Become New with John Ortberg

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

Become New with John Ortberg is a religion podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Become New with John Ortberg, a religion show with 0 episodes published.

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  Become New with John Ortberg

  71. Becoming Defensive Doesn't Help. Here's Why

  Aug 31, 202613 min

  What happens when God shows you something about yourself you don't want to see? Our instinct is often to defend. Explain. Distract ourselves. Push it away. But what if the uncomfortable truth is actually an invitation to transformation? In this reflection on Psalm 32, John Ortberg explores the relationship between pain, honesty, forgiveness, and genuine change. John begins personally, describing a conversation in which a longtime friend helped him recognize uncomfortable patterns of comparison, envy, and competition in himself. Instead of defending himself, John is learning to say: “Yep. That's me. God, I need Your help.” Psalm 32 describes the blessed person as someone “in whose spirit is no deceit.” Then John tells the extraordinary story of Tom Tarrants, a violent white supremacist and KKK terrorist who was imprisoned in Mississippi. In prison, Tarrants encountered the words of Jesus: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” His life began to change. The man who once participated in racist terrorism eventually devoted himself to forgiveness, racial reconciliation, and serving the very people he once hated. How far can somebody fall and still be changed by God? Maybe much further than we imagine. So when your conscience shows you something today, don't immediately run. Don't defend. Don't hide. Ask: God, help me see the truth about myself. And then: Would You change me? In this episode: - Psalm 32 and honest confession - What happens when we become defensive - Dallas Willard on pain and reality - Why hiding the truth fragments us internally - David, Psalm 51, and forgiveness - The story of Tom Tarrants - Radical transformation from hatred to reconciliation - What it means to have “no deceit” in your spirit - How to respond to conviction - Why God's grace can change anyone Scriptures: Psalm 32 • Psalm 51 • Psalm 1 • Matthew 16:26 • 2 Samuel 11–12 #Psalm32 #JohnOrtberg #Forgiveness #Psalms #Transformation #SpiritualFormation #Confession #ChristianFaith #Grace #BibleStudy 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 51504 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 NEW to 51504 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 The Power God Has to Change You 00:36 When Someone Tells You the Truth About Yourself 01:00 Stop Defending Yourself 01:26 What Do You Do With the Pain? 01:49 Psalm 32 & David's Repentance 02:20 Blessed After Going Down the Wrong Path 02:27 Forgiven and Changed 02:50 In Whose Spirit Is No Deceit 03:13 Pain Is Running Into Reality 03:34 When I Kept Silent 04:00 Why Sin Divides Us Inside 04:20 Confession & Forgiveness 04:36 How Far Down Can Someone Fall? 04:52 The Story of Tom Tarrants 05:26 A Violent KKK Terrorist 06:00 A Bible in a Mississippi Prison 06:29 Jesus Changes a Life 06:55 Enemies Praying Together 07:14 A Fraternity That Transcends All Others 07:37 The FBI Investigates His Conversion 08:10 From Hatred to Reconciliation 08:41 Forgiven People Can Help Others 09:03 The Truth About Me 09:21 The Lord's Unfailing Love Surrounds You 09:43 Don't Push the Truth Away 10:05 God, Help Me See Myself 10:23 Can God Change a Heart of Hatred? 10:33 Only God

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  Become New with John Ortberg

