Become New with John Ortberg

How can followers of Jesus approach an election with conviction, humility, and peace? John Ortberg explores why voting matters, the value and limits of democracy, and the danger of placing ultimate hope in political outcomes.
Drawing from Romans 13 and Adam Przeworski’s Why Bother With Elections?, John offers four invitations: be informed, be involved, be humble, and be hopeful.
Participate thoughtfully. Seek to understand your neighbors. Keep your deepest hope rooted in Jesus.
#BecomeNew #JohnOrtberg #FaithAndPolitics #ChristianCitizenship #Hope


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00:00 Following Jesus during election season
00:24 Democracy, anger, and disappointment
00:47 Dissatisfaction with democracy
01:19 Romans 13 and the purpose of government
01:39 Madison: “If men were angels”
02:03 Government’s role and its capacity for wrongdoing
03:00 What is democracy?
03:49 Churchill on democracy’s limitations
03:59 The significance of an ordinary voter
04:47 Human dignity and democratic values
05:40 Elections and the history of political power
06:47 Washington and relinquishing power
07:29 Why demonizing opponents damages democracy
08:11 Political promises and disappointment
08:51 Expectations minus reality
09:43 Why elections raise expectations
10:08 The limits of government
10:49 Becoming informed without an echo chamber
11:29 Be informed, involved, humble, and hopeful
11:58 Putting our ultimate hope in the right place
12:31 Rome, the cross, and sacrificial love
14:13 Loving our country with perspective
14:46 Our hope is built on Jesus

What does it mean to renounce Satan in everyday life? John Ortberg explores the reality of evil, the limits of willpower, and what stories about monsters reveal about our fears and destructive patterns.

Through Cain and Abel, Jesus’ temptation, and the cross and resurrection, John points us toward confidence in the Savior who faces what we cannot overcome alone.

Today: name one destructive path, ask Jesus for help, and take a concrete step toward the light.

#BecomeNew #JohnOrtberg #SpiritualFormation #FaithOverFear #FollowingJesus

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Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
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00:00 The battle is bigger than our strength
00:29 What does it mean to renounce Satan?
00:50 Evil in ordinary life
01:19 Cain, Abel, and sin crouching at the door
02:09 The suffering God never ignores
02:38 The dragon and the ancient serpent
03:22 Recognizing a dangerous path
03:41 A family movie mistake
04:05 Why stories keep returning to the supernatural
04:34 Scott Derrickson and the genre of non-denial
05:42 Medieval monsters and the inner life
06:09 The basilisk as a picture of envy
07:01 When evil takes hold within us
07:21 Saint Makarios on the human heart
07:44 Vampires, lost freedom, and self-awareness
08:06 Zombies and the mob mentality
08:59 Why we need to reckon with evil
09:15 Genesis 3 and the threat to shalom
10:15 The danger of our everyday choices
10:54 Why we don’t have to live in fear
11:19 Jesus in the wilderness
11:32 David Garland on the wild beasts
12:21 Jesus faces darkness on the cross
13:19 Resurrection and confidence
13:43 Our little hand in God’s big hand

Does putting yourself down make you humble? John Ortberg explores why rejecting every compliment can deepen our hunger for approval, and how vainglory twists our good desire to be known and loved.

Drawing from Rebecca DeYoung’s Glittering Vices, Isaiah 43, and Psalm 139, John offers a simple practice for quieting the internal critics and living before an audience of One.

Today: receive a compliment with gratitude, spend a moment quietly with God, and serve someone without seeking recognition.

Subscribe to Become New for daily teaching and practices to help you grow with Jesus.

