President Donald Trump is well known as a superb deal maker. That is a useful skill to possess. But do you possess it, my friend? Do you allow yourself to get the best end of the bargain? For example, would you trade your soul for the world? If so, you didn't come out on top!

Biblical teachings about the need for continued sanctification of the Christian imply that free will is not lost in conversion and that a child of God could so sin as to be eternally condemned. Calvinism denies this and asserts instead that the believer is eternally secure or "once saved, always saved."

Believers in Christ must be united (John 17:20-21). But we aren't. How fix this situation? Some say, "let's agree to disagree." And only the "essentials" matter. But what are the essentials? Is there no common ground? In fact, there is a "way that must be right and cannot be wrong." In good conscience, there are many things one religious group does that other groups couldn't do. But there are things we can all do in good conscience (if we believe the Bible). And there is our starting point, the way that must be right and cannot be wrong. Let's begin with these things and work toward ultimate harmony.

Many say, "one religion is as good as another." But today there is an aberrant group known as the "Church of the Jedi." They claim to be jedis (a la the Star Wars series). Is that group just as right in its claims as Bible-believing evangelical Christians?

Two major approaches to Biblical interpretation are found today. On the one hand, the strict constructionist seeks the author's original intent and ferrets out ways those principles apply today. He wants authority for what he does in religion and tries to avoid adding to or taking away from the Word of God. On the other hand, the left-winger loosely construes the text to mean whatever is trendy for the times. He doesn't need explicit or implicit authority for what he does. if Scripture doesn't explicitly condemn an act (for example, in worship) then he thinks it is alright. Thus, there are theological liberals and conservatives. But, what was Jesus in that regard? We will see that Jesus himself was the preeminent fundamentalist or conservative Bible believer. We should imitate his approach to Scripture.

Corruption abounds. Cheating is everywhere. Society suffers for it. And the nation will be lost if the trend isn't reversed. The fundamental virtue upon which rest the others is honesty. Dr. Phillip Gray discusses this issue in a half-hour presentation designed to inform and motivate us to do better and trade in truth alone.

The question of personal assurance of one's salvation is perennial and always disturbing (for some). Can we know? If so, how? Salvation is conditional. It is conditional for initial justification and remains conditional for continued sanctification. Man is endowed with freedom of the will. We must exercise it to stay faithful to God until the end.

Amos the prophet warned the northern kingdom of Israel in the long ago, "prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!" He meant that a judgment day awaited them. It finally fell on them in the Assyrian invasion. But his warning is just as applicable for our modern culture and for the same reasons (sins) outlined in the prophecy.

Jesse Reagan presented a stirring sermon one Sunday as he substituted for his uncle, Phillip Gray.

An up-to-date analysis of the parable of the prodigal son with key principles for current controversies.