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Can you lead with authority and still be genuinely vulnerable? Many of us treat those qualities as opposites. If we want to be strong, we assume we need to protect ourselves from being hurt. But in this conversation with Alan George, John Ortberg offers another picture of leadership. Drawing on Andy Crouch’s Strong and Weak, John explains that authority and vulnerability are two distinct qualities. Jesus held both. He acted with authority and willingly opened himself to pain for the sake of love. John and Alan explore the temptation to avoid that kind of openness, including the subtle habit of sharing stories that sound vulnerable while keeping what matters hidden. The conversation then turns toward genuine change. Why can we know what we’re supposed to do and still struggle to become different people? John reflects on Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines and the honesty found in recovery communities: admitting our need can open us to help we could never manufacture for ourselves. Where might you be protecting an image of strength? And what could become possible if you brought that part of your life into the light? 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

What can still grow in your life after you’ve been hurt? John Ortberg explores that question through a story author James Michener remembered from childhood: an aging apple tree, eight rusty nails, and an unexpected harvest. Years later, after heart surgery and other painful health challenges, Michener returned to that image. He resolved to keep bearing fruit. John connects his story with the poetry of John Milton and the lives of Hank and Jan, a couple whose faithful care for one another became a powerful expression of love. John does not try to explain away suffering. He invites us to consider what love can still look like within it: noticing someone who feels invisible, offering help, caring for a loved one, or doing our ordinary work with God. The episode closes at the cross, where nails hammered into a tree become part of the Christian story of self-giving love. Your wounds matter. What might God help you grow from here? Scripture connections: Matthew 25:14–30; John 15:4–5, 12–13 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

What do you do when God seems absent from your story?  Maybe you still pray, read Scripture, and show up, but the closeness you once felt is gone. Does that mean you’ve done something wrong? Has God left? John Ortberg explores those questions through John of the Cross, the sixteenth-century spiritual writer associated with the phrase dark night of the soul. John explains that this phrase can mean something more specific than a difficult season: a time when the pleasure and reassurance someone once found in spiritual practices seem to fade. For some, John of the Cross believed, that season can become part of learning to love and trust God more deeply. Through the image of a weaned child in Psalm 131, John asks what it means to remain with God even when we are not receiving the comfort we want. He also remembers learning to ride a bike as his father ran beside him. When his father let go, the support felt different, but his father had not abandoned him. If God feels hard to find right now, you do not need to manufacture a spiritual feeling today. You can bring your honest experience to him and ask for the grace to wait. Scripture: Psalm 131:1–3 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson License# MB01XUUTGU633PL

Everybody wants to make a difference. We spend billions developing leaders, and schools, businesses, and churches all talk about raising up the next generation of them. But when Jesus began the movement that would change countless lives, his invitation was just two words: “Follow me.” In this episode, John Ortberg asks what it really means to be a follower of Jesus. He challenges the idea that followers are passive or weak. A follower of Jesus can be courageous, curious, persistent, and willing to learn through mistakes. Following means letting Jesus shape the way we think, see, love, and act. John also makes the invitation wonderfully concrete: Do one thing today simply because Jesus said to do it. Forgive someone. Refuse to judge. Offer kindness where you’ve felt hostility. Give your time or resources in service of someone else. What might change if, for one moment today, you let Jesus lead? 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson License# MB01XUUTGU633PL 0:00 Why is everyone talking about leadership? 2:42 The leadership industry 3:52 Are all these leaders making things better? 5:01 What does it mean to be a leader? 6:06 Jesus’ invitation: “Follow me” 6:27 Reclaiming the word “follower” 7:21 Jesus follows the Father 8:24 What a follower of Jesus looks like 8:48 If you follow, stay behind him 9:47 Move at Jesus’ pace 10:15 Do one thing because Jesus said to

Is there a habit you keep trying to break, or one you wish you could finally build? You’re in good company.  When John Ortberg asked the Become New community about their habits, more than a thousand people responded. They named struggles with worry, anger, procrastination, screen time, negative self-talk, and much more. Some felt too ashamed even to say what their hardest habit was. Into that struggle, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” But then he invites us to take on his yoke. How can a yoke, an instrument of work, lead to rest? John explores the difference between exhausting yourself with willpower and learning a way of life from Jesus. Drawing on Dallas Willard and BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits, he shows how motivation, ability, and prompts shape what we do. Sometimes a meaningful change begins with something as small as moving your phone out of the bedroom or putting away one book at the end of the day. What’s one habit you’d like to change? Bring it to Jesus without shame, and consider one small step you could take today. Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30; Mark 12:30 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson License# MB01XUUTGU633PL 0:00 The habits we want to change 1:27 You are not alone in this struggle 2:02 Jesus’ invitation to the weary 2:47 The easy yoke versus willpower 3:32 How habits make action easier 4:13 Motivation, ability, and prompts 6:31 Why some habits stick 7:42 Making an unwanted habit harder 8:39 Making a good habit easier 10:38 Choose one small change

