Don't Take the Deal

Don’t Take the Deal calls for God’s people to stop living a mediocre, feel-good, status-quo Christianity and instead fight for a faith that brings abundant joy and gives all the glory to God. Many Christians have, unfortunately, already accepted the deal. They routinely validate pastors and leaders, attending weekly services and giving enough money only to keep the lights on and the activities rolling. In exchange, they receive civil, encouraging, and self-help messages that never ask for anything more. Both parties in this deal also believe they are doing what God wants. The senior pastor at Watermark Community Church, Dallas, Texas, Todd Wagner says these believers are missing out on what Jesus has in mind for His beautiful bride (Rev. 19:7), from whom He withholds no good thing (Psalm 84:11). If in regular church attendance, readers feel they are barely holding it together spiritually, Wagner offers them the abundant life (John 10:10). He guides them in understanding that the church is to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called her out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) and communicate His boundless grace and liberating truth to the world (John 8:32), including family and friends. Wagner calls every churchgoer to honestly ask, does my current way of living accurately reflect what God says will bring glory to Him and abundant joy to me? In a message as audacious as Crazy Love and Radical, when they were first released, Don’t Take the Deal challenges Christians to live together boldly for Jesus. In this way, life is found, and church becomes a place of great joy and incredible life-change.