Become New with John Ortberg

Latest Episodes:

15. Give Up Condemnation for Lent Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

Philippians with John Ortberg (Study Guide Available) Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

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.
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

Soul Care in a Digital World (Study Guide Available) Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

John 14-15 (Study Guide Now Available) Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Enjoy this free download: https://bit.ly/Untroubled-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!
Jesus says something almost unbelievable: “Do not let your heart be troubled.” And he says it on the night before his death. In this episode, John Ortberg opens a journey into what it actually means to live with an untroubled heart in a deeply troubled world. He shares a moment with his friend Dallas Willard, who once asked him, “What are you doing under the circumstances?” That question reframes everything. We’re not meant to live under our circumstances. We’re meant to live inside God’s care. John reminds us that the “heart” in Scripture isn’t just emotions. It’s the control center of your life. And while the world will stay troubled, your heart doesn’t have to.
ACCESS THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR UNTROUBLED HEART HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Egad-Un8UGEuSydT4Y_gT754T89w535
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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

Matthew 5-7 (Study Guide Now Available) Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Enjoy this free download: https://bit.ly/Insurmountable-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 Ortberg walks us into Matthew 5, where Jesus announces that the blessed life (life in God’s kingdom) is available right here, right now, no matter your circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not abstract theory or impossible idealism; it is a practical, transformative vision for human life. Tolstoy once wrote that if Jesus’ words were truly lived, they would create an entirely new social order. John brings it home with Jesus’ simple summary of the whole teaching: treat others the way you would want to be treated.
ACCESS THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR INSURMOUNTABLE HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Egad-Un8UHXbT60EfcXVJF33i5mA-5f
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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

Genesis 1-3 (12-Week Study Guide Now Available) Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Enjoy this free download: https://bit.ly/Genesis-Study-Guide
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 invites us to slow down and breathe in a simple truth: God is the God of new beginnings. From the opening words of Scripture, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”... John shows how creation itself points to fresh starts, clean slates, and new possibilities. God didn’t just create once and walk away; He is continually creating, sustaining every leaf, every breath, every moment. And that same creative presence is available to you right now. The God who says “do it again” to the sun each morning is the God who offers you a do-over.
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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

14. How do you handle Criticism? (feat. Jackson Lane) Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Good news: You don’t have to live for your critics anymore.
John Ortberg looks ahead to Lent and invites us into a bold, freeing experiment: giving up condemnation altogether; the kind we receive, the kind we rehearse in our own heads, and the kind we quietly pass along to others. Drawing from the apostle Paul, John explores the reality that we all live with three critics:
- Other people
- Ourselves
- And God
The surprising twist? Freedom doesn’t come from silencing the first two, it comes from a category shift in how we understand the third.
Today's Resources:
Lewis B. Smedes, How Can It Be All Right When Everything Is All Wrong?
🙌 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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

13. All Healthy Relationships Have This in Common (w/Dr. Rick) Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

There is now no condemnation. Which is especially good news for our closest relationships.

In this conversation, John Ortberg is joined by longtime friend and clinical psychologist Rick Blackmon to explore how condemnation quietly shows up in marriages, families, and friendships—and what actually helps break its grip.
Drawing from relationship research, clinical practice, and lived experience, they talk about why “constructive criticism” often backfires, how negativity ratios shape relational health, and the Four Horsemen that predict breakdown (with stonewalling doing more damage than we realize). Along the way, they offer practical wisdom for telling the truth without being harsh, starting hard conversations gently, and learning to calm the soul when emotions run hot.
This is an honest, hope-filled conversation about becoming people who can face conflict without crushing one another—and learning to live, even in our relationships, from a place where grace has the final word.
Today's Resources:
John Gottman, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail
🙌 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
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

12. How to Break the Condemnation Cycle Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

John Ortberg asks a surprisingly practical question:What should I be looking for in people (especially the ones I disagree with) if I want to stop the cycle of condemnation?
Along the way, John draws from:
- Arthur Brooks on how contempt corrodes our culture (and inboxes)
- Social psychology’s painfully accurate idea of motivational attribution asymmetry
- A dramatic moment in the Gospels where religious leaders look right at suffering… and somehow miss it
- The difference between a hermeneutic of suspicion and a far rarer hermeneutic of charity
You’ll hear why:
- We assume good motives for ourselves and bad motives for “those people”
Social media makes us feel morally informed while quietly shrinking our souls
- Jesus keeps asking a question we’d rather not answer: What are you actually looking for?
- The invitation here is deceptively simple and genuinely difficult:Look for the image of God.Not agreement. Not ammunition. Not confirmation that you’re right.
- When we see people the way Jesus does, contempt loses its grip—and condemnation doesn’t get the last word.
Also included: academic shade, Gospel-level tension, and a timer reminding John when it’s time to stop talking.
Today's Resources:
Arthur C. Brooks, Love Your Enemies
🙌 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. Jesus and Judgmentalism | John and Nancy Ortberg Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

Good news: There is now no condemnation.
Awkward news: Christians still manage to find ways to do it anyway.
In this episode, John Ortberg sits down with his wife (and favorite guest) Nancy Ortberg. Along the way, they explore:
- Why condemnation doesn’t just live in our words… but in our eyebrows, tone, and jawline.
- How Jesus consistently gathered the people everyone else had already dismissed. Why the parable of the sower would have sounded wildly irresponsible to first-century farmers
- How anonymity (hello, freeway driving 🚗) turns normal people into moral commentators
- Why learning not to condemn others starts with learning not to condemn ourselves
This conversation is honest, funny, deeply human, and quietly transformative. It’s not about pretending truth doesn’t matter. It’s about discovering that grace is far more generous than we imagined—and that Jesus really meant it when he said he didn’t come to condemn the world.
Also included: accidental theology, body-language confession, and at least one future t-shirt idea.
🙌 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

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