Become New with John Ortberg

Become New
  • 4.7 (13)
  • SPIRITUALITY
  • UPDATED DAILY

Join John Ortberg each day for 10 minutes of spiritual guidance on the person we are becoming.

  1. 20. The Right Way to Tell Someone They're Wrong

    5 HRS AGO

    20. The Right Way to Tell Someone They're Wrong

    How do you tell someone they’re wrong… without condemning them? John Ortberg explores one of the most important distinctions in communication: the difference between tone and heart. Tone can be soothing or jarring. But the heart must always be love. Looking at Matthew 23, where Jesus confronts religious leaders with blistering language, John asks: Was Jesus condemning them? Or was something deeper happening? You’ll discover: - Why condemnation is not the same as moral clarity - The difference between contempt and courage - What “malice + disgust” really means - Why Jesus compares himself to a mother hen - How to speak the truth in love without losing your soul Drawing from Romans 8, Matthew 23, Luke 19, and a reflection by Barbara Brown Taylor, this episode offers a powerful prayer for Lent: “God, give me the right heart. Then show me the right tone.” If you’re navigating conflict, leadership, parenting, or hard conversations — this one matters. Download the free NO CONDEMNATION COMMITMENT: https://bit.ly/NC-commitment 📚 Today's Resources: Barbara Brown Taylor — reflection on the chapel Dominus Flevit and the image of the mother hen Chapel of Dominus Flevit (“The Lord Wept”) on the Mount of Olives Film reference: A League of Their Own (Tom Hanks coach scene — jarring tone, not necessarily a bad heart) 🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    16 min
  2. 19. Doesn’t the World Deserve Condemnation?

    3D AGO

    19. Doesn’t the World Deserve Condemnation?

    John Ortberg tackles a tension many of us feel but rarely name: If there is no condemnation, what do we do with real evil, injustice, and wrongdoing? John walks us through Scripture, the prophets, and Jesus’ own words to show why “no condemnation” does not mean indifference to sin—and why accountability still matters deeply to God. Drawing on insights from Abraham Joshua Heschel, John explores how the prophets saw injustice as a spiritual emergency, and why our culture’s casual attitude toward evil would have stunned them. Along the way, he reminds us: - God hates injustice precisely because God loves people - Jesus was gentle with those everyone expected him to condemn - But fierce with the religious who used righteousness to exclude others - And that before we can hear no condemnation, we must first take condemnation seriously - This is a thoughtful, challenging reflection on judgment, responsibility, and grace—and why condemnation may be a word, but it is never the last word. Download the free NO CONDEMNATION COMMITMENT: https://bit.ly/NC-commitment 📚 Today's Resources: Abraham J. Heschel, The Prophets 🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    15 min
  3. 18. How to Live Without Blaming Others

    4D AGO

    18. How to Live Without Blaming Others

    Today, John Ortberg tackles one of our most stubborn spiritual habits: blame. Tracing its origins back to Genesis, John shows how blame enters the human story the moment shame appears—and how quickly we learn to deflect responsibility onto others. From Adam and Eve to modern relationships, blame becomes our go-to strategy for avoiding pain. Along the way, John draws from Scripture, Paradise Lost, and insights from thinkers like Charles Tilly and Paul Tournier to explore why we instinctively hog credit and dodge fault—and why spiritual maturity looks like learning to own our part with humility and courage. John reminds us that while removing blame can reduce shame, only love actually heals the soul. Real freedom comes not from avoiding responsibility, but from stepping into God’s presence honestly, without hiding or deflecting. This is a thoughtful, practical invitation to live one day at a time without blaming others—and to discover again the grace that makes change possible. Download the free NO CONDEMNATION COMMITMENT: https://bit.ly/NC-commitment 📚 Today's Resources: John Milton, Paradise Lost  Charles Tilly, Credit and Blame  Paul Tournier, Guilt & Grace: A Psychological Study  🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    15 min
  4. 17. Stopping Condemnation Before it Starts

    5D AGO

    17. Stopping Condemnation Before it Starts

    Download the free NO CONDEMNATION COMMITMENT: https://bit.ly/NC-commitment On the first day of Lent, John Ortberg invites us into a brave and deeply personal journey: giving up condemnation...and learning how shame actually works. This episode goes straight to the source. John traces condemnation back to its root system in shame, beginning in Genesis and moving through psychology, philosophy, trauma-informed theology, and lived experience. Along the way, he explores why our urge to judge others is often fueled by hidden pain in ourselves—and why healing starts when we stop hiding. You’ll hear insights from: John Walton on Genesis and chaos imagery Warren Kinghorn on trauma and the first humans Eleanor Stump on guilt vs. shame Kurt Thompson on the “shame concierge” that narrates our inner lives John makes a crucial distinction: Guilt fears punishment and is healed by forgiveness. Shame fears rejection and is healed only by acceptance, love, and belonging. He introduces two invisible companions we all carry: a shame concierge that quietly judges every moment and a grace concierge—the Spirit—who reminds us we are God’s beloved children. 📚 Today's Resources: The Soul of Shame — Kurt Thompson Wandering in Darkness — Eleonore Stump Wayfaring — Warren Kinghorn Teachings from John Walton 🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    19 min
  5. 16. You are Always Either Blessing or Cursing

