Become New with John Ortberg

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

  1. 29. The Virtue of Self Knowledge (w/Dr. Jim Taylor)

    7 HR AGO

    29. The Virtue of Self Knowledge (w/Dr. Jim Taylor)

    Sign up here to receive the Formation Newsletter: https://becomenew.com/formation/ What if the antidote to condemnation isn’t trying harder to be nice… but learning to know yourself? In this conversation, John Ortberg talks with philosopher Jim Taylor about intellectual virtue — qualities like humility, courage, and self-knowledge that help us pursue truth and love people well. Jesus warned against condemning judgment, but he also invited us to remove the log in our own eye. The path forward begins with honest self-examination and a simple prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Because when we grow in self-knowledge, condemnation loses its grip. 📚 Today's Resources: The Blessing — Gary Smalley & John Trent The Lost Art of Listening — Michael Nichols (with Martha Straus) 🙌 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
  2. 28. The Six Types of Condemnation

    1 DAY AGO

    28. The Six Types of Condemnation

    You don’t condemn people… right? Let me stop you right there. In this episode, John Ortberg walks through six surprisingly common styles of condemnation — from the obvious (aggressive anger) to the subtle (silence, sarcasm, perfectionism, conditional acceptance, even martyrdom). We all judge.  We all distance.  We all find creative ways to say, “I’m above you.” Drawing on Scripture, psychology, and real-life examples (including the “Pan Am smile” and the devastating power of ridicule), John helps us name our default style — and invites the Holy Spirit to gently interrupt it. Because condemnation doesn’t just hurt others.  It corrodes us. And the freedom we’re after this Lent is simple and radical: Let me stop you right there. There is now… therefore… no condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: Paul Tournier, Guilt and Grace: A Psychological Study Lewis B. Smedes, Forgive & Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve  🙌 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. 27. The Law of Reciprocal Condemnation

    2 DAYS AGO

    27. The Law of Reciprocal Condemnation

    There is now no condemnation...but if we’re honest, sometimes condemnation feels effective. In this episode, John Ortberg explores what Dallas Willard called the law of reciprocal condemnation — the almost unbreakable cycle where judgment breeds counter-judgment, attack breeds counter-attack, and anger multiplies itself. It’s extremely rare, Willard observed, that anyone who is condemned responds by changing in the desired way. Instead, condemnation produces: - Counter-condemnation - Passive aggression - Perfectionism - Procrastination - Rebellion - Or quiet relational death Jesus warned about this in the Sermon on the Mount:“As you judge, so you will be judged.” Not as a threat from God — but as an observation about how relationships work. So how do we break the cycle? Paul gives a shocking alternative in Romans 12:Do not repay evil for evil.Leave room for God’s justice.Overcome evil with good. Justice is real.But it is not ours to manage. 📚 Today's Resources: Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy  C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer  🙌 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

    13 min
  4. 26. The Benefits of Guilt and Shame

    3 DAYS AGO

    26. The Benefits of Guilt and Shame

    In this episode, John Ortberg offers what he calls “two cheers for guilt and shame.” Drawing from the book of Judges, John explores why justice matters, why moral reality is woven into the fabric of existence, and why a world without any sense of guilt or shame would not be more humane — it would be more dangerous. From the brutal story of Adoni-Bezek to the violent cycles of Judges, we see a profound truth emerge: no one ultimately gets away with injustice. As Jesus says in Luke 8:17, nothing hidden will remain hidden. John traces a major turning point in human history — what C.S. Lewis called the moral law — the moment when ancient Israel connected two ideas that had often been separated:There is one God.And that God is good. Justice is real. Accountability is real. And judgment, properly understood, is good news — especially for the oppressed. But here’s the deeper turn: - Guilt and shame can either crush us… or redeem us. - Healthy guilt points out where we have done wrong so we can confess and be cleansed. Healthy shame invites us out of hiding into relationship and grace. - And ultimately, Jesus steps into the story and absorbs the consequences we could not. - “The wages of sin is death.”The sin is ours.The death is his. - The cycle of Judges is broken at the cross. Justice is upheld. Mercy is given.And condemnation does not win. 📚 Today's Resources: Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World  C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man  Tomas Sedlacek, Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street   Sabrina B. Little, The Examined Run: Why Good People Make Better Runners  🙌 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

