Become New with John Ortberg

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing! 📧 Subscribe for daily emails with the...

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing! 📧 Subscribe for daily emails with the...

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing! 📧 Subscribe for daily emails with the...

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing! 📧 Subscribe for daily emails with the...

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing! 📧 Subscribe for daily emails with the...

In this final episode of the series, John reflects on Jesus’ invitation to carry peace even in the middle of life’s messes. From a hilarious wedding gone off the rails to his own birthday steak getting swiped by the dog, he gently reminds us that while trouble is guaranteed, so is God’s love. Blending Scripture, recovery wisdom, and everyday grace, he paints a picture of what it means to be chosen...

In this message, John speaks to those facing anxiety and heartbreak, urging them to “not let your heart be troubled,” because love—true, sacrificial love—is the only way to live with peace in a troubled world. Rooted in Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you,” John draws on Scripture, personal stories, and cultural references—from Inside Out and Saving Private Ryan to ancient Roma...

Today’s reflection from John centers on the theme of joy—not as fleeting pleasure or a product of desire, but as the deep, lasting joy that Jesus offers. Speaking on the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus emphasizes joy more than ever, urging his followers to remain in his love, trust God, and obey his command to love one another. Real joy, John explains, is often found not by pursuing it directly but...

In this message from John 15:9–10, we’re invited to remain in God’s love even when trouble hits. Drawing on James 1 and personal stories, the talk explores how challenges—like criticism, stress, or a flooded bathroom—can either cause us to resist and ruminate or become moments of spiritual growth if we welcome them as friends. Instead of stuffing emotions or avoiding discomfort, we’re encouraged t...

John Ortberg invites us into a gentle, grounded reflection on Jesus’ words from John 15:4–8 — “Abide in me.” It’s not about trying harder or achieving more, but about learning to rest our minds and hearts in God’s presence. John encourages us to let go of tension, notice where our thoughts dwell, and choose to place them in the love, peace, and life of Jesus. Fruitfulness, he says, begins on the i...

The word for today is: Pruning. In today’s episode, John Ortberg invites us into a deep and honest reflection on what it means to live with an untroubled heart —even in a troubled world. Joined by Susie Lipps, he explores Jesus’ words from John 15: “I am the true vine… and my Father is the gardener.” Together, they unpack the spiritual practice and painful beauty of pruning—how God lovingly cuts a...

In this honest and deeply thoughtful conversation, Susie Lipps and John Ortberg sit down to explore the real weight and meaning of Good Friday. They unpack the political pressure, religious tension, and personal cost surrounding Jesus’ final hours — not just as a historical moment, but as a mirror to our own lives. With compassion and clarity, they challenge us to sit in the discomfort of the cros...

In today's teaching, we reflect on Jesus’ words, “Do not let your heart be troubled,” spoken even as he faced the ultimate darkness of the cross. Jesus warns of "the prince of this world" (the devil), emphasizing that evil, while real and deeply damaging, holds no power over him. Drawing from C.S. Lewis and psychiatrist Scott Peck, the talk explores how evil often hides behind lies...

In a world full of troubles, Jesus offers not just any peace, but his peace—a soul-deep, unshakable assurance that transcends circumstances. Peace isn’t found in perfect conditions but in trusting God's presence and sovereignty. Stories of courage, studies on happiness, and reflections on suffering all point to the same truth: we don't need a peaceful life to have a peace-filled heart. T...

Memory runs deeper than facts—it’s how we stay rooted in faith, identity, and love. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as a living reminder, guiding us back to his words. From ancient genealogies to remembering cucumbers in Egypt, scripture shows how memory shapes desire, regret, and belonging. In moments of deep spiritual connection, like Jimmy in Oliver Sacks’ account, memory transcends biology—soul...

Jesus offers a deep, intimate promise: if we love him and obey his teaching, he and the Father will make their home in us. That’s not just poetic—it’s personal. This message, paired with Paul’s reflections on contentment and Neil Warren’s metaphor of the control booth, paints a picture of inner peace that’s both spiritual and practical. We all stand in the middle of complex inputs—emotions, memori...

Jesus tells us, “Don’t let your heart be troubled,” and that message still hits hard today. We’re invited to assess the peace in our hearts and the hopes we’re holding onto—are they big enough, true enough, real enough? There’s humor in a fake inheritance letter and a deep reflection on the life of Daniel Kahneman, but it all leads to this: real hope isn’t found in money or even in philosophical s...

Jesus invites us into an untroubled heart, not by avoiding life’s chaos, but by walking with the Holy Spirit—our wise advocate. This Spirit brings peace, encouragement, and truth in a world full of deceptive brain messages. With a nod to neuroscience, we learn how the Holy Spirit helps us recognize patterns of fear and worry and instead leads us to five relational gifts: acceptance, affection, app...

Jesus says, “If you love me, obey my commands,” and today’s message unpacks how obedience isn’t about lifeless rule-following—it’s about living with a peaceful, untroubled heart. Even a dog like Baxter can show us something about trust and surrender. When we obey Jesus, not out of fear but out of love, we tap into a joy-filled life that aligns with what's truly good. Obedience is really about...

Jesus invites us to live with untroubled hearts in a troubled world by joining his mission of love, peace, and redemption. In John 14, he urges us to ask—ask God for help, strength, and wisdom—not just for our own gain but as part of his greater work. That promise to “ask in my name” comes with both hope and mystery, especially when prayers go unanswered. But Jesus himself, and others like Paul an...

Jesus' journey through the Triduum—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—reminds us that in between death and resurrection is the silence of Saturday. While Friday is full of suffering and Sunday bursts with hope, Saturday is the day of waiting, uncertainty, and God's apparent absence. For Jesus’ followers, it felt like failure and abandonment. Yet, even in the silence, God was at work. We all li...

Jesus’ death on Good Friday wasn’t just a random event or some law-driven requirement—it was the intersection of political agendas, religious tension, and deep spiritual purpose. As he prepared to die, Jesus told his followers not to be troubled, because he knew what was coming. The world around him was full of messiah-hopefuls, violent revolts, and religious leaders trying to preserve power. Unli...

In today’s deep and hopeful conversation, John sits down with John Burke to ask the age-old question: what really happens after we die? What unfolds is a powerful journey from skepticism to faith, sparked by near-death experiences from across the world—all pointing to light, love, and a vivid, personal encounter with Jesus. This isn’t just abstract theology—it’s a call to embrace heaven as a real,...

In this episode, we’re reminded to live with an untroubled heart, not because life is smooth, but because God is doing something redemptive even in a broken world. Jesus invites us into something greater—He says we’ll do even greater things than He did, not in status, but in reach and impact. The story of William Carey, a humble shoemaker turned global missionary, shows how faith and love can spar...