  69. The Glory and Burden of Potential

  Aug 27, 202613 min

  What if you haven't lived up to your potential? In this reflection on Psalm 8, John Ortberg explores one of the great wonders of God's creation: human potential. You can count the seeds in an apple. But you cannot count the apples in a seed. Human beings possess an extraordinary capacity to grow, create, love, serve and become. Psalm 8 looks at the vastness of the heavens and then marvels that God is mindful of us. But there's another side to potential. It can become a burden. I should be further along. I should have accomplished more. I should have made better decisions. I should be more successful, disciplined, attractive, productive or fulfilled. What happens when the possibility of what we could become turns into disappointment over what we haven't become ? John offers two truths to carry with us: “I am but dust and ashes.” And: “The whole world was created on my account.” One reminds us that we are limited creatures. The other reminds us that we are deeply loved. And if you're worried that too much of your life has already passed or that you've wasted your potential, remember: God never gets trapped in the past. Today is still here. And who knows what God may yet have in store? In this episode: Psalm 8 and human potential Recovering awe and wonder Why we become blasé about extraordinary things Abraham Joshua Heschel on human possibility What it means to participate in the divine nature How potential becomes a burden The pressure to constantly optimize our lives “I am but dust and ashes” “The whole world was created on my account” What to do when you feel insignificant What to do when you feel too important Letting go of regret about wasted potential Why God isn't trapped in your past Scriptures: Psalm 8 • 2 Peter 1:4 • Genesis 18:27 • Luke 23:39–43 #Psalm8 #JohnOrtberg #Potential #Psalms #SpiritualFormation #Purpose #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Identity #Hope 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 51504 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 NEW to 51504 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 The Burden of Potential 00:11 You Can't Count the Apples in a Seed 00:34 Psalm 8 & Human Potential 00:55 Have You Considered the Heavens Lately? 01:15 How We Lose Our Sense of Wonder 01:33 What Is Mankind That You Are Mindful of Us? 02:05 The Potential of the Human Soul 02:22 What Could This Child Become? 02:54 Apples in a Seed 03:05 Made to Participate With God 03:22 Participate in the Divine Nature 04:19 Do You Remember What It Was Like With God? 05:31 The Legend of the Child and the Torah 06:44 E. E. Cummings & the Wonder of Creation 07:12 When Potential Becomes a Burden 07:32 What Am I Going to Do With All This Potential? 08:00 The Pressure to Optimize Your Life 08:59 Two Truths You Need to Carry 09:27 I Am But Dust and Ashes 09:33 The Whole World Was Created on My Account 09:45 When You Feel Too Important 10:04 When You Feel Insignificant 10:25 What If You've Wasted Your Potential? 10:47 The Thief on the Cross 11:08 God Isn't Trapped in Your Past 11:18 You Still Can't Count the Apples in a Seed

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  Become New with John Ortberg

  68. This Question Will Guide Your Life

  Aug 26, 202614 min

  What do you really want? According to the Gospel of John, that's the first question Jesus asks His would-be disciples: “What do you want?” In this reflection on Psalm 1, John Ortberg explores why that may be one of the most important questions we ever answer. Our lives have a way of organizing themselves around our deepest desires. How do you spend your time? Your money? What makes you angry? What are you willing to sacrifice for? Those things often reveal what we want more accurately than our words do. Psalm 1 gives us a picture of a different kind of life: a flourishing person, like a tree planted beside streams of water, with roots sunk deeply into God. And John closes with the remarkable story of Natan Sharansky, who spent years imprisoned in the Soviet Union and memorized the entire Book of Psalms. When he was finally released, Sharansky refused to cross the bridge to freedom until his captors returned his copy of the Psalms. What we fill our minds with matters. Because what fills our minds helps shape what we desire. So today, ask yourself: What do I really want? And: What am I filling my mind with? In this episode: The first question Jesus asks in John's Gospel How our lives reveal what we actually want Psalm 1 and the meaning of “blessed” What biblical flourishing looks like The tree planted beside streams of water Why invisible roots matter The progression of walking, standing and sitting Why Psalm 1 isn't a formula for easy circumstances How inner goodness crowds out envy and greed Natan Sharansky's remarkable story How the Psalms sustained him through Soviet imprisonment Why what we fill our minds with shapes our lives Scriptures: John 1:35–38 • Psalm 1 • Acts 20:35 • Matthew 7:12 #Psalm1 #JohnOrtberg #Psalms #Jesus #SpiritualFormation #Flourishing #BibleStudy #ChristianFaith #Prayer #NatanSharansky 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 51504 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 NEW to 51504 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 What Do You Want? 00:27 The First Question Jesus Asked 00:39 What Your Life Reveals About You 01:06 What Do You REALLY Want? 01:31 What Kind of Person Do You Want to Be? 01:53 Living With Blinders On 02:10 When Nothing Feels Worth Wanting 02:40 Psalm 1 & the Blessed Life 03:05 What Does “Blessed” Mean? 03:32 A Tree Planted by Streams of Water 03:54 Two Ways to Live 04:14 The Roots Nobody Sees 04:40 Rooted and Nourished by God 05:03 The Challenge of Translating Hebrew 05:49 “Let's Eat, Kids” 06:18 Psalm 1 Guides Us Toward Happiness 06:43 Walk, Stand, Sit 07:14 Why Goodness Is Easy to Mock 07:37 Psalm 1 Isn't a Formula 07:59 What Inner Goodness Does 08:23 What Do You Want? 08:33 What Will You Fill Your Mind With? 08:38 Natan Sharansky's Story 09:15 A Book of Psalms in a Soviet Prison 09:40 Three Ways He Survived Solitary Confinement 10:01 Memorizing the Entire Book of Psalms 10:31 He Refused Freedom Without His Psalms 10:54 Zigzagging Across the Bridge to Freedom 11:17 Carrying the Psalms to Jerusalem 11:34 What Will You Carry in Your Mind?

