Deeper Study Guide: Real Change for Real Sinners

by Dane C. Ortlund

Go  Deeper  with this Companion Study Guide by Dane C. Ortlund How do Christians grow?  Few question the call of the Bible to grow in godliness, but the answer to exactly how this happens is often elusive. In  Deeper , Dane Ortlund points believers to Christ, making the case that sanctification does not happen by doing more or becoming better, but by going deeper into the wondrous gospel truths that washed over them when they were first united to him.  Designed to be used in conjunction with the book, the  Deeper Study Guide  covers all 9 chapters of the book, with each chapter offering 10 reflection questions on the topics of despair, union, honesty, pain, and more. Whether readers choose to study alone or in a group, this guide will encourage them to fix their gaze on Jesus in the battle against sin―casting themselves upon his grace and living out their invincible identity in Christ.  

48 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2023

About the author

Dane C. Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) is chief publishing officer and Bible publisher at Crossway. He serves as an editor for the Knowing the Bible series and the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, and is the author of several books, including Gentle and Lowly and Edwards on the Christian Life. He is an elder at Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. Dane lives with his wife, Stacey, and their five children in Wheaton, Illinois.

Reviews

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This study guide accompanies the book Deeper by the same author. It's just forty-eight pages long, and it has lots of blank space for recording your thoughts. There are nine chapters linked to the chapters in the original book, and each one has ten questions. The questions frequently include page numbers in parentheses to help people find sections in the original book.

Some of the questions are general enough that someone could answer them based on their biblical knowledge and life experience without having read the original book. Others elicit reactions to things in Deeper that aren't restated or explained here. To get the most out of the study and even know what some of the questions are about, you definitely need to have a copy of the book.

This is suitable for individual or group study, but the list price of $12 is quite pricey for the length, especially considering that many books include discussion questions like these without an additional purchase. This is quite thin and insubstantial, and wouldn't even be publishable without the journaling space. The content is quite good, very thoughtful, and appropriate for Christians in all walks of life, but people need to know how brief this is to decide if it's worth the money.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in my bible class. It was really good and thought-provoking. Best used for a small group, no more than 5 people.

[James Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The center on the gospel and the redeeming power of Jesus was good, but now looking back seems very rudimentary and lacking depth in application