What do you do with a part of yourself you wish you could change?  Maybe you feel limited by your personality, your abilities, your age, or something your body can’t do. It’s easy to compare yourself with someone else and believe that if you just tried harder, you could finally become enough. In this episode, John Ortberg invites us to practice radical acceptance of our limitations. Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, and Abraham each had reasons to think they weren’t the right person for what God was asking. Yet their limitations did not limit God. John explores how humility can open us to wonder, why Jesus chose to embrace the limits of human life, and what Paul means when he says we carry treasure in “jars of clay.” What limitation have you been fighting? Today, consider what it would mean to offer it to God as a place where you might meet him. Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:6–7; Exodus 4:10–12; Judges 6:12–15; Jeremiah 1:6–8; John 1:14 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson License# MB01XUUTGU633PL 0:00 I can’t, but God can 0:47 What limitation frustrates you? 2:13 From rejection to acceptance 3:06 Why trying harder isn’t always the answer 3:54 Your limitations don’t limit God 5:10 Humility, wonder, and the sublime 7:18 The people God chooses 8:50 Jesus chose human limitation 10:20 Treasure in jars of clay 11:10 Offer your limitation to God

What happens when someone really listens to you? In this special bonus episode, John Ortberg sits down with Become New Creative Director Jackson Lane, who shares a story about a childhood stuffed animal, a remarkable ninth-grade teacher, and one small act of kindness he still remembers nearly 15 years later. The story leads John to a beautiful idea about the way God loves us: there is a kind of love that looks for value, and another kind of love that creates value by treasuring what it loves. Sometimes loving another person begins with something surprisingly simple: Listen. Let it register. Respond. Who in your life needs to know that what matters to them matters to you? #JohnOrtberg #BecomeNew #Psalms #SpiritualFormation #Love #Relationships 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 A Personal Bonus From the Psalms 00:24 God Is a Father to the Fatherless 00:44 The Way Jesus Treated Children 01:24 The Power of Really Listening 01:50 Jackson's Favorite Teacher 02:13 Writing Is Structured Thinking 02:43 The Story of Carla 03:06 The Pound Puppy Jackson Loved 03:30 A Stuffed Animal Worn Out With Love 03:48 Jackson Loses Carla 04:05 “The Dog Was Gone” 04:24 Telling Mr. Webber the Story 04:41 “I Was Too Old for a Stuffed Animal Anyway” 05:05 A Mysterious Package on the Porch 05:21 He Found the Exact Dog 05:45 “Childhood Dreams Should Never Be Lost” 06:06 Why Jackson Never Forgot It 06:28 Someone Saw What Mattered to Him 06:52 Where Carla Jr. Is Today 🥹 07:10 When You Love What Someone Else Loves 07:29 Two Different Kinds of Love 07:59 A Picture of How God Loves Us 08:21 Listen. Let It Register. Respond. 08:30 That's It 😂

Today we're revisiting an episode from SHINE, our walk through the book of Philippians. And there's a reason we're bringing this one back: we've just launched a new Bible reading plan on the Bible App based on the SHINE series. So if today's teaching is helpful to you and you'd like to go deeper, you can now walk through the whole series one day at a time in the Bible App. What if there were a law of the spiritual world as dependable as gravity? In Philippians 2, Jesus doesn't grasp for power. He lets go. He becomes a servant. He humbles himself all the way to the cross. Then everything reverses. God exalts him. John Ortberg explores what this reveals about the deepest pattern of reality: the way up is down, greatness comes through service, and self-giving love is always worth it. So when love gets costly, when you're tempted to self-promote, or when failure and guilt overwhelm you, remember the strategy: Double down on the cross. And remember the phrase: Jesus Christ is Lord. This is how we shine. #JohnOrtberg #Philippians2 #Jesus #SpiritualFormation #TheCross #Christianity Music in this episode:  Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF 00:00 What’s Most Important to Believe About Jesus? 00:22 The Oldest Words About Jesus 00:54 The Great Christ Hymn 01:35 Every Knee Will Bow 02:18 Jesus Goes Down, God Lifts Him Up 02:44 What Goes Down Must Come Up 03:07 The Hinge of Human History 03:28 A Law of God’s Kingdom 03:52 God Exalts Those Who Humble Themselves 04:14 Love Is Always Worth It 04:38 What Does It Mean to Double Down? 04:56 Jesus Doubles Down on the Cross 05:18 Double Down When You Feel Like a Failure 05:39 Stop Chasing Money and Reputation 06:23 The Most Important Phrase You Can Say 06:45 Jesus Christ Is Lord 07:19 Caesar vs. a Crucified Rabbi 07:49 Peter, Paul, Mary…and Nero 😂 08:16 Power Always Fades 08:49 A Calendar Built Around Jesus 09:18 The Wheel of Fortune 09:34 Nero, Napoleon & Stalin 10:07 Every Date Points Back to Jesus 10:31 The Spiritual Law of the Cross 10:55 What Lies at the Heart of Reality 11:17 Stop Trying to Promote Yourself 11:45 Become a Servant in the Next Moment 11:59 Jesus Christ Is Lord 12:08 That’s How We Shine

