Become New with John Ortberg

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Why Mental Health Isn't Enough Oct 27, 2025

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We talk a lot about mental health these days, and that’s a good thing.
But what if there’s something even deeper we’re missing? In this reflection, John explores why peace of mind, while valuable, was never meant to be life’s ultimate goal and looks at a forgotten truth about what it really means to flourish as a human being and why the deepest kind of wellness can’t be measured by how we feel.
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41. The True Meaning of "Jesus Christ Is Lord" (Philippians 2 Explained) Oct 22, 2025

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“God will meet all your needs…” You’ve probably heard that line before, maybe hanging in a frame or scribbled in a journal. But what did Paul really mean when he wrote it from a prison cell to a struggling church? In this episode, we close out the letter to the Philippians by looking at one of the most quoted (and misunderstood) verses in Scripture. What does it actually mean for God to meet our needs? What are our real needs? And how can we live in joyful confidence, even when circumstances fall short? Let’s dig into the deeper, richer, more radical invitation in Paul’s words — one that offers both challenge and comfort in today’s world.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

40. God Will Meet All Your Needs Oct 21, 2025

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Paul is writing from a world where generosity was often about power, the rich giving so the poor would owe them something. But in this new Jesus-shaped community, giving is about love. Gratitude is real. Generosity is mutual. And God is the true source of provision; not status, not wealth, not self-actualization.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

39. The Secret to Being Content in Every Circumstance (w/Nancy Ortberg) Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

What if the secret to joy isn’t more but less? John and Nancy reflect on a lighthouse keeper’s sacred task (watcher of the infinite) and draw a striking parallel to our own spiritual calling. Contentment, Nancy says, is elusive. You find it, lose it, and have to find your way back...maybe 76 times a day. But contentment comes not from how much we have, but where we look. The invitation is to scan the horizon not for what we want, but for what God is already doing.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

38. How Religion Can Make People Worse (and what to do about it) Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

Paul’s strong language in Philippians 3 might be surprising to our modern sensibilities, “Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers…” It sounds harsh, but his concern runs deep. He’s warning the church against turning something good, faith, into something harmful. Religion, when distorted, can divide people into “us” and “them.” When we start to see ourselves as God’s insiders and others as outsiders, pride sneaks in, and love gets pushed out. Paul knew that this way of thinking not only distorts the gospel but damages hearts.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

37. Faith Isn’t Complete Until You Act Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

As we continue to talk about Philippians it’s important to remember that chapter 4 doesn’t stop at “thinking on these things.” Paul takes it a step further, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice.” Faith is not just a way of thinking; it’s a way of living, choosing, and acting. Paul invites us into a life that moves beyond contemplation into action. It’s one thing to dwell on what is noble and praiseworthy, but another to step forward in obedience, generosity, and love.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF
00:00 — Two Great Questions
00:26 — Why Faith Requires a Bias Toward Action
01:21 — Longfellow’s “Psalm of Life” and Paul’s Call to Act
02:11 — What It Means to Learn and Receive From Others
03:02 — Jane Goodall and the Power of Apprenticeship
03:55 — Who Are You a Disciple Of?
06:14 — Why Prayer Is a Spiritual Ecosystem
08:23 — Gordon MacDonald and Tony Campolo’s “Big Tipper” Story
10:20 — Serving as a Spiritual Discipline: Nancy’s “Yes”
11:18 — The Promise: Not Just the Peace of God, but the God of Peace
12:10 — What Are You Thinking? What Are You Doing?

36. How to Renew Your Mind (Philippians 4:8 Explained) Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Today, John talks about how Paul understood that we cannot live a life of peace and joy without first tending to the garden of our thoughts. If our thinking is careless, our living will be reactive and restless. But when our minds are filled with truth and beauty, our lives begin to reflect the light of Christ. Stories like those of heroes in Saving Private Ryan or the humble villagers in Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed help reorient our thoughts toward honor, purity, and courage. They remind us that goodness is not abstract; it’s alive and visible in acts of faithfulness.
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 in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

35. How to Pray When You Feel Anxious Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7 invite us to bring our worries to God — not to control outcomes, but to open our hearts. John shares how Jerry Hawthorne, Dallas Willard, and Joni Eareckson Tada each taught that prayer is a conversation with a Person, not a formula for results. Through Joni’s example, John introduces the 80/20 rule of prayer. True peace comes not from fixing every circumstance, but from the peace of God guarding the heart that lets go.
Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF
00:00 — Why Paul Says “Do Not Be Anxious About Anything”
00:42 — What Philippians 4 Teaches About Prayer and Peace
02:18 — Remembering John Huffman’s Legacy of Faith
04:12 — What Dallas Willard Taught About Hearing God
06:00 — “My Son Had Strains You Will Never Know” Story
08:14 — What “The Peace of God” Really Means
09:49 — Joni Eareckson Tada and the 80/20 Rule of Prayer
11:13 — Why Faith Isn’t Convincing Yourself Things Will Change
11:37 — How to Pray for Your Heart Not Just Your Situation
12:05 — A Simple 80/20 Prayer Practice for Today

34. How to Stop Being Anxious About Tomorrow (w/Dr. Rick Blackmon) Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

Feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and the need to control everything? In this powerful episode, John Ortberg sits down with clinical psychologist and spiritual leader Dr. Rick Blackmon to unpack Philippians 4:6—“Do not be anxious about anything.” Together, they explore the difference between healthy planning and harmful preoccupation, how to build a tolerance for uncertainty, and why surrendering control may be the most powerful step toward peace. If you’ve ever wrestled with worry, this conversation offers both spiritual insight and psychological tools to help you let go and shine.
Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.
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Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

33. How to Be Gentle Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

This is your day to shine. Paul writes to the Philippians, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” It’s a quality so central to the heart of Jesus that he chose it as the word to describe himself: “I am gentle and humble in heart.” Paul would have known how radical that sounded. He’d grown up admiring zeal, the kind that would do anything or go to any length to defend God’s honor. For Paul, zeal was something you did with a knife. But on the road to Damascus, everything changed. God redefined zeal for Paul. He encountered a God who doesn’t strike down enemies but stretches out his hands for them. For Jesus, zeal was something he did on a cross.
Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.
TEXT US at 855-888-0444
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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 in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

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