Become New with John Ortberg

What do you do when your soul feels downcast?

In this conversation, John Ortberg sits down with Kevin Palau to explore Psalm 42, anxiety, discouragement, emotional honesty, and hope.

Kevin shares candidly about his own struggles with anxiety, the pressures of leadership, and why Psalm 42 has become one of the most important prayers in his spiritual life.

This episode explores:
- Anxiety and spiritual formation
- Psalm 42 and emotional honesty
- The pressure to appear spiritually strong
- Faith and discouragement
- Sabbath, rest, and slowing down
- Learning to put our hope in God

One of the great gifts of Psalm 42 is that it reminds us that faith is not pretending everything is fine. Faith is bringing our real selves before God and placing our hope in Him anyway.

Scriptures:
- Psalm 42

Featuring:
- Kevin Palau
- John Mark Comer (referenced)

#Psalm42 #JohnOrtberg #KevinPalau #Prayer #Anxiety #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #Hope #BibleStudy #Psalms

📚 Today's Resources:
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters 

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Music Credits:
Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE
Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF

00:00 Introduction & Kevin Palau
00:54 Ministry, Leadership & Hidden Anxiety
02:06 Why Psalm 42 Resonates So Deeply
03:41 “As the Deer Pants for Streams of Water”
04:42 When Tears Become Your Food
05:45 The Pressure to Appear Spiritually Strong
07:05 Anxiety Beneath the Surface
08:27 It's Okay to Feel This Way
09:13 John Mark Comer, Rest & Sabbath
10:06 Speaking Hope to Your Soul
11:21 God Is My Savior and My God
12:04 Joy, Grandchildren & Future Hope
12:52 Hope and Discouragement Together
13:39 Why Honesty Makes Us Safer
14:31 Giving Others Permission to Be Real
14:56 Simply Read the Psalm

Can you really live without lack?

In this reflection on Psalm 23, John Ortberg draws from Life Without Lack to explore one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture.

What does it mean to say, "The Lord is my shepherd"? What if "I shall not want" is not a promise that life will be easy, but an invitation to stop being driven by fear, scarcity, and unsatisfied desire?

This episode explores:
- Psalm 23 and the Kingdom of God
- Dallas Willard's vision of life without lack
- Freedom from fear and anxiety
- God's presence as the center of the spiritual life
- Green pastures, still waters, and restored souls
- Goodness and mercy following us every day

Featuring reflections from:
- Dallas Willard
- Charles Spurgeon
- C.S. Lewis
- Walter Brueggemann

Scriptures:
- Psalm 23
- Matthew 6:33
- John 4:14
- Matthew 5:44

#Psalm23 #JohnOrtberg #DallasWillard #LifeWithoutLack #Prayer #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Psalms #KingdomOfGod

📚 Today's Resources:
Dallas Willard, Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23 

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Music Credits:
Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE
Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF

00:00 Psalm 23: The Comfort We Need
00:30 Dallas Willard & Life Without Lack
01:22 The Lord Is My Shepherd
02:16 I Shall Not Want
03:09 Freedom From Unsatisfied Desire
04:00 Green Pastures & Still Waters
04:51 He Restores My Soul
05:43 Paths of Righteousness
06:05 I Will Fear No Evil
07:03 You Are With Me
08:07 Rod, Staff & Shepherd Care
08:29 A Table in the Presence of Enemies
09:16 Loving Your Enemies
10:09 My Cup Runs Over
10:48 Goodness & Mercy Follow Me
11:18 Grief, Goodness & Mercy
11:42 Living Without Lack

What's your story today?

In this teaching on Psalm 59, John Ortberg explores one of the most important lessons of the Psalms: prayer is always prayed from inside a story.

Drawing from Answering God, John challenges the idea of "spiritualized prayer" — prayer that removes the conflict, fear, anger, disappointment, and messiness of ordinary life.

Psalm 59 was written in the middle of David's crisis. Men were sent to kill him. His prayer wasn't polished. It wasn't neat. It was real.

