Become New with John Ortberg

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45. Why We Do Things We Regret Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

How does Jesus change the world? Not through force. Not through control. Not by winning arguments.
It’s through the cross.
In this episode, John looks at a quote from Jesus during one of his most painful moments: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He draws people in not by power, but by self-giving love.
Drawing from John 12, Luke 23, and the story of Jesus’ final hours, John shows how the cross reveals character under pressure:
not retaliation, but surrender
not condemnation, but forgiveness
not control, but trust
The truth is, the cross is more than a teaching. It’s a story. Even when life gets disappointing, or people let us down, or we feel hurt beyond measure, we can choose to double down on the cross.
Remember: There is now, therefore, no condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
René Girard and James G. Williams, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning
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44. Masterclass on How to Communicate Like Jesus Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

Why do so many conversations leave people feeling worse instead of better?
In this episode, John walks through a powerful framework for communicating without condemnation, based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg:
observe without evaluating
name your feelings
identify your needs
make clear requests
Then he shows what it looks like in real life through one of Jesus’ most famous conversations — His encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4.
Instead of judging or correcting her, Jesus:
crosses social and relational barriers
listens beneath the surface
speaks truth without shame
creates connection before correction
And the result?
A woman who felt fully known… and still accepted.
You’ll learn:
why most communication quietly damages relationships
how to speak truth without condemnation
what it means to listen for deeper needs
how curiosity can transform difficult conversations
why being known and accepted changes everything
Because the goal isn’t to win the conversation.
It’s to love the person.
📚 Today's Resources:
Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships
🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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43. Why Cancelling People Doesn't Work Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

We live in a cancel culture.
Accountability matters — but somewhere along the way, accountability became condemnation. Not just “that was wrong,” but “you are done.”
In this episode, John explores:
the rise of cancel culture and public shaming
why shame and condemnation rarely lead to real change
the difference between calling people out and calling them in
the surprising place the word “cancel” shows up in the New Testament
and what Jesus actually does with sin and people
Drawing from voices like Jon Ronson, Adam Grant, and Loretta Ross, John points to a deeper truth:
God does not cancel people. God cancels sin.
At the cross — the ultimate place of public shame — Jesus absorbs condemnation and disarms it.
Which means:
Your sin can be canceled…
but you are not.
And neither is anyone else.
There is now no condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
John Ronson, “How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up X’s Life,” New York Times, 12 Feb 2015
Loretta J. Ross, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel
Charles Wesley, “O, For a Thousand Tongues To Sing,” (1739)
🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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42. You Might Be Reading the Bible Wrong... Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

What if you’ve been reading the Bible… the wrong way?

In this episode, John shares three unexpected tools for giving up condemnation:

lighten up
bring your shadow (your own capacity for failure)
read everything in the shadow of the cross

Drawing on insights from Phillip Cary and the story of Jonah, John challenges a common habit: reading ourselves as the “good” characters while judging everyone else.

Instead, we’re invited to identify with the ones who get it wrong.

You’ll learn:

why moralistic Bible reading fuels judgment
how humor and humility can disarm condemnation
what it means to “bring your shadow
how the cross reshapes the way we see others
why identifying with failure leads to freedom

Because the goal isn’t to prove we’re better than Jonah…

It’s to realize we’re not.

And that’s where grace begins.

And there is now no condemnation.

📚 Today's Resources:

Phillip Cary — commentary on Jonah

Classical references (via philosophy of literature): tragedy vs. satire/tabloid framing

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Music Credits:

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41. Here's Exactly What Changed Paul’s Life Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

How does someone go from being full of condemnation… to writing, “There is now no condemnation”?

In this episode, John explores the transformation of Paul — a man driven by zeal, judgment, and certainty — who encounters the risen Jesus and sees everything differently.

Drawing on insights from What Saint Paul Really Said, John unpacks what Paul actually meant by “justification by faith” — and why it’s not about earning salvation or simply believing a doctrine.

You’ll learn:

what Paul’s zeal was really about

why “justification” means being vindicated, not just forgiven

the difference between trusting Jesus and believing about Him

how Jesus redefines who belongs

why seeing Jesus in others changes everything

As you move through your day, you’re invited into a simple but powerful practice:

“It could be the Lord.”

Because when you begin to see people that way, condemnation starts to fall away.

And there is now no condemnation.