Thank you for being part of Become New, a global community growing spiritually in Christ, one day at a time. With an impromptu message from John, filmed on his iPhone in the Grand Tetons, this video is a personal thank-you for being part of this community—and an invitation to help make this work possible. Your generosity helps our small team create and share daily Bible teaching, prayer, study guides, YouVersion Bible plans, The Formation Podcast and Newsletter, and masterclasses—all freely available to help people put Christ in charge of their spiritual formation. If Become New has made a difference in your life, would you consider a one-time gift or becoming a monthly supporter? Every gift helps us continue this work and reach more people with resources for growing in Christ. ❤️ Partner with us: BecomeNew.com/give Whether you give, pray, share a teaching, or join us each day, we’re grateful you’re here. With GREAT gratitude, The Become New Team #BecomeNew #SpiritualFormation #GrowInChrist

Why did Frodo need Gollum? Coming to you from Hobbiton, New Zealand, John Ortberg explores one of the deepest themes running through J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Mercy. Bilbo could have killed Gollum. Frodo could have killed him. Sam could have killed him. But pity stayed their hands. And when Frodo finally reaches Mount Doom, something surprising happens: he fails. His own willpower isn't enough to destroy the ring. Yet the mercy extended to Gollum earlier in the story follows Frodo all the way to the end. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Maybe we need mercy because none of us can save ourselves. And maybe there's a Gollum somewhere in your day who needs mercy too. #LordOfTheRings #Tolkien #JohnOrtberg #Hobbiton #Psalm23 #Mercy #Gollum 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 John Ortberg in New Zealand  00:25 Welcome to Hobbiton!  00:44 A Special Edition From the Shire  01:12 Gollum, Frodo & the One Ring  01:48 Why Bilbo Didn't Kill Gollum  02:18 “What a Pity”  02:43 Gandalf's Warning About Judgment  03:10 Gollum Still Has a Role to Play  03:36 Two Kinds of Pity  03:55 Mercy in The Lord of the Rings  04:19 Frodo Begins to Pity Gollum  04:39 What the Ring Does to a Person  05:08 Gollum Was Once Sméagol  05:38 What Gollum Represents  06:07 Frodo Reaches Mount Doom  06:31 Frodo Fails  06:58 Why Gollum Had to Survive  07:34 Mercy Followed Frodo  08:00 This Isn't a Story About Willpower  08:17 We Can't Save Ourselves  08:46 There Will Be a Gollum in Your Life  09:18 “This Is a Being Like Me”  09:40 Let Mercy Follow You  10:06 From Hobbiton to All You Little Hobbits 😂

Your life was made to be a Psalm. As this journey through the Psalms draws toward its close, John Ortberg reflects on where the Psalter has been leading us all along. Psalm 1 begins by asking what kind of life we will live. The Psalms then carry us through fear, anger, grief, confession, hope, and joy. But the final five Psalms end in an explosion of one thing: Praise. In Psalm 148, everything is invited into the song: people, animals, mountains, stars, sun, moon, even the creatures of the sea. And so are you. Maybe a life with God isn't about escaping the messiness of being human. Maybe it's about learning to bring all of it before God until our lives themselves become a song. Hallelujah. #Psalm148 #JohnOrtberg #Psalms #Praise #Hallelujah #SpiritualFormation STEPS SEMINAR, October 17th - REGISTER HERE: https://www.oceanhills.org/event/steps-workshop-with-john-ortberg 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 Coming to the End of the Psalms  00:30 What's Coming Next at Become New  00:59 The STEPS Seminar  01:19 What the Psalms Have Taught Me  01:56 From Wisdom to Praise  02:20 Psalm 148  02:41 All Creation Is Invited to Praise  03:14 You Couldn't Get More Inclusive  03:43 Make Every Breath Worth Celebrating  04:10 Duets on the Psalms  04:16 Two Very Different Worship Services  04:58 Which One Would the Psalmist Prefer?  05:28 Two Revolutionary Ideas From Genesis  05:57 Every Human Being Bears God's Image  06:19 Why Democracy Needs Both Equality and Humility  06:43 Nature Isn't God  07:11 Nature Was Made to Worship  07:36 We Sang Before We Spoke  08:00 What We've Lost About Music  08:24 Music Was Made to Be Shared  08:44 The Loneliest Whale on Earth  09:10 Even the Lonely Whale Is Heard  09:59 The One Word for Today  10:24 We Were Made to Sing  10:48 Your Life Was Made to Be a Psalm  11:12 What Hallelujah Really Means  11:37 What John Is Grateful For  11:53 And So Were You  12:11 Hallelujah!