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  Become New with John Ortberg

  67. Why Today is a Good Day to Die

  Aug 25, 202614 min

  Today is a good day to die. Which means it's a good day to come alive. In this reflection on Psalm 51, John Ortberg explores an old Christian word that doesn't get used much anymore: mortification . It sounds miserable. But properly understood, mortification isn't about becoming miserable. It's about becoming free. John describes two selves within us: the impulsive self , driven by whatever we happen to want right now, and the valuing self , shaped by what we most deeply believe matters: love, joy, peace, patience and generosity. The goal of the spiritual life isn't to spend every day desperately resisting everything we want. It's to increasingly become the kind of person who is no longer controlled by destructive desires . Drawing from Psalm 51, Romans 8, and Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find , John explores Jesus' strange invitation to die in order to truly live. To mortify is to liberate. And it can begin with one very small act today. In this episode: What “mortification” actually means Jesus' paradox of dying in order to live Samuel Johnson on how death clarifies life Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find Psalm 51 and David's prayer of repentance The impulsive self vs. the valuing self Why following Jesus isn't endless miserable resistance How destructive desires lose their power Mortification as liberation A simple practice for becoming more free today Scriptures: Psalm 51 • Romans 8:13 • 2 Samuel 11–12 • Matthew 16:25 #Psalm51 #JohnOrtberg #Psalms #SpiritualFormation #Freedom #DyingToSelf #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Jesus #Transformation 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 51504 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 NEW to 51504 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 Today Is a Good Day to Die 00:32 Why Mortification Is a Good Thing 01:01 Which of Your Two Selves Needs to Die? 01:29 Death Concentrates the Mind 01:56 Flannery O'Connor & A Good Man Is Hard to Find 02:52 Meet the Grandmother 03:37 The Misfit 04:08 A Strange Moment of Grace 04:37 “You're One of My Children” 04:59 What Facing Death Did to Her 05:23 What Needs to Die in Me? 05:58 Romans 8: Put It to Death and Live 06:21 Psalm 51 & David's Sin 06:54 Our Sin Isn't Always Before Us 07:17 Create in Me a Pure Heart 07:43 Mortification Isn't Misery 08:05 The Life of the Spirit 08:31 Your Two Selves 08:51 The Valuing Self 09:17 To Mortify Is to Liberate 09:25 Freedom From Destructive Desires 10:10 Addiction, Resentment & Approval 10:44 What Real Freedom Looks Like 11:15 A Good Day to Die 11:38 Practice One Small Act of Mortification 11:58 Don't Do One Thing You Want to Do 12:24 He Will Make You Free

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  Become New with John Ortberg

  66. You Were Made for GREAT Joy

  Aug 24, 202612 min

  You were made for great joy...but what do you do when you don't feel particularly joyful? In this reflection on Psalm 47, John Ortberg explores a surprisingly practical answer: Do something joyful. Sing. Clap. Dance. Go outside. Listen to birds. Look into the face of someone you love. Maybe even skip. The Psalms weren't merely written to be read. They were meant to be sung. Drawing from William Law and the James-Lange theory of emotion, John explores the fascinating relationship between our bodies and our inner lives. We can't simply command ourselves to feel happy. Our emotions don't work that way. But we can choose our actions. And because our bodies and souls are deeply connected, the things we choose to do can help shape what's happening inside our hearts. So don't wait until you feel joyful to sing. Sometimes, singing helps lead us toward joy. This is your day. You can make this day a song. In this episode: Psalm 47 and the command to sing Why the Psalms were meant to be sung William Law on singing the Psalms The relationship between body and emotion Why “just choose to be happy” doesn't work The James-Lange theory of emotion Why the Psalms include dancing and other physical practices How our outward actions can shape our inward lives Practical ways to move toward joy Making your day a song Scriptures: Psalm 47 • Psalm 113:3 #Psalm47 #JohnOrtberg #Joy #Psalms #Worship #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Prayer #Happiness 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 51504 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 NEW to 51504 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 You Were Made for Great Joy 00:25 How Your Life Becomes a Song 00:48 Psalm 47: Sing Praises 01:20 Sing, Sing, Sing 01:46 Why Were the Psalms Meant to Be Sung? 02:09 William Law on Singing the Psalms 02:32 Don't Just Read the Psalm 02:57 How Singing Changes the Heart 03:21 The James-Lange Theory of Emotion 03:51 Your Body Can Affect Your Feelings 04:11 It's Hard to Be Depressed While You Skip 04:27 From the Rising of the Sun 04:45 How the Body Influences Emotion 05:09 John's Blind Date Advice 05:24 The Union of Soul and Body 06:14 You Can't Just Choose to Be Happy 06:41 How Much Power Do We Have Over Ourselves? 07:05 Choose the Outward Action 07:41 Why Singing the Psalms Matters 08:03 Do Something That Leads to Joy 08:33 Sing, Skip, Dance 08:55 Make This Day a Song

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