#BecomeNew #JohnOrtberg #Humility #Pride #SpiritualGrowth

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Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 What’s good about the seven deadly sins?
00:20 How sin twists something good
00:50 A mistaken way to fight pride
01:19 Pride, vainglory, and looking impressive
01:37 Celebrities versus personal heroes
02:37 How much do we want attention?
02:59 Why withholding compliments can backfire
03:23 Learning to deflect every kind word
04:21 When modesty hides a hunger for applause
04:53 The good desire underneath vainglory
05:25 Known by name and loved by God
06:00 Receiving the acceptance God offers
06:24 Accepting appreciation without chasing it
06:46 Trusting God in silence
07:05 Anne Lamott and the voices in our heads
07:42 Putting the noisy mice in a jar
08:10 Working before an audience of One
08:20 Anonymous service and imaginary applause
08:43 Today’s practice: Quiet the voices
09:07 Resting in God’s love
09:33 Returning to an audience of One

How do you recognize pride when pride itself can keep you from seeing clearly? John Ortberg walks through Bernard of Clairvaux’s twelve stages of pride, exploring comparison, boastfulness, defensiveness, and our resistance to correction.

Drawing on Peter Jones’s Self-Help from the Middle Ages, John invites us to ask God for honest self-awareness. He closes with a simple practice: allow one harmless imperfection and notice the urge to protect your image.

Where do you recognize yourself in these stages?

1. Curiosity. This is looking at things around us with a restless dissatisfaction, wondering how they could be better, and how we could be better.
2. Imbalance. Becoming hyper-aware of our strengths and shortcomings, to a fault.
3. Silliness. This would be cheering ourselves up by making fun of other people’s mistakes.
4. Boastfulness. Trying to impress others. For example, interrupting someone to tell an impressive story about yourself.
5. Eccentricity. Needing to do everything our own special way, again to a fault.
6. Conceit. This would be believing deep down that we are better than others.
7. Audacity. Refusing to listen to good advice.
8. Defense of wrongdoing. Never admitting we’re wrong.
9. Dishonest confession. Perhaps obvious, this one is lying to cover up deceit.
10. Rebellion. Getting worse in severity here, this one refers to refusing to live in real community with anyone.
11. Freedom to sin. Devolving into doing whatever feels good, regardless of who might get hurt.
12. Habitual sin. Finally, the ladder ends in believing that we’re untouchable. 


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Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
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00:00 What matters most is who we become
00:45 How pride creates self-deception
01:14 The subtle beginnings of pride
01:43 Lucifer’s clothing and the rules of exception
02:57 An invitation to assess ourselves
03:17 Stage 1: Restless comparison
04:01 Stage 2: Measuring our strengths and weaknesses
04:25 Stage 3: Making light of other people’s mistakes
04:47 Stage 4: Boasting and interrupting
05:19 Stages 5–6: Needing to be special and superior
05:36 Stage 7: Refusing good advice
06:10 Stage 8: Defending wrongdoing
06:24 Stage 9: Dishonest confession
06:44 The final stages of pride
06:58 Stage 10: Rebellion and refusing accountability
07:37 Stage 11: Freedom to sin
08:05 Giving up after crossing the line
08:42 Stage 12: Habitual sin

Can pride actually be a good thing? John Ortberg explores the difference between healthy satisfaction and sinful pride, and how comparison can steal the joy of doing something good.

Looking at Galatians 6:3–5 and drawing from Grace Hamman’s Ask of Old Paths, John considers a humble way to enjoy our work, acknowledge our limitations, and ask for help. A toddler arranging plastic flowers offers a memorable picture of delight without competition.

From a small act of kindness for a tired store employee to praying for the people around us, this episode invites us to participate in God’s goodness in ordinary ways. Today’s practice: do one small good thing with God, pause to appreciate it, and say, “Yay! Thank you, God.”

Scripture: Galatians 6:3–5; Psalm 131:1–2; Genesis 1:3–4; 1 Timothy 2:1.

Subscribe to Become New for teaching and daily practices that help you grow with Jesus and become the person God created you to be.
#BecomeNew #JohnOrtberg #Humility #Pride #SpiritualGrowth


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Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 Can pride be a good thing?
00:26 Two kinds of pride and one word for today
00:54 Galatians 6: Testing our own actions
01:35 Satisfaction without comparison
02:29 Knowing ourselves helps us show mercy
02:59 The humility of knowing we don’t know
03:25 Four statements worth learning
04:21 Trusting the mercy of God
04:46 A toddler, plastic flowers, and delight
06:00 Enjoying good work without competing
06:32 Madeleine L’Engle on becoming childlike
07:09 Humility, creativity, and our limitations
08:11 God creates and sees that it is good
08:35 Practicing delight in everyday work
08:55 A small kindness and a triple espresso
10:02 Making room to notice other people
10:28 Praying for the people around us
11:05 Joining God in small, beautiful ways
11:28 Make it a “yay” day

What matters most when life is put in perspective? John Ortberg begins with a conversation about life and death, then explores humility, honest self-awareness, and our dependence on God.