What can a therapist teach us about prayer? John Ortberg sits down with his longtime friend and therapist Dr. Rick to explore the Psalms as a kind of “divine therapy with God.” The Psalms are messy. Angry. Afraid. Contradictory. Unfiltered. And according to Rick, that's exactly where healing begins: ruthless honesty inside a relationship where we know we're accepted. So what would happen if we approached God that way? Can we tell Him what we actually think and feel, not merely what we believe we're supposed to say? Can God become our fully disclosing friend? Maybe the path toward becoming who God made us to be begins by bringing Him who we actually are. In this episode: prayer • therapy • Psalms • emotional honesty • healing • friendship with God #JohnOrtberg #Prayer #Therapy #Psalms #SpiritualFormation #MentalHealth 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 Salvation, Healing & the Psalms  00:27 The Psalms as Divine Therapy  00:48 What Can Therapy Teach Us About Prayer?  01:13 The Psalms Are Messy  01:36 How Raw Are Our Actual Thoughts?  01:56 Psalm 88: Darkness and Despair  02:19 Psalm 83: Angry, Contradictory Prayers  02:39 Psalm 89: From Anguish to Praise  03:24 What Therapy Is Trying to Do  03:58 Your Ideal Life vs. Your Actual Life  04:35 The Me I Want to Be  04:54 Ruthless Honesty  05:18 “I Don't Talk Like This Anywhere Else”  05:51 The Psalms as an Emotional Handbook  06:18 Do You Actually Understand Yourself?  07:03 Why We Resist the Truth About Ourselves  07:20 We Need Feedback  07:49 Getting Under Our Defenses  08:06 Rick Blackmon, Sneaky Psychologist 😂  08:31 Pain Drives Personal Growth  09:22 What Is a Therapeutic Alliance?  09:48 Why the Relationship Matters  10:21 No Secrets. Tell the Truth.  10:52 Acceptance Creates the Place for Change  11:35 Why Rick Reads the Psalms  11:56 Do You Have a Therapeutic Alliance With God?  12:22 Do You Feel Safe With God?  13:04 The Power of a Fully Disclosing Friend  13:35 Can God Be That Friend?  14:04 Why Honesty Feels Risky  14:30 “I Feel a Little More Whole”  14:57 A Healing Relationship With God

Suffering can do one of two things: break us or break us open. Beginning with Frederick Buechner's unforgettable image, John Ortberg explores Psalm 110 and one of the deepest ways Christians have read the Psalms: seeing the story of Jesus in their suffering, longing, and hope. Drawing from C.S. Lewis, Plato, and the mysterious biblical figure Melchizedek, John looks at how Jesus brings together two ancient hopes: the victorious king and the suffering servant. Jesus doesn't overcome suffering by avoiding it. He enters it. And because the story ends in resurrection, suffering doesn't have to get the final word. The difference between being broken and broken open is hope. In this episode: Psalm 110 • suffering • hope • Jesus • C.S. Lewis • Melchizedek • resurrection #Psalm110 #JohnOrtberg #Suffering #Hope #Jesus #CSLewis #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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 Broken or Broken Open?  00:10 What Will Suffering Do to You?  00:37 The Danger of Armoring Yourself  00:54 Seeing Jesus in the Psalms  01:20 Is Biblical Prophecy a Crystal Ball?  01:55 How the New Testament Reads the Old  02:15 C.S. Lewis and “Second Meanings”  02:41 Plato's Remarkable Picture of a Righteous Man  03:32 Written Hundreds of Years Before Jesus  04:02 The Great Story Behind the Story  04:28 The Most Quoted Psalm in the New Testament  04:50 The Difference Is Hope  05:06 “The LORD Says to My Lord”  05:27 Who Is David Talking About?  06:10 Our Longing for a Good King  06:30 What If God Himself Comes?  06:54 The Mystery of Melchizedek  07:16 A Priest Before Israel Had Priests  07:39 God Is Bigger Than Our Tribe  08:13 God Is Way Bigger Than That  08:34 A Priest Who Is Also a King  08:59 Israel Expected a King Who Would Crush Enemies  09:18 The Other Story: The Suffering Servant  09:41 Jesus Brings the Two Together  09:50 The King Who Gets Crushed  10:13 Suffering Doesn't Get the Last Word  10:35 The Heavens Are Broken Open

