Become New with John Ortberg

John Ortberg challenges the quiet belief that our everyday choices don’t matter and explores how good intentions can give way when we feel pressured, insecure, or afraid.
Drawing on Christian Miller’s The Character Gap and Langdon Gilkey’s Shantung Compound, John examines the difference between wanting to do good and developing a character that keeps choosing love under difficult circumstances. He shares the example of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner depicted in Chariots of Fire, whose selfless service encouraged others during internment in China.
John closes with six daily questions about surrender, gratitude, forgiveness, prayer, Scripture, and obedience. These offer a practical way to bring your day before God and receive help to become the person you long to be.
Today’s practice: Take five minutes to answer the six questions, then choose one concrete act of love or obedience.
Related Scripture: Psalm 90:12; Romans 7:18–25; Romans 12:1–2; Hebrews 12:1–3.
Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.
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Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 The illusion that this moment doesn’t matter
00:25 What is shaping my heart?
00:50 Ants and getting back to the source
01:46 A framework for examining our lives
02:16 The Character Gap and human behavior
03:24 Wanting right, but prepared for wrong
04:16 Can we develop a different character?
04:56 Langdon Gilkey’s Shantung Compound
06:02 What pressure and scarcity reveal
07:09 Eric Liddell: A different kind of life
08:40 Six questions for each day
09:00 Surrendering the day to God
09:37 What can I thank God for?
09:48 Forgiveness, cleansing, and making amends
10:18 Who should I pray for?
10:33 Applying Scripture to my life
10:56 What should I do, and how?
11:21 The race I want to run

Sin isn’t only about the wrong things we do. It’s also about the good we leave undone. John Ortberg explores the two kinds of sin, commission and omission, and the spiritual practices that help us address each.
Drawing from Proverbs, James, and the teachings of Jesus, John explains how to strengthen your “don’t” and “do” muscles. He also introduces a surprising spiritual discipline: chatting. An ordinary conversation can become an opportunity to encourage, connect, and offer the right word at the right time.
Who could use a word of encouragement from you today? Share your takeaway in the comments.
Scripture explored: James 4:17; Proverbs 25:11; Matthew 25:31–46; Luke 7:36–50.
Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.
#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #SpiritualGrowth

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📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time.

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Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 Two kinds of sin and two tools to help
00:23 The power of a word aptly spoken
00:52 The good words we leave unsaid
02:07 Why we’re talking less than ever
04:46 Two kinds of sin: commission and omission
06:08 What Jesus says about the good we fail to do
07:07 Strengthening your “don’t” and “do” muscles
08:37 The spiritual discipline of chatting
09:44 Put it into practice today
10:36 Who can you encourage today?
11:01 Stay connected with Become New

Why do we stretch the truth, even when we want to be honest? John Ortberg explores the insecurity, desire for approval, and self-protection that can drive our little lies, and how God helps us become truthful from the inside out.
In episode three of Become New’s series on sin, the seven deadly sins, and grace, John shares a funny story from a pastors’ conference where church attendance became a measure of importance. Through Psalm 51, Colossians 3, and Peter’s promise to remain faithful to Jesus, he examines the gap between our sincere intentions and our instinctive responses under pressure.
John offers a practical approach to repentance: get curious. Ask what you were trying to gain, consider how your behavior affected someone else, and let that understanding move you toward honesty and making amends.
Today’s practice: Notice one moment when you shaped the truth to look better. Ask God what was underneath it, and correct the impression you created.
Scripture explored: Psalm 51:2, 6; Colossians 3:5; Matthew 26:31–35.
Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.
#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #SpiritualGrowth

🙌 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:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 Becoming a deeply truthful person
00:42 Why isn’t lying a deadly sin?
01:34 Facing the truth about ourselves
02:17 A pastor’s temptation to exaggerate
03:53 How we fudge the truth
05:04 What does it mean to repent?
05:53 Repentance begins with curiosity
06:30 What was I trying to gain?
07:14 Finding freedom from the need to impress
07:39 Peter’s confidence and coming denial
09:15 Getting curious about our motives
09:49 How did my sin affect someone else?
10:57 Making amends and changing within
11:20 A prayer for cleansing

Do you really want the truth about yourself, or would you rather have it sugarcoated? John Ortberg explores why honest self-examination matters for spiritual growth and how knowing we are loved gives us the courage to face what needs to change.
In episode two of Become New’s series on sin, the seven deadly sins, and grace, John draws on Dallas Willard, Peter Jones’s Self-Help from the Middle Ages, and a story about Wendell Berry as a demanding writing teacher. He considers Jesus’ hard words to his disciples and the ways we minimize attitudes and behaviors that damage our lives and relationships.
The invitation is to ask God for both honesty and grace: help me see the truth about myself, and help me know that I am loved.
Today’s practice: Revisit one piece of feedback you have resisted. Ask God what may be true in it, and take one small step toward becoming a more loving person.
Scripture explored: Romans 1:28–32; Mark 8:31–33; Mark 9:14–29.
Related Scripture: Psalm 139:23; Ephesians 4:15.
Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.
#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #SpiritualGrowth

🙌 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
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GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe
GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504
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Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 Do you want truth or softness?
00:43 Facing the reality of our condition
01:09 Self-help from the Middle Ages
02:33 Sugarcoating difficult feedback
03:31 Wendell Berry’s demanding classroom
04:51 A teacher who cared enough to be honest
06:19 Jesus speaks hard truth
07:17 What gets in the way of becoming good?
08:02 Hearing Scripture as a diagnosis
08:36 The sins we excuse
09:53 An invitation to honest self-examination
10:42 Knowing we are loved
11:04 Wendell Berry’s “Original Sin”
12:06 Today’s prayer: Truth and grace

Why do I keep doing what I don’t want to do? And beneath the problems with my job, finances, or circumstances, am I actually becoming a more loving person?

In the opening episode of Become New’s series exploring sin, the seven deadly sins, and grace, John Ortberg starts with a funny parallel-parking encounter and a surprisingly important question: “What’s your problem?” Through Romans 7, John explores the difference between individual acts of wrongdoing and the deeper patterns within us that willpower alone cannot overcome.

This teaching looks at spiritual growth, the limits of behavior modification, the hidden motives behind gossip, and the freedom to examine ourselves honestly. Drawing on insights from Dallas Willard, John invites us to notice what needs to change while holding onto the promise of Romans 8:1: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Today’s practice: Ask God to show you one inner pattern that needs his grace. Pay attention to your reactions throughout the day, and bring what you discover to him with honesty.

Scripture explored: Romans 7:15–21; Romans 8:1.

Related Scripture: Luke 6:27–28; Galatians 5:22–23.

Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.

#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #SpiritualGrowth

🙌 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
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😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/
🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/

Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 Introduction
00:14 What’s your problem?
01:04 A parallel-parking lesson
02:45 Three kinds of problems
04:21 Are you measuring what matters?
04:58 Romans 7: Doing what I hate
06:31 The difference between sin and sins
07:01 Behavior modification and its limits
07:46 Dallas Willard on the deeper power of sin
09:09 Confession, gossip, and hidden motives
10:13 A series about grace
10:47 No condemnation in Christ
11:00 Today’s practice: Ask God to show you