Become New with John Ortberg

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No Condemnation Review +Updates Apr 11, 2026

Show notes

Tell us what you thought of NO CONDEMNATION:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NYQZHPD

Here's what's coming up... 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
- We have a new phone number! 51504
If you subscribe to our texts you'll start hearing from us at 51504 soon
- FormationPodcast.com launches April 22nd
We will continue with the daily 10 minute teachings here - Formation Newsletter and Podcast are a new offering.
- New Study Guides coming your way...stay tuned
No Condemnation, Character, Home, Forgiveness...in the works
- New series will begin May 4th - The Psalms
John will walk through some of the Psalms as a guide for prayer

54. The Way into a Life Without Condemnation Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

Take the No Condemnation Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NYQZHPD
What if the biggest problem was never “them”… but what happens in us?
In this final episode of the No Condemnation series, John brings us to a powerful turning point in Romans 1–2. Paul builds a case against “them” — their sin, their failure, their corruption — until the reader is fully on board.
And then he turns it: “You, therefore, have no excuse—you who pass judgment…”
In this episode, you’ll learn:
the difference between moral discernment and condemnation
why labeling people as “them” distorts the heart
how contempt quietly takes root in everyday life
why humility is the starting point for real change
how to live with curiosity instead of judgment
This isn’t about ignoring sin. It’s about refusing to let condemnation shape your soul. As the series ends, the invitation remains:
See people as individuals.
Release the need to judge.
Choose curiosity.
Practice love.
...because there is now no condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

53. You've Been Blaming the Wrong Person Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

What makes the cross of Jesus different from every other story of sacrifice?
In this episode, John explores the idea of scapegoating through the work of René Girard and how human societies have always dealt with conflict the same way: by finding someone to blame.
We find ourselves at the cross. The cross of Jesus changes everything. For the first time, the scapegoat is truly innocent and instead of justifying the system, the cross exposes it.
You’ll learn:
why humans instinctively assign blame
how rivalry and imitation lead to conflict
what scapegoating looks like in everyday life
how the cross reveals the truth about human systems
why God responds to blame with grace
In a world that runs on blame, the cross offers a different way.
Not more condemnation.
Not more scapegoats.
But grace.
📚 Today's Resources:
René Girard, The Scapegoat
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

52. Shaming Others is Changing YOU Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

Why doesn’t shaming actually work?
In this episode, Dr. John Ortberg explores two powerful reasons why condemnation and public shaming often backfire and what they do to both the person being judged and the one doing the judging.
Drawing from The Scarlet Letter, John shows:
- why we never truly know someone else’s story
- how shame distorts both identity and relationships
- why condemnation corrodes the soul of the one who carries it
- how modern culture reinforces division and estrangement
- what Jesus offers instead
Then he introduces a different calling:
The ministry of reconciliation.
You’ll learn:
- why reconciliation is central to the life of Jesus
- how to begin moving away from resentment
- what to do when relationships feel broken
- why prayer is often the first step
- how to live without keeping score
Because the goal isn’t just to avoid condemnation.
It’s to become someone who brings people back together.
SAVE THE DATE: FORMATIONPODCAST.com launches April 22!
📚 Today's Resources:
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
David Litt, “Is It Time to Stop Snubbing Your Right-Wing Family?” New York Times, 13 July 2025
🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

51. Why We're Addicted to Outrage Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

What if the biggest problem isn’t “out there”… but is actually within?
In this episode, John speaks directly to a familiar figure, “Uncle Billy," the person whose words are harsh, sarcastic, and condemning. Everyone knows an "Uncle Billy."
But then he turns the question back on each one of us.
Drawing from Ephesians 4 and the words of Jesus, John explores:
- why condemnation often disguises itself as righteousness
- how outrage and sarcasm shape our hearts
- what the Bible really means by “unwholesome talk”
- how our words can either rot or restore relationships
- why kindness is central to following Jesus
You’ll learn:
- how to recognize “unwholesome talk” in everyday life
- why it’s easier to judge others than examine ourselves
- how to begin changing the tone of your words
- what it looks like to speak in a way that builds others up
Before we send this message to someone else, we’re invited to ask:
“Is that me, Lord?”
Because there is now no condemnation...even for the parts of us still being transformed.
📚 Today's Resources:
N.T. Wright, Ephesians (For Everyone Bible Study Guides)
Samuel Johnson, example of wit without malice
James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson
SAVE THE DATE: April 22nd FORMATION LAUNCHES
FormationPodcast.com
🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.
TEXT US at 855-888-0444
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

