How do we as Christians grow in our walk with Christ?

It's a simple question, but it's something that we all wrestle with throughout our lives,

especially when it seems like our growth has stalled and we feel far from God.

In our interview today, I'm talking with pastor and best-selling author, Dane Ortland,

on why we, as children of God, can remain hopeful, even when our journey toward Christ-likeness

is painfully slow.

Dane encourages us to wake up every morning, confident in God's love and grace, and explains how to hold on to

the gospel as our home for life, rather than a hotel we merely pass through.

Dane serves as senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois,

and is the author of a number of books, including gentle and lowly,

in the Lord I Take Refuge, and Deeper, Real Change for Real Sinners from Crossway.

Let's get started.

Well, Dame, thank you so much for joining me again on the Crossway podcast today.

Always a joy to do so.

It really is.

Today we're going to talk about a new book that you've written called Deeper, and it's all

about what it is to grow in Christ, to grow in our experience, our love of Jesus, to grow as Christians.

And that's obviously a topic that is pretty well-trod in Christian circles.

We all feel that need.

We all know that we want to be growing in Christ.

And yet it's often, I think, somewhat elusive.

It feels like we're maybe not making the progress that we wish we were making.

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