Are you actually experiencing joy, or are you mostly experiencing relief when problems finally go away? In Psalm 68, John Ortberg explores the biblical idea of exultation: deep, expressive joy that can exist even when life isn't going perfectly. Drawing from C.S. Lewis and Dallas Willard, John looks at why we can spend our lives clearing one hurdle after another and mistaking the resulting relief for genuine joy. Lewis called the Psalmists' delight an “appetite for God.” So how's your appetite? Maybe we've filled ourselves with so much achievement, entertainment, information, and distraction that there's little room left for something better. Today, try getting hungry again. In this episode: Psalm 68 • joy • relief • C.S. Lewis • Dallas Willard • fasting • appetite for God #Psalm68 #JohnOrtberg #Joy #CSLewis #DallasWillard #SpiritualFormation 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 Do You Exult Enough?  00:10 What's Your Exultation Quotient?  00:35 What Does “Exult” Mean?  01:02 Exultation in Psalm 68  01:25 God's Not Worried About How Things Are Going  01:49 Paul and Psalm 68  02:12 God Daily Bears Our Burdens  02:35 There He Is!  02:57 Let the Celebration Begin  03:18 David Danced Before God  03:43 Why We Exult at Baseball Games  04:10 Where Did Our Sacred Joy Go?  04:34 What's Your Exultation Threshold?  04:54 C.S. Lewis on Delight in God  05:32 Do You Have an Appetite for God?  05:57 Their Fingers Itch for the Harp  06:19 Rowdy Worship  06:48 Our Terrible Concern With Good Taste 😂  06:57 What Spoils Your Appetite?  07:22 Filling Up on the Cheap Stuff  07:39 Why Spend Money on What Isn't Bread?  08:04 We Have So Much to Fill Ourselves With  08:23 The Problem With Achievement  08:45 Clear the Bar. Move the Bar. Repeat.  09:08 Are You Mistaking Relief for Joy?  09:38 What Real Joy Feels Like  10:01 How's Your Appetite for God?  10:24 Try a Little Fast  10:47 Fast From Self-Promotion  11:16 Is Another Day Enough to Celebrate?  11:42 What's Your Threshold for Joy?  11:54 It's Your Day for Exultation

There are three kinds of friends. Two can be valuable, but the third can actually help you become the person God created you to be. Beginning with Psalm 122 and the simple words “Let us go,” John Ortberg explores why friendship is so essential to human flourishing and why it seems increasingly difficult to find. Drawing on Aristotle's three kinds of friendship, John looks at useful friends, pleasant friends, and spiritual friends: people with whom we can be honest, vulnerable, challenged, encouraged, and pointed toward God. So take inventory today: Do you have that kind of friend? And perhaps more importantly: Are you becoming one? In this episode: Psalm 122 • friendship • loneliness • Aristotle • spiritual friendship • community #Psalm122 #JohnOrtberg #Friendship #Loneliness #Community #SpiritualFormation 🙌 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 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 I Rejoiced When They Said “Let Us Go” 00:44 The Joy of Doing Life Together 01:04 “Let Us Go” 01:23 I'm Always the One Reaching Out 01:49 The Three Kinds of Friends 02:09 Jesus's Greatest Miracle? 😂 02:38 Why Friendship Gets Harder With Age 03:00 America's Friendship Paradox 03:34 The Anti-Social Century 03:59 Even College Students Are Lonely 04:27 We're Spending Less Time Together 04:59 An MIT Student Who Eats Alone 05:22 Thou Shalt Goof Off 😂 05:31 When Clubs Become Jobs 06:02 Aristotle's Three Kinds of Friendship 06:32 #1: Useful Friends 07:25 #2: Pleasant Friends 07:54 #3: Spiritual Friends 08:14 Flatterers vs. True Friends 08:38 Who Helps You Become Your Best Self? 09:25 A City Closely Connected 09:56 Who's in Your Tribe? 10:24 What Shalom Really Means 10:56 People Have Always Been Lonely 11:31 Value Your Friends 11:58 Call Someone. Thank Someone. 12:20 Let Your Loneliness Lead You to God