This episode explores:
- Why every prayer comes from a story
- The danger of spiritually correct prayer
- Psalm 59 and David's honesty
- Fear, trust, and emotional authenticity
- Eugene Peterson's insights on prayer
- Bringing your whole self before God

Featuring reflections from:
- Eugene Peterson
- David's life in 1 Samuel

Scriptures:
- Psalm 59
- Psalm 3
- 1 Samuel 19

#Psalm59 #JohnOrtberg #Prayer #EugenePeterson #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Psalms #Authenticity #Faith

📚 Today's Resources:
Eugene H. Peterson, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer

🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Music Credits:
Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE
Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF

00:00 What's Your Story Today?
00:39 Eugene Peterson & Spiritualized Prayer
01:06 Psalm 3 and David's Story
01:51 Every Day Is a Story
02:32 Psalm Titles and Real Life
03:17 Why Scholars Often Ignore the Titles
04:02 Eugene Peterson's Insight
04:31 The Danger of Spiritualized Prayer
05:24 What Trouble Are You Facing Today?
06:21 Psalm 59 Begins
07:02 Trust, Fear & Emotional Honesty
08:20 Mrs. X and Spiritually Correct Prayer
09:19 The Problem With Polished Prayers
10:08 Living in the Mess With God
10:59 “I Am Not My Strength”
11:23 Every Story Matters to God
11:44 Your Outside Story and Inside Story

What if refuge was something you practiced?

In this conversation, John Ortberg talks with therapist and trauma specialist Lisa Cuss about anxiety, church hurt, attachment theory, the nervous system, and Psalm 31.

Lisa shares how reading the Psalms through the lens of the nervous system helped her understand David's prayers in a completely new way. His cries of fear, confusion, and desperation suddenly felt deeply human and surprisingly familiar.

This episode explores:
- Trauma and attachment theory
- Church hurt and emotional healing
- Psalm 31 and the image of refuge
- Why God is called a fortress
- Right-sizing reality through prayer
- Making refuge an active spiritual practice

Featuring reflections on:
- David's prayers
- The nervous system
- Martin Luther
- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

#Psalm31 #JohnOrtberg #LisaCuss #Prayer #Trauma #AttachmentTheory #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #Anxiety #Psalms

🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Music Credits:
Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE
Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF

00:00 Introduction & Meet Lisa Cuss
00:30 Church Hurt, Conflict & Anxiety
01:15 Living Between Panic & Shutdown
02:29 Reading the Psalms Through the Nervous System
03:23 David's Emotional Honesty
04:00 Naming the Amygdala Hijack
04:47 Psalm 31: Refuge & Fortress
05:56 What Refuge Really Means
06:27 Right-Sizing Reality
07:02 Refuge as a Spiritual Practice
07:27 What If Refuge Became a Verb?
08:25 Understanding Fortress
08:42 Protection While Under Attack
09:07 The Battles Inside Us
09:56 Facing Hard Things With God
10:27 Martin Luther & A Mighty Fortress
11:20 Go Refuge

What if your imperfections are not your greatest problem?

In this teaching on Psalm 138, John Ortberg explores the difference between perfection and perfectionism, the beauty of human weakness, and why God has so much compassion for imperfect people.

Drawing from Psalm 138, Psalm 103, the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, and the image of cracked pottery repaired with gold, John shows how God often creates beauty through what we would rather hide.

This episode explores:
- The difference between perfection and perfectionism
- Why God remembers we are dust
- Fear, anxiety, and self-worth
- Wabi-sabi and the beauty of imperfection
- Jesus retaining His scars after resurrection
- Learning to accept imperfect people

Featuring reflections on:
- Brené Brown
- Gordon Flett
- Psalm 138
- Psalm 103

Scriptures:
- Psalm 138
- Psalm 103:13–14
- Isaiah 53

#Psalm138 #JohnOrtberg #Perfectionism #Grace #WabiSabi #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #Prayer #BibleStudy #Psalms

🙌 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 [email protected]

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:
Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE
Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF

00:00 Today's Only for Imperfect People
00:27 The Psalms & Human Brokenness
00:47 Psalm 138 Begins
01:16 Though I Walk in the Midst of Trouble
02:08 “The Lord Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me”
02:30 “He Remembers We Are Dust”
03:02 Wabi-Sabi & the Beauty of Imperfection
03:37 The Difference Between Perfection & Perfectionism
04:41 Brené Brown, Fear & Self-Worth
05:19 Cracked Pottery Filled With Gold
05:50 Jesus Kept His Scars
06:22 Isaiah 53 & the Appearance of Jesus
07:07 The Leaning Tower of Pisa
07:33 Post-it Notes & Beautiful Failure
08:45 God’s Compassion for Dust
09:19 Living in an Imperfect World
10:04 Welcoming Imperfect People
10:22 Nancy Joins the Conversation
10:35 “You’re Pretty Darn Close to Perfect”