Drawing on Romans 12 and Grace Hamman’s Ask of Old Paths, John explains why humility includes recognizing our gifts as well as our weaknesses. He distinguishes self-consciousness, which worries about how others perceive us, from the calm curiosity of self-awareness.

Today’s practice: Notice a moment when you are trying to prove your worth. Ask God to help you understand your motives, acknowledge your gifts with gratitude, and face your limitations honestly.

Scripture explored: Romans 12:3–8.
Related Scripture: Psalm 139:23; 1 Corinthians 4:7.
Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.
#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #Humility


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Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
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00:00 What matters when we face eternity?
00:35 Remembering our dependence on God
01:02 What does humility actually mean?
01:22 Romans 12: Seeing ourselves soberly
02:04 How pride distorts self-understanding
02:55 Humility includes recognizing our gifts
03:48 Bernard of Clairvaux on self-knowledge
04:20 Everyday signs of pride and presumption
05:19 When humility becomes self-contempt
05:39 Problematic medieval approaches to humility
07:44 Accurate self-knowledge without exaggeration
08:08 Between pride and self-loathing
08:35 Why “think of yourself less” is difficult
09:30 Knowing yourself requires honest reflection
10:07 Self-consciousness versus self-awareness
10:58 Getting curious about our motives
11:29 Grace frees us from proving our worth
11:57 Today’s invitation: Simple dependence on God

Am I becoming successful, or becoming good? John Ortberg explores how pride and the desire to be important can interfere with the person God wants us to become.

Drawing on David Brooks’s The Road to Character and the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, John examines the “Big Me”: the tendency to put our accomplishments, reputation, and agenda at the center. He invites us to turn the mirror toward ourselves and notice when making an impression matters more than caring for people.

Today’s practice: Review your interactions with God. Where were you distracted, defensive, or seeking approval? Choose one concrete way to listen more deeply and put care above prestige.
Scripture explored: Daniel 4.

Related Scripture: James 4:10; Philippians 2:3–4; Psalm 139:23–24.
Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.
#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #Humility


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Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
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00:00 The battle to become who God intends
00:18 Recognizing the enemy within
00:45 Every era has strengths and weaknesses
01:17 From “Little Me” to “Big Me”
01:54 Nebuchadnezzar and the kingdom of self
02:45 A big ego and a small view of God
03:09 “My power, my glory, my majesty”
03:53 Pride meets reality
04:17 Looking toward heaven
04:50 A smaller ego and a greater God
04:59 David Brooks on the culture of “Big Me”
05:24 Importance, self-regard, and fame
07:30 Why we notice other people’s character flaws
08:30 Narcissus and the mirror turned inward
09:20 Recovering the language of character
09:36 A struggle worth giving our lives to
10:00 A daily review of our recurring failures
10:56 Putting care above prestige
11:26 Today’s prayer: What am I not seeing?

How does humility make us wiser? John Ortberg explores the subtle ways pride affects our faith, relationships, and ability to see ourselves clearly.

Drawing on Proverbs 11:2, Cornelius Plantinga, and C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, John distinguishes healthy satisfaction from excessive self-congratulation. He considers how insecurity can fuel self-promotion and how pride can sneak into even our attempts to become humble.

John closes with a familiar song, “Jesus Loves Me,” and an invitation to admit our limits, ask God for strength, and experience the freedom of being loved without having to prove ourselves.

Today’s practice: When you feel the urge to impress or defend yourself, remember that Jesus loves you. Ask for help, listen openly, and practice one small act of humility.

