Become New with John Ortberg

Become New

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

  1. 34. When Someone in Your Family Won’t Change...

    1D AGO

    34. When Someone in Your Family Won’t Change...

    How do you confront someone’s behavior without becoming condemning yourself? In this episode, John walks through a common real-life situation — dealing with a difficult family member — and explains the three elements required for genuine change. Drawing on insights from Henry Cloud, Dallas Willard, and research on conflict and relationships, John shows why condemnation rarely leads to transformation. You’ll discover: - why grace must come first - how truth can be spoken without hostility - why the emotional tone of a conversation matters - the surprising role patience plays in change - why grace + truth + time are all necessary Real growth rarely happens overnight. But when grace, truth, and time come together, relationships can begin to change in ways condemnation never could. Because there is now no condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: Henry Cloud — insights on the change process Dallas Willard — interpretation of Galatians 6 The Way Out — Peter Coleman Research from John Gottman and Barbara Fredrickson on emotional tone in conflict 🙌 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
  2. 33. Is it really surprising that God loves you?

    2D AGO

    33. Is it really surprising that God loves you?

    Is it really surprising that God loves you? In this episode, John challenges a common assumption many Christians carry: that God’s love for us is somehow unexpected or hard for Him. But Scripture paints a different picture. Over and over again, the Bible declares something astonishingly simple — God is love. John explores two truths we must hold together. First, we are broken and imperfect. But second, God’s very nature is love. And our brokenness cannot change who God is. Drawing from passages like John 3, Romans 5, 1 John 4, and Ephesians 3, John explains how understanding God’s nature reshapes our lives. When we become rooted in love, condemnation begins to lose its power, and love naturally flows outward to others. Because the deepest truth of the universe is this:  God is love. 📚 Today's Resources: The Problem of Pain — C. S. Lewis 🙌 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
  3. 32. We've Been Listening Wrong

    3D AGO

    32. We've Been Listening Wrong

    What if the key to overcoming condemnation isn’t arguing better — but listening better? In this episode, John explores Jesus’ surprising instruction in Luke 8:18: “Consider carefully how you listen.” Through the parable of the sower, Jesus explains that the condition of our hearts determines whether the words we hear bring growth or simply bounce off. John shares a recent moment when he caught himself listening critically instead of humbly — and how a simple shift changed everything. You’ll learn: - why we often listen in order to judge - the three unhealthy ways we listen - what Jesus means by a “good and noble heart” - how humble listening opens the door to growth - why listening well makes condemnation harder When we begin to listen with humility — asking what God might want to show us — conversations change. And so do we. Because there is now no condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: Deborah Tannen, You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation  Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet & Peasant: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke  🙌 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

    11 min
  4. 30. Can you be a good person and condemn others?

    5D AGO

    30. Can you be a good person and condemn others?

    Why does condemnation feel like it’s everywhere today? In this episode, John Ortberg explores a cultural shift: we no longer define a “good person” by love and character, but by holding the “right” opinions. The result? More judgment, more division, and less humility. Jesus offered a different path — a life marked by compassion, forgiveness, and what Kierkegaard called “blithe humility.” Like the birds and lilies, we can release the burden of controlling the world and trust God with it. The result is freedom, joy, and a life without condemnation. 📚 Today's Resources: Søren Kierkegaard, The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air Grace Hamman, Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life  Doug Teschner et al., Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times 🙌 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
  5. 29. The Virtue of Self Knowledge (w/Dr. Jim Taylor)

    MAR 6

    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
  6. 28. The Six Types of Condemnation

    MAR 5

    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
  7. 27. The Law of Reciprocal Condemnation

    MAR 4

    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

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4.8
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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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