Become New with John Ortberg

How does Jesus change the world? Not through force. Not through control. Not by winning arguments. It’s through the cross. In this episode, John looks at a quote from Jesus during one of his most painful moments: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He draws people in not by power, but by self-giving love. Drawing from John 12, Luke 23, and the story of Jesus’ final hours, John s...

Why do so many conversations leave people feeling worse instead of better? In this episode, John walks through a powerful framework for communicating without condemnation, based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg: observe without evaluating name your feelings identify your needs make clear requests Then he shows what it looks like in real life through one of Jesus’ most famous conversations — His e...

We live in a cancel culture. Accountability matters — but somewhere along the way, accountability became condemnation. Not just “that was wrong,” but “you are done.” In this episode, John explores: the rise of cancel culture and public shaming why shame and condemnation rarely lead to real change the difference between calling people out and calling them in the surprising place the word “cancel” s...

What if you’ve been reading the Bible… the wrong way? In this episode, John shares three unexpected tools for giving up condemnation: lighten up bring your shadow (your own capacity for failure) read everything in the shadow of the cross  Drawing on insights from Phillip Cary and the story of Jonah, John challenges a common habit: reading ourselves as the “good” characters while judging everyone e...

How does someone go from being full of condemnation… to writing, “There is now no condemnation”? In this episode, John explores the transformation of Paul — a man driven by zeal, judgment, and certainty — who encounters the risen Jesus and sees everything differently. Drawing on insights from What Saint Paul Really Said, John unpacks what Paul actually meant by “justification by faith” — and why i...

What if our biggest barrier with God isn’t sin, but politeness? In this episode, John Ortberg explores a surprising truth from Scripture: God isn’t looking for polished prayers. He’s inviting honest relationship. Through the story of Job, we discover something shocking: Job rages. Questions God. Speaks words that feel almost dangerous. And yet—God says Job spoke what is right. Why? Because honesty...

We don’t throw stones anymore. Except… we do. Online. In conversations. With a look, a tone, a pause. In this episode, John Ortberg unpacks one of the most famous and unsettling teachings of Jesus: “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” Through a powerful contrast between ancient scapegoating and the story of the woman in John 8, we see what Jesus is really doing: Not denying sin. Not ign...

Criticism is inevitable. Condemnation is optional. In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of the most important distinctions for spiritual growth: how to receive criticism without absorbing condemnation. Drawing from the life of King David, we see a man who: Refused to take revenge when attacked Ignored false condemnation Yet humbly received painful truth when it mattered most The Bible consis...

Condemnation doesn’t start with what we say. It starts with how we see people. In this episode, John Ortberg explores the root of condemnation and a critical distinction that can change the way we live: observation vs. evaluation. Drawing from insights in Nonviolent Communication, John shows how easily our minds move from simply noticing behavior to assigning judgment, criticism, or contempt. And...

What do you do with the anger that keeps replaying in your mind? The conversations. The injustice. The words you wish you could say back. In this episode, John Ortberg looks at the remarkable life of Saint Patrick — a man who was kidnapped, enslaved for six years, and yet chose a path almost no one would expect. Instead of revenge, Patrick returned to the people who enslaved him with a message of...

There’s a voice in your head that never stops talking. But not every voice deserves to be trusted. In this episode, John Ortberg explores the difference between self-condemnation and conviction. Drawing on insights from Ignatius of Loyola, Marshall Rosenberg, and Michael Singer, John shows how comparison and inner criticism can spiral into despair. But the voice of God works differently. Self-cond...

How do you confront someone’s behavior without becoming condemning yourself? In this episode, John walks through a common real-life situation — dealing with a difficult family member — and explains the three elements required for genuine change. Drawing on insights from Henry Cloud, Dallas Willard, and research on conflict and relationships, John shows why condemnation rarely leads to transformati...

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 se...

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 him...

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...

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...

Sign up here to receive the Formation Newsletter: https://becomenew.com/formation/ 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 agains...

You don’t condemn people… right? Let me stop you right there. In this episode, John Ortberg walks through six surprisingly common styles of condemnation — from the obvious (aggressive anger) to the subtle (silence, sarcasm, perfectionism, conditional acceptance, even martyrdom). We all judge.  We all distance.  We all find creative ways to say, “I’m above you.” Drawing on Scripture, psychology, an...

There is now no condemnation...but if we’re honest, sometimes condemnation feels effective. In this episode, John Ortberg explores what Dallas Willard called the law of reciprocal condemnation — the almost unbreakable cycle where judgment breeds counter-judgment, attack breeds counter-attack, and anger multiplies itself. It’s extremely rare, Willard observed, that anyone who is condemned responds...

In this episode, John Ortberg offers what he calls “two cheers for guilt and shame.” Drawing from the book of Judges, John explores why justice matters, why moral reality is woven into the fabric of existence, and why a world without any sense of guilt or shame would not be more humane — it would be more dangerous. From the brutal story of Adoni-Bezek to the violent cycles of Judges, we see a prof...

John Ortberg builds on a surprising Lenten invitation echoed even by the Pope: fast from harsh words. Disarm your language. Refuse contempt. John revisits what condemnation actually is — not discernment, not moral clarity — but a toxic mix of malice (ill will) and disgust (repulsion) toward another person. Then he offers one simple, powerful practice that makes condemnation nearly impossible while...

Condemnation comes easily when we quietly assume we earned where we stand. In this episode, John explores two truths that change everything about how we see other people: we do not know their full story — and we do not know their future. Drawing on Psalm 103 and the classic film Angels with Dirty Faces, John tells the story of two boys who run from the police. One clears a fence. One doesn’t. That...

Today, John Ortberg uses Les Misérables by Victor Hugo to explore two ways of living: • the condemning life (Javert) • the blessing life (the Bishop) • and the transformed life (Jean Valjean) Drawing on Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 3, and insights from Dallas Willard, John explains: - why condemnation feels powerful - what the “ministry of condemnation” really does - how grace humiliates before it heal...

Why does condemnation feel so automatic? In this episode, John explores how shame and judgment often operate through what sociologists call status degradation rituals, the subtle ways we lower others to elevate ourselves. Drawing on insights from Harold Garfinkel, John shows how condemnation works socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Then he walks us through powerful Gospel moments where Jesus...

Why does condemnation feel so automatic? In this episode, John Ortberg invites us to slow down, breathe, and notice something surprising: judgment doesn’t just live in our thoughts — it lives in our bodies. Returning to the story of Cain and Abel, John shows how God interrupts Cain with two gentle questions: - Why are you angry? - Why is your face downcast? Those questions open a doorway to freedo...