📚 Today's Resources:
What Saint Paul Really Said — N. T. Wright
Influence from Scott McKnight
Historical scholarship from E. P. Sanders
Richard Hooker — on justification and faith
Richard Rohr — referenced practice (“It could be the Lord”)

🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Music Credits:
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40. What If We’re Not Being Honest With God Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

What if our biggest barrier with God isn’t sin, but politeness?
In this episode, John Ortberg explores a surprising truth from Scripture: God isn’t looking for polished prayers. He’s inviting honest relationship. Through the story of Job, we discover something shocking:
Job rages. Questions God. Speaks words that feel almost dangerous. And yet—God says Job spoke what is right. Why? Because honesty draws us closer to God while polite distance keeps Him far away.
Even Jesus cried out on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
So if you’ve ever felt:
confused
disappointed
hurt
unsure what God is doing
You’re not alone, and you don’t have to hide it.
Today’s invitation is simple: Be real with God.
Because the path to deeper faith isn’t pretending—it’s honesty.
📚 Today's Resources:
Ellen F. Davis, Getting Involved with God
Eleonore Stump, Wandering in Darkness
Joseph Stein, Fiddler on the Roof
🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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39. What Jesus Meant by Cast the First Stone Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

We don’t throw stones anymore.
Except… we do.
Online.
In conversations.
With a look, a tone, a pause.
In this episode, John Ortberg unpacks one of the most famous and unsettling teachings of Jesus:
“Let the one without sin cast the first stone.”
Through a powerful contrast between ancient scapegoating and the story of the woman in John 8, we see what Jesus is really doing:
Not denying sin.
Not ignoring truth.
But interrupting condemnation.
Because there is something in every human heart that wants:
someone to blame
someone to shame
someone to bring down
But Jesus offers a different way.
A way where:
truth is spoken
sin is taken seriously
but people are not crushed
The invitation today is simple—and hard:
Put down the stone.
Because the moment you release condemnation,
you make space for grace.
There is now… therefore… no condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
René Girard and James G. Williams, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning
🙌 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:
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Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

38. Giving Up the 'Last Word' Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Criticism is inevitable.
Condemnation is optional.
In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of the most important distinctions for spiritual growth: how to receive criticism without absorbing condemnation.
Drawing from the life of King David, we see a man who:
Refused to take revenge when attacked
Ignored false condemnation
Yet humbly received painful truth when it mattered most
The Bible consistently teaches us:
Listen to criticism.
Learn from correction.
But do not internalize condemnation.
Because condemnation attacks your identity—
while healthy criticism can transform your life.
So what do you do when criticism comes?
Instead of getting defensive…
lean in.
“Is there anything else?”
This simple posture can turn even hard conversations into opportunities for growth.
Because when you are rooted in God’s love,
you don’t have to protect your ego—
you’re free to grow.
There is now… therefore… no condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
Michael B. Nichols and Martha B. Straus, The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships
🙌 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:
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Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

37. The Real Reason Why We Judge Others Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Condemnation doesn’t start with what we say.
It starts with how we see people.
In this episode, John Ortberg explores the root of condemnation and a critical distinction that can change the way we live: observation vs. evaluation.
Drawing from insights in Nonviolent Communication, John shows how easily our minds move from simply noticing behavior to assigning judgment, criticism, or contempt. And once that shift happens, condemnation begins to grow.
Jesus addressed this problem directly in the Sermon on the Mount when he said:
“First take the plank out of your own eye.”
The real issue isn’t just our words — it’s our perception.
When we learn to see people the way Jesus sees them — as bearers of God’s image — our responses change. Curiosity replaces contempt. Love replaces judgment.
Today’s practice is simple but powerful:
As you move through your day, pause and ask:
What would Jesus see when he looks at this person?
Because when we change how we see,we change how we love.
And in Christ, there is now… therefore… no condemnation.
📚 Today's Resources:
Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Iris Murdoch, The Sovereignty of Good
Yoel Kahn, The Three Blessings: Boundaries, Censorship, and Identity in Jewish Liturgy

36. How to Let Go of Your Anger Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

What do you do with the anger that keeps replaying in your mind?
The conversations.
The injustice.
The words you wish you could say back.
In this episode, John Ortberg looks at the remarkable life of Saint Patrick — a man who was kidnapped, enslaved for six years, and yet chose a path almost no one would expect.
Instead of revenge, Patrick returned to the people who enslaved him with a message of love and forgiveness.
His life raises a hard question for all of us:
What do we do with the pain that makes condemnation feel justified?
John explores two deeply practical practices that help us escape the prison of bitterness:
• Stop ruminating about the person who hurt you
• Stop gossiping about them
These small decisions can redirect the entire trajectory of your heart.
Because the voice you rehearse in your mind
will eventually shape the life you live.
And the way of Jesus — even in the face of deep injustice — is the way of blessing.
📚 Today's Resources:
Saint Patrick, Confession
https://a.co/d/03vuAWnF
Jonathan Bardon, A History of Ireland
https://a.co/d/0bVNXger
Northumbria Community, Celtic Daily Prayer
https://a.co/d/00ovpl4V
🙌 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

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