Become New with John Ortberg

There’s no condemnation for me.But if I’m honest… there’s still plenty of condemnation in me.

So today we’re looking at one of the strangest, most uncomfortable, and most liberating stories in the Bible—a deeply messed-up family story involving betrayal, hypocrisy, sex, judgment, and a shocking reversal that exposes how condemnation actually gets broken.
It’s the story of Judah and Tamar.It’s awkward. It’s painful. It’s absolutely not a children’s Bible story.And somehow, it turns out to be a Jesus story.

This episode explores the moment when a man who is fully prepared to condemn someone else is forced to recognize his own heart—and how that recognition becomes the beginning of freedom, humility, reconciliation, and blessing. Along the way, we discover why the Bible keeps including deeply flawed people in God’s story, why self-righteousness collapses under honest self-recognition, and why Jesus’ family tree is far stranger—and more hopeful—than we expect.
If you’ve ever felt judgment rise up in you toward someone else…This story might be exactly what you need.

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

The world feels like it’s falling apart and it’s tempting to think condemnation is the only honest response.

But what if God sees the world very differently?
In this episode, we step back and look at the big picture: not just what’s broken, but what God is actively doing to heal it. Drawing on insights echoed by Dallas Willard, Robert Putnam, and a striking story from positive psychology, we explore why humans become trained to see what’s wrong—and why God refuses to give up on the world.

Jesus didn’t come to label the cosmos “condemned.”He came to save, heal, restore, and redeem it.

If you’re worried about the state of the world—or the people you love most—this episode invites you to release the burden of condemnation and rediscover a deeper, steadier hope: Jesus is very good at saving the world.

Today's Resources:
Shaylyn Romney Garrett, The Upswing
Shawn Achor, The Happiness Advantage

🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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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

What do you do when life crushes you?
 When failure is public, shame feels loud, and condemnation (external or internal) won’t let up?
In this episode, we explore an unexpected truth: God often does His deepest work through difficulty, humiliation, and exposure. Drawing on the craft of a master violin maker, the wisdom of the Psalms, and reflections echoed by Dallas Willard, we consider how the “rough conditions” of life can produce the most beautiful sound.
Through stories of biblical figures who were humbled—and transformed—we discover why those who experience humiliation often become the least condemning people of all. And why Jesus, the most condemned person in the Gospels, became the most compassionate.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your failures disqualify you, this episode offers a bracing and hopeful answer: no condemnation doesn’t mean no pain—but it does mean pain isn’t the end.

Today's Resources:
Martin Schleske, author of The Sound of Life’s Unspeakable Beauty 
Thomas Keating, Divine Therapy & Addiction 

🙌 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

Comparison is the quiet engine behind condemnation.
In this episode, we explore why sizing ourselves up against others feels so natural and why it so often turns us anxious, resentful, and judgmental. Drawing on insights from René Girard, social psychology, and Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, we uncover how comparative desire fuels rivalry, outrage, and “us vs. them” thinking.

From the Ten Commandments to social media envy, from Cain and Abel to modern prestige rankings, we discover why wanting what our neighbor has never ends well and what Jesus offers as a radically different way to live.

Today's Resources:
René Girard, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning
Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation

🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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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

We all have a them.
The people we quietly feel superior to.The ones we distance ourselves from.The ones we’re pretty sure God should work on… preferably far away from us.

In this episode, John Ortberg takes an honest look at how a condemning mind works and why Jesus’ story of the Pharisee and the tax collector still exposes us today. Drawing on insights from Dallas Willard and Kenneth E. Bailey, we explore how contempt sneaks into our prayers, how “us vs. them” thinking feels spiritual, and why Jesus refuses to stand aloof from anyone.

The twist?For Jesus, there is no them.
If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “At least I’m not like that person,” this episode might rearrange how you see others, and how you pray.

Today's Resources:
Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes 
Lauren F. Winner, The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin 

🙌 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 [email protected]

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