50. Dr. Condoleezza Rice on Navigating Political Division Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

We’re living in a culture of division.
So how do you follow Jesus…when you deeply disagree with someone?
In this conversation, John Ortberg sits down with Condoleezza Rice to explore how faith shapes the way we navigate politics, disagreement, and relationships.
Together, they unpack:
- Why it’s so hard to love your “opponents”
- How to disagree without losing respect
- The role of humility, curiosity, and friendship
- And why prayer may be the most important habit of all
Because following Jesus doesn’t remove disagreement…but it transforms how we live within it.
📚 Today's Resources:
Condoleeza Rice, Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family
Ralph David Abernathy, And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: An Autobiography
Stephen B. Oates, Let the Trumpet Sound: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr.
David J. Carrow, Bearing the Cross
SAVE THE DATE: April 22nd - Formation Podcast Launch
Becomenew.com/formation for more info
🙌 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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

49. Why Did Jesus Have to Die? Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Why did Jesus have to die? What's the deal with sacrifice? Couldn’t God just… forgive?
In this Good Friday teaching, Dr. John Ortberg walks through the deeper meaning of the cross.
A story that reveals:
We all need help
The real problem isn’t “out there”… it’s in us
And the power of evil is not defeated by force…but by self-giving love
On the cross, Jesus didn’t just suffer.
He absorbed evil without returning it.He out-loved hatred.He defeated sin by refusing to stop loving.
And in doing so, he changed everything.
The invitation is not just to believe in the cross…
but to live it.
📚 Today's Resources:
John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible
William K. Gilders, Blood Ritual in the Hebrew Bible: Meaning and Power
🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

48. 10 Things Jesus Never Did Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Not all condemnation is loud.
Some of it is… sneaky.
In this episode, John Ortberg walks through 10 passive-aggressive habits that quietly damage relationships—things like eye rolls, silence, sarcasm, and “I’m fine.”
The twist?
Jesus never used them.
He was direct. Honest. Clear.And still… full of love.
Because you can avoid conflict…and still be full of condemnation.
So today, pay attention:
Where are you being indirect instead of honest?Where is frustration leaking out sideways?
And ask God to help you speak the truth—without condemnation.
🙌 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.
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

47. Speaking the Truth to Someone You Love (Nancy Ortberg) Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Most people don’t struggle with telling the truth…they struggle with how they say it.
In this episode, John and Nancy Ortberg unpack what it really means to:
“Speak the truth in love.”
Through two powerful real-life stories, they show how condemnation quietly grows:
- behind people’s backs
- inside groups
- and in our own hearts
And how it can be replaced with something better:
- honesty without attack
- truth without shame
- connection instead of division
Because the goal isn’t avoiding hard conversations…
It’s learning how to have them without condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
Caitlin Simone (mentioned as an author in the context of business consulting work)
🙌 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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

46. What does the Bible mean by "scorn the shame?" | Hebrews 12:2 Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Shamed people… shame people.
So what do you do with the shame you carry?
In this episode, John Ortberg shows how Jesus faced shame—and refused to let it define him.
From rejection and ridicule to the cross itself, Jesus endured it all…but scorned the shame.
And that changes everything for us.
Because shame says:“You’re not enough.”“You don’t belong.”“You are what went wrong.”
But Jesus tells a different story.
Today’s invitation is simple:
Notice when shame shows up
Refuse to let it define you
Let Jesus tell your story
Because you were never meant to live under shame.
📚 Today's Resources:
Curt Thompson, The Soul of Shame
Eleanor Stump, Wandering in Darkness
🙌 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/
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

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