Ruth is one of my favorite Old Testament books in the Bible. Though small and unassuming, it not only parallels our own Christian journey from darkness and sin to light and salvation, but it also has incredible depth that helps our spiritual growth as believers.

While many think of the book of Ruth as merely a love story (between Ruth and Boaz), the book actually is an incredible foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the gospel, and His redemptive work on the cross.

In this episode, we briefly look at how the book of Ruth parallels the Christian life, foreshadows Jesus Christ, enriches and deepens our spiritual growth, and highlights Nathan's new Christ-centered study/commentary on the Book of Ruth.

• Get your copy of the Book of Ruth: A Christ-Centered Study
• Listen to the eight part sermon series on the Book of Ruth
• Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
• Check out the shownotes for this episode

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 374

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources: https://deeperchristian.com/how-the-book-of-ruth-parallels-the-christian-life/

Are you feeling stuck in your spiritual life? Is there a secret sin you just can’t seem to gain victory over? There is great hope.

In this episode, Nathan talks about two of the most powerful words in the New Testament and how “But God…” radically changes our lives, is the solution to a besetting sin, and is the key which unlocks freedom, life, victory, and greater spiritual growth in our lives.

• Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
• Check out the notes for this episode

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 373

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources: deeperchristian.com/two-of-the-most-powerful-words-in-the-bible/

Many Christians read the Bible slowly, one chapter or a few verses at a time—but there are tremendous benefits to reading Scripture through quickly.

In this video, Nathan Johnson explains three important reasons every believer should consider reading through the Bible in 60, 90, or 120 days. Reading the Bible at a faster pace can help you see the grand storyline of Scripture, understand how the whole Bible points to Jesus Christ, and develop a deeper hunger for God’s Word.

If you have ever struggled to stay consistent in your Bible reading or wanted to better understand the overall message of Scripture, this teaching will help to inspire you with a fresh approach to reading God's Word.

1. Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
2. Check out the notes for this episode
3. Download the Simple Guide to Bible Study

Video mentioned at the end:

1. The Life and Faith of George Müller: 5 Key Lessons for Christians Today

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 372

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources: deeperchristian.com/3-reasons-to-read-the-bible-fast/

Many Christians say Jesus is the center of their lives, but what if He's not actually at the center of the center?

In this episode, we examine what it truly means for Christ to be all and have first place in everything according to Colossians 1:18 and Colossians 3:4-11, and why so many believers unknowingly substitute legalism, religious duty, or fear for genuine Christ-centered living. Drawing from Oswald Chambers' challenge about what we're truly obsessed with, this episode will help you honestly evaluate whether Jesus is your life or merely a part of it—and what to do if you've been turning Him on and off without realizing it.

If you're serious about authentic Christian discipleship and want to move beyond surface-level faith to making Jesus truly preeminent, this teaching will challenge you to examine what's really at the core of your spiritual life.

1. Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
2. Check out the study notes for this episode

Video mentioned at the end:

1. Four Ways to Know if Jesus is Your True Obsession and Passion

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 371

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources at: deeperChristian.com/371

What can the book of Jonah teach us about God’s mercy, our resistance to obedience, and the transforming power of repentance? In this episode, Nathan Johnson shares three key lessons and fresh insights drawn from his in-depth study of Jonah. Discover how this little (and funny) Old Testament book reveals the humor of God, the stunning depth of God’s mercy toward both rebels and the religious, and how it confronts us to live like Jesus.

1. Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
2. Check out the study notes for this episode

Bonuses

1. Listen to the series on hesed (God's lovingkindness)
2. Watch the 8-part study in Jonah

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 370

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources at: deeperChristian.com/370

In this concise, Christ-centered overview of the Gospel of Mark, we trace the “beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1) and see why Mark presents Jesus as the triumphant Suffering Servant—One who did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life “a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

You’ll get the big-picture purpose, audience, and driving themes of Mark’s fast-paced narrative (action, urgency, discipleship, the Kingdom of God, and the central question: Who is Jesus?), along with a simple outline that helps you read Mark with clarity and structure—especially as the Gospel presses us toward a decision about Jesus and a willingness to follow Him in the way of the cross (Mark 8:34–35).

If you'd like a longer (more detailed) overview, I preached an hour-length message on the Gospel of Mark and encourage you to check it out here.

1. Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
2. Check out the study notes for this episode

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 369

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources at: deeperChristian.com/369

You are blessed!

What a phenomenal promise in Scripture. But the blessing is probably not in what you are thinking.

In Ephesians 1:3–14, the Apostle Paul declares a staggering truth: every spiritual blessing we receive from God is found and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

In this Christ-centered Bible teaching, we explore what it truly means to be “blessed” and how our blessing is not in something but in Someone (Jesus).

As we step into a new year filled with noise, busyness, and distraction, this passage calls believers back to the supreme focus of the Christian life: delighting in Christ, resting in what He has already accomplished, and living for the praise of His glorious grace.

If you want to grow spiritually, understand your identity in Christ, and anchor your life in the unshakable blessings of the gospel, this study from Ephesians will reorient your heart and mind around the preeminence, majesty, and glory of Jesus Christ.

1. Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
2. Check out the study notes for this episode

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 368

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources at: deeperChristian.com/368

In this Bible teaching, we explore the often-overlooked story of Zechariah in Luke 1 and discover how his faithfulness, misunderstanding, and expectancy prepare the way for the Advent of Jesus Christ.

Far more than background characters in the Christmas story, Zechariah and Elizabeth stand at the threshold of redemptive history, where God breaks centuries of silence and announces the coming of the Messiah. This study walks through Luke 1, drawing out theological depth, historical context, and spiritual application—showing how Advent is not merely about waiting for Christmas morning, but ultimately about our anticipation of Jesus' second coming and learning to trust God’s promises when they feel delayed, improbable, or costly.

If you desire a deeper, Christ-centered understanding of Advent, the birth of Jesus, and how God prepares hearts for His redemptive work, this teaching will help anchor your faith in the faithfulness of God and the certainty of His Word.

1. Watch this episode as a video on YouTube
2. Check out the study notes for this episode

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 367

View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources at: deeperChristian.com/367

Happy Thanksgiving!

But is your thanksgiving celebration a once-a-year feast or an everyday focus?

In this special (and short), thanksgiving episode, Nathan gives a quick overview of thanksgiving in Scripture, why it should mark our lives, and how it is connected to our celebration of Jesus Christ.

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 366

When most people think of Jonah, they picture a fish. Yet the fish appears in only three verses of this profound prophetic book. So if Jonah isn’t really about a fish, what’s it about?

In this special (short) episode, Nathan invites you to join him in a verse-by-verse study of the book of Jonah where we discover that Jonah is a book about the Living God who relentlessly pursues the lost, even when His own people would prefer He didn’t. And woven throughout this humorous yet convicting narrative, we’ll see stunning shadows of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

• Watch the study series on YouTube
• Check out the Jonah series (called Swallowed by Mercy)

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» Join the Deeper Christian community and receive the Deeper Digest each Saturday, which includes all the quotes, articles, podcasts, and resources from Nathan and Deeper Christian from the week to help you grow spiritually.

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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 365