Scripture explored: Proverbs 11:2; Matthew 18:1–4; Matthew 19:13–15.
Related Scripture: Proverbs 9:10.

Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.

#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #Humility


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Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 The battle to become who God wants us to be
00:22 With humility comes wisdom
00:52 Seeing ourselves in proportion
01:12 How pride sneaks into spiritual growth
01:48 C.S. Lewis on becoming proud of humility
02:16 Humor, perspective, and letting go
02:36 Healthy satisfaction and unhealthy pride
03:33 The damage pride can do
04:08 When self-promotion becomes normal
04:37 Pride and the insecurity underneath
05:21 A remarkably self-confident personal ad
06:23 Why pride is easier to see in others
06:52 God is God, and I am not
07:32 “Jesus Loves Me” and childlike humility
08:27 Why entering the kingdom requires humility
08:59 Admitting weakness and asking for strength
10:07 Loved without having to be impressive
10:38 The freedom and relief of humility

Is having a bad thought a sin? John Ortberg explores the difference between an unwanted thought, temptation, and the intention to do wrong.

Drawing on Cornelius Plantinga’s Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be and insights from Dallas Willard, John begins with shalom: the biblical vision of life flourishing as God intended. He explains why sin matters, how pride damages that flourishing, and why the thoughts that occur to us are different from the choices we make about them.

Through Romans 8:6, Colossians 3, Philippians 4:8, and Hebrews 12:4, John offers a practical question for spiritual growth: “What shall I think about today?”

Today’s practice: Choose a word, Scripture, or picture of Jesus’ love to return to throughout the day. When your attention wanders, ask God for help and return gently.

Scripture explored: Romans 8:6; Colossians 3:1–2; Philippians 4:8; Hebrews 12:4.

Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.

#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #SpiritualGrowth

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Music Credits:

Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson

License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 The small choices shaping who we become

00:26 Why we need clarity about sin

00:46 Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be

01:20 Shalom: Life as God intended

02:40 Understanding what sin breaks

03:35 Why God is against sin

04:39 Thoughts, temptation, and choosing wrong

05:28 Thoughts plus inclination: Temptation

05:42 Churchill and the temptation of pride

06:30 When intention enters the picture

07:22 The role of the will

07:38 Sin can begin before outward action

08:00 Beyond white-knuckling through the day

08:41 Where do I set my mind?

09:44 Why the struggle matters

10:41 Moving toward love, joy, and peace

11:08 Today’s practice: What shall I think about?

Is pride running your life in ways you don’t recognize? John Ortberg explores pride as an alignment problem: the gap between what we know is good and the desires that pull us in another direction.

In this opening teaching focused on pride, John shares a story about his first car, a personal moment of defensiveness, and an unexpected lesson from a four-year-old singing a Rolling Stones song. Through 1 Peter 2:11 and the image of the Lord as our shepherd, he examines how approval, comfort, money, and reputation can take priority over our deepest values.

Today’s practice: Notice one moment when what you want conflicts with the person you want to become. Ask God for help, then choose one small act of humility, generosity, courage, or honesty.

Scripture explored: 1 Peter 2:11; Psalm 23.

Related Scripture: James 4:6–10; Galatians 5:16–17.

Subscribe to Become New for regular teaching from John Ortberg and practical encouragement to grow with God in everyday life.

#JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #Humility


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Music Credits:
Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

00:00 Who am I becoming today?
00:26 Beginning with pride and humility
01:12 A car with an alignment problem
02:08 Pride pulls life out of alignment
02:40 Desires that wage war against the soul
03:37 When desires conflict with values
04:22 Putting desire on the throne
04:39 Wanting generosity, choosing more stuff
05:00 Thinking about the life we leave behind
05:22 Defensiveness and protecting our image
06:03 When approval matters more than courage
06:20 “Feed me”: The demands of pride
07:03 Little Shop of Horrors and insatiable desire
08:06 Humility puts God at the center
08:34 A four-year-old’s unexpected song
09:23 Learning to accept limits
09:50 Making the Lord my shepherd
10:28 A life coming into alignment