Become New with John Ortberg

We’re surprisingly confident judges for people who barely know the math.

In this episode, John Ortberg explores why condemnation feels so natural, why it’s usually way off, and how Jesus exposes the absurdity of our moral scorekeeping. Using a strange but unforgettable math exercise (and an even stranger plumbing illustration), we discover why we’re uniquely qualified to judge exactly one person… ourselves.

Drawing from Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, we learn what “non-condemning math” really looks like—and why grace, like a stubborn plunger, works even when we think nothing else will.

If you’ve ever felt morally superior, quietly judgmental, or secretly exhausted by your own mind, this episode is for you. And when you get it wrong (you will), there’s still good news: there is now no condemnation.

Today's Resources:
Mihaly Csikszentnihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience 

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

Condemnation doesn’t just come from what others say about us — it also comes from the stories we tell ourselves. In this episode of Become New, John Ortberg explores how easily we slip into self-condemnation, why shame has so much power over our thoughts, and how Jesus offers a radically different way of seeing ourselves. Drawing from Scripture, neuroscience, and everyday experience, John shows how our minds can become trapped in false beliefs that distort reality and quietly shape how we live.

This teaching invites us to slow down, notice the inner narratives driving our reactions, and learn how to bring those stories into the light of truth. If you struggle with negative self-talk, guilt, anxiety, or feeling like you’re never enough, this episode offers a practical and hopeful path forward. Discover how Christian faith, spiritual formation, and the message of no condemnation can lead to greater freedom, clarity, and peace — not by denying reality, but by learning to see it truthfully.

Today's Resources:
Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

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

We live in a culture of condemnation.
Online. In politics. In families. And, if we’re honest, in our own hearts.

In this episode, John Ortberg explores why judgment comes so easily, what actually fuels it, and the one question condemning people almost never ask. Through a powerful story made famous by Stephen Covey, we see how quickly our perceptions can shift and how grace begins not with changing behavior, but with changing how we see.

Jesus invites us into a way of life marked not by assumptions, but by curiosity. Not by condemnation, but by compassion. Because the truth is simple and humbling: we never know the whole story.
If you’ve ever judged too quickly, been misunderstood yourself, or felt trapped in cycles of irritation and self-condemnation, this episode offers a wiser, freer way forward and reminds us why the good news really is good news.

Today's Resources:
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 

🙌 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 live in a culture of condemnation: cancel culture, self-judgment, outrage, and quiet shame. Most of us are swimming in it without even realizing it.

But the good news of Jesus points to a radically different reality: “There is now no condemnation.”

In this episode, John Ortberg explores why condemnation feels so normal, how it shapes both our inner lives and our public conversations, and what it looks like to become a person of blessing instead of judgment. Along the way, we reflect on the remarkable true story of a six-year-old girl who responded to hatred not with fear or anger, but with prayer—and changed history in the process.

Today's Resources:
Robert Coles, The Story of Ruby Bridges
Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy 

🙌 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

Every person you encounter today is carrying a story you cannot see.

In this episode, John reflects on the unseen battles every human being fights and the surprising truth that healing often comes not from focusing on our own pain, but from learning to notice and care about the stories of others.

Drawing from the Book of Job, insights from Eleanor Stump, and lived experiences of suffering, forgiveness, and mercy, this teaching explores how God is at work in stories within stories. Like a fractal, each life reflects a larger pattern of divine care, love, and redemption.

This message invites us to slow down, to see the person in front of us, and to remember: when we step into someone else’s story with compassion, generosity, or forgiveness, we enter a reality much larger than our own—and God uses it in ways we may never fully understand.

🙌 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
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Music Credits:
Forever and For Always feat. Ivywild and Roary by Marie Hines
MB01IDTJ7Z0NIZ3