Become New with John Ortberg

Is it really surprising that God loves you?

In this episode, John challenges a common assumption many Christians carry: that God’s love for us is somehow unexpected or hard for Him. But Scripture paints a different picture. Over and over again, the Bible declares something astonishingly simple — God is love.

John explores two truths we must hold together. First, we are broken and imperfect. But second, God’s very nature is love. And our brokenness cannot change who God is.

Drawing from passages like John 3, Romans 5, 1 John 4, and Ephesians 3, John explains how understanding God’s nature reshapes our lives. When we become rooted in love, condemnation begins to lose its power, and love naturally flows outward to others.

Because the deepest truth of the universe is this:
 God is love.

📚 Today's Resources:
The Problem of Pain — C. S. Lewis

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

What if the key to overcoming condemnation isn’t arguing better — but listening better?

In this episode, John explores Jesus’ surprising instruction in Luke 8:18: “Consider carefully how you listen.” Through the parable of the sower, Jesus explains that the condition of our hearts determines whether the words we hear bring growth or simply bounce off.

John shares a recent moment when he caught himself listening critically instead of humbly — and how a simple shift changed everything.

You’ll learn:

- why we often listen in order to judge
- the three unhealthy ways we listen
- what Jesus means by a “good and noble heart”
- how humble listening opens the door to growth
- why listening well makes condemnation harder

When we begin to listen with humility — asking what God might want to show us — conversations change. And so do we.

Because there is now no condemnation.

📚 Today's Resources:
Deborah Tannen, You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation 
Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet & Peasant: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke 

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

The opposite of condemnation isn’t just restraint...it’s blessing.

In this episode, John Ortberg explores how Jesus calls us to become people who actively bless others — even those who curse us. Drawing from Scripture and insights from The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent, John walks through five powerful ways to bless others: meaningful words, honoring value, appropriate touch, envisioning a future, and showing up with presence.

Blessing doesn’t just change others — it changes us.
Because when we bless, we live the life Jesus envisioned.
There is now… therefore… no condemnation.

📚 Today's Resources:
Gary Smalley & John Trent, Ph.D., The Blessing 

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

Why does condemnation feel like it’s everywhere today?

In this episode, John Ortberg explores a cultural shift: we no longer define a “good person” by love and character, but by holding the “right” opinions. The result? More judgment, more division, and less humility.

Jesus offered a different path — a life marked by compassion, forgiveness, and what Kierkegaard called “blithe humility.” Like the birds and lilies, we can release the burden of controlling the world and trust God with it.

The result is freedom, joy, and a life without condemnation.

📚 Today's Resources:
Søren Kierkegaard, The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air
Grace Hamman, Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life 
Doug Teschner et al., Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times

🙌 New episodes every weekday.
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO

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What if the antidote to condemnation isn’t trying harder to be nice… but learning to know yourself?

In this conversation, John Ortberg talks with philosopher Jim Taylor about intellectual virtue — qualities like humility, courage, and self-knowledge that help us pursue truth and love people well.

Jesus warned against condemning judgment, but he also invited us to remove the log in our own eye. The path forward begins with honest self-examination and a simple prayer:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart.”

Because when we grow in self-knowledge, condemnation loses its grip.

📚 Today's Resources:
The Blessing — Gary Smalley & John Trent
The Lost Art of Listening — Michael Nichols (with Martha Straus)

🙌 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
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GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe
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Music Credits:
Believe Me by Glass Echoes - MB01UU8HNMQ8GT0
Frost on My Window by Coldbrew - MB01IZWASF1DYPO