    6D AGO

    16. You are Always Either Blessing or Cursing

    Download the free NO CONDEMNATION COMMITMENT: https://bit.ly/NC-commitment Today’s episode opens with an elderly dog, detours through neuroscience and Genesis, and ends by quietly dismantling your default response to annoying people. Classic John Ortberg. As Lent approaches, John invites us into a radical spiritual experiment: giving up condemnation. Not just blaming others, but the inner posture that withholds blessing from people (including ourselves). Along the way, John explores: Why the Bible’s first word is blessing, not judgment How our emotional “like meter” secretly controls our willingness to bless Insights from Jonathan Haidt on moral emotion The famous 90-second rule from Jill Bolte Taylor for interrupting reactive spirals And why disgust, not discernment, often fuels religious condemnation This episode draws a crucial line between judging as discernment (wise) and judging as condemnation (corrosive). John shows how condemnation isn’t just something we think—it’s something we will. And when our will stops blessing, something in us starts breaking. 📚 Today's Resources: The Happiness Hypothesis — Jonathan Haidt Research on emotional regulation from Jill Bolte Taylor Reflections on blessing in Genesis from Gordon Wenham Teachings of Jesus on blessing enemies (Matthew 5) 🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    15 min
  6. 15. Give Up Condemnation for Lent

    FEB 16

    15. Give Up Condemnation for Lent

    Download the free NO CONDEMNATION COMMITMENT: https://bit.ly/NC-commitment What if the most spiritual thing you could do today… is not have the last word? In this episode, John Ortberg tells a powerful story about his friend Dallas Willard and introduces a simple but life-changing practice: letting go of condemnation by releasing our need to be right. As Lent approaches, John invites us into something deeper than giving up chocolate or social media. He challenges us to give up condemning others (and ourselves), drawing from Jesus’ silence under accusation, insights from Arthur Brooks, research by Robert Putnam, and wisdom from Dorothy Day. You’ll explore: • Why condemnation is quietly damaging our relationships and culture • How Jesus modeled a radically different way of living • What it means to practice “not having the last word” • How love, not blame, becomes the path to healing • A 40-day Lenten invitation to live without condemnation John also shares a simple commitment you can practice one day at a time: With God’s help, I abandon condemnation and blaming. Instead, I will live in the love of God, the love of life, and the love of others. If you’re tired of outrage, polarization, and carrying judgment in your body and soul, this episode offers a gentle, courageous way forward. 📚Today's Resources: The Divine Conspiracy — by Dallas Willard Dorothy Day “I only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” Love Your Enemies — Arthur Brooks Upswing — Robert Putnam 🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    14 min

  7. FEB 13

    Philippians with John Ortberg (Study Guide Available)

    Enjoy this free download: https://bit.ly/Shine-StudyGuide A 12-week study guide on Genesis 1-3 with John Ortberg.  We’ve made it simple: curated episodes, journal questions, memory verses, and practical next steps. Everything you need to get started with a friend or group!   Just download, print and go! John opens this study on Philippians with a deceptively simple question: How are you going to greet people today? We tend to think greetings don’t matter much, but John says they’re actually sacred moments — tiny doorways into connection. He tells a story about a boss who always stopped, made eye contact, smiled, and made people feel seen. Then he notices something remarkable about Jesus: people interrupted him constantly… and nobody ever said, “Sorry to bother you.” Somehow, people weren’t a bother to Jesus. John reminds us that even small changes in how we address one another reflect something much deeper about who we are becoming. ACCESS THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR SHINE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Egad-Un8UE38nc_diriBs3EqIq7GcpF Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    16 min

  8. FEB 12

    Soul Care in a Digital World (Study Guide Available)

    Enjoy this free download: https://bit.ly/GetOutMore-StudyGuide A 12-week study guide on Genesis 1-3 with John Ortberg.  We’ve made it simple: curated episodes, journal questions, memory verses, and practical next steps. Everything you need to get started with a friend or group!   Just download, print and go! In this episode, John opens a new series with a refreshingly honest question: is technology a life-giving gift… or a soul-draining mess? (Spoiler: it’s both.) He talks about how grateful he is for the way tech lets this little “Fellowship of the Withered Hand” learn and pray together, and at the same time, he names the rising tide of loneliness, anxiety, and screen addiction shaping modern life. Drawing from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, John points out how especially hard this has become for young people. That’s why this series is called We Should Get Out More: not as a guilt trip, but as an invitation — back into the real world God made, and beyond the echo chambers that quietly shrink our souls. ACCESS THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR WE SHOULD GET OUT MORE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Egad-Un8UEqjtJZ1k9CDNBR7WoAdBvb Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0 Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

    13 min
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4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

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Join John Ortberg each day for 10 minutes of spiritual guidance on the person we are becoming.

Information

  • Creator
    Become New
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Become New with John Ortberg
  • Show Website
    Become New with John Ortberg

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