    13 min
  5. 25. Stop Condemning, Just Listen

    4 DAYS AGO

    25. Stop Condemning, Just Listen

    John Ortberg builds on a surprising Lenten invitation echoed even by the Pope: fast from harsh words. Disarm your language. Refuse contempt. John revisits what condemnation actually is — not discernment, not moral clarity — but a toxic mix of malice (ill will) and disgust (repulsion) toward another person. Then he offers one simple, powerful practice that makes condemnation nearly impossible while you’re doing it: Listen. Drawing from Scripture, including Acts 7 (where Stephen’s accusers literally cover their ears), and insights from The Lost Art of Listening by Michael Nichols and Martha Straus, John explores why we overestimate our listening ability — and why the higher our emotions run, the less we tend to listen. It turns out it’s very difficult to listen deeply and condemn someone at the same time. James writes, “Be quick to listen.” That might be the most subversive spiritual discipline of our time. Because curiosity softens judgment.Listening interrupts contempt.And blessing grows where condemnation used to live. There is now… therefore… no condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: The Lost Art of Listening by Michael P. Nichols and Martha B. Straus Leo XIV, “Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion,” 13 Feb 2026 🙌 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
  6. 24. The Fence They Couldn’t Get Over

    27 FEB

    24. The Fence They Couldn’t Get Over

    Condemnation comes easily when we quietly assume we earned where we stand. In this episode, John explores two truths that change everything about how we see other people: we do not know their full story — and we do not know their future. Drawing on Psalm 103 and the classic film Angels with Dirty Faces, John tells the story of two boys who run from the police. One clears a fence. One doesn’t. That single moment sends their lives in opposite directions. Years later, one is a priest. One is a criminal. How much of what we call character was shaped by circumstances we did not choose? You’ll discover: - Why condemnation assumes too much - What Psalm 103 means when it says “we are dust” - How curiosity disarms contempt - Why only God sees the whole arc of a life - How to bless someone you’re tempted to judge John closes by inviting you to bring to mind the person you’re most tempted to hold in contempt — and to pray for them instead. Because there is now no condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: Angels with Dirty Faces starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien Tim Keller — reflection on the film in The Reason for God 🙌 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. 23. Les Misérables, Condemnation, and Grace

    26 FEB

    23. Les Misérables, Condemnation, and Grace

    Today, John Ortberg uses Les Misérables by Victor Hugo to explore two ways of living: • the condemning life (Javert) • the blessing life (the Bishop) • and the transformed life (Jean Valjean) Drawing on Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 3, and insights from Dallas Willard, John explains: - why condemnation feels powerful - what the “ministry of condemnation” really does - how grace humiliates before it heals - why pride resists light - how blessing rewires the soul Through the unforgettable moment of the candlesticks, we see how self-giving love defeats condemnation. One man bends the knee and is transformed. One refuses grace and collapses under its weight. “To love another person is to see the face of God.” That is the blessing life. That is the transformed life. And there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 📚 Today's Resources: Victor Hugo, Les Misérables  🙌 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

    21 min
  8. 22. The 'Status Elevation Ritual'

    25 FEB

    22. The 'Status Elevation Ritual'

    Why does condemnation feel so automatic? In this episode, John explores how shame and judgment often operate through what sociologists call status degradation rituals, the subtle ways we lower others to elevate ourselves. Drawing on insights from Harold Garfinkel, John shows how condemnation works socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Then he walks us through powerful Gospel moments where Jesus reverses the pattern: • the sinful woman at Simon’s house • the prodigal son welcomed home • Jesus washing his disciples’ feet • and ultimately, the cross itself You’ll learn: - how condemnation functions as a social ritual - why Jesus chooses downward mobility - how humility defeats hostility - what Philippians 2 reveals about real greatness - how serving others rewires the heart John also reflects on how crucifixion was designed by Rome as the ultimate humiliation — and how Jesus voluntarily enters that suffering to defeat condemnation once and for all. The invitation is simple and brave: come to Jesus in humility, serve instead of shame, and help elevate the people around you. Because there really is now no condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: Harold Garfinkel — Status degradation rituals N. T. Wright — On crucifixion as Rome’s ultimate humiliation tool Early Christian graffiti (mocking Jesus on the cross) as historical illustration 🙌 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
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Join John Ortberg each day for 10 minutes of spiritual guidance on the person we are becoming.

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  • 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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