our Kids

July 23, 2013 by Sam Williamson

Several years ago I met with a woman distraught by her son’s rejection of Christianity. She said, “I did everything I could to raise him right. I …

The Secret of Connecting With Another Soul

July 28, 2021 by Sam Williamson

Early in my career, a client asked me to meet with her president for an hour-long lunch. Her president was an industry innovator, but, she told me, he …

I Wonder if Our Agendas Crucify the Life of God Within Us

October 18, 2016 by Sam Williamson

Seven years ago I met a mother in anguish because her smart, capable son was living in an abandoned house, playing reggae music on the streets, and …

When Obedience Doesn’t Make Sense

May 17, 2016 by Sam Williamson

When my family moved to Detroit, the summer between my first and second grade, Tommy was the first friend I made. He too was the son of a pastor—so we …

The Starving Lion

November 1, 2016 by Sam Williamson

A business owner I barely knew once phoned to see if we could meet. He was an aggressive entrepreneur, a roaring lion among his peers. Yet on the …

Hearing God in Conversation

Learn More about Hearing God

Almost everyone I meet longs to hear more from God. Sometimes it’s for direction and sometimes simply to know his presence. But we have concerns (How do I know it’s really God’s voice?) or we just don’t know how to recognize his voice.

Begin the engagement!

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What people have said about, Hearing God in Conversation:

Eugene Peterson

Pastor and Author

I picked up your book out of curiosity and I couldn’t put it down–and I read it straight through. (It made me late for dinner.)

Gary Wilkerson

President World Challenge

This is a remarkable book. It’s filled with humor, insight, and sound theology. I highly recommend Hearing God in Conversation.

Wayne Jacobsen

Pastor and Author

If you want to grow in your ability to recognize how God makes himself known to you, I can’t recommend a better guide than Sam’s Hearing God in Conversation.

Learn about: Is Sunday School Destroying Our Kids?

Don’t worry, I don’t think it is. But it can. God is calling us into an child-like intimacy with the Father which we need to continually soak in. We need an Abba and we need the Father.

What is the difference between Christianity and mere morality?

The world needs morality. Oppression thrives when consciences are abandoned. But we need more than morality. We need the gospel of grace.

How do we grow in grow in grace without abandoning morality; how can we be moral without becoming moralistic, and how do we grow in morality through a grace-fueled life?

Join thousand of readers who have delighted in this story-filled, thought-provoking book on grace, and who have grown closer to their Father.

What are people saying?

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time (and I read a lot of books). — LH

This is the most brilliant book I have read recently. I feel like I highlighted almost everything, because everything was wonderfully insightful and thought provoking … Thank you very, very much for this substantial book. — Jolene

Will be reading and re-reading this great book all throughout my life. – Jinwoo

This book is a must-read for every Christian, whether they are a new convert or a seasoned saint! — Michelle