Become New with John Ortberg

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  63. How to Pray to Change Your Life 19.08.2026 10min

  What if you prayed the Psalms as if they could really help? In this reflection on Psalm 30, John Ortberg explores the difference between simply reciting Scripture and allowing its words to become our own prayer. John shares the story of Rabbi Plotkin, whose life seemed to be falling apart. His marriage was ending. His future felt uncertain. Fear and self-pity had taken over. Then one morning, as he prepared to say the same prayers he'd prayed for decades, he challenged himself: “Don't pra...
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  62. Finding God in the Dark Night of the Soul ("The Pit") 18.08.2026 13min

  What do you do when you find yourself in the pit? In this reflection on Psalm 30, John Ortberg explores one of the Bible's most powerful metaphors for suffering: the pit, the depths, the darkness, Sheol. Sometimes the pit is grief. Sometimes it's depression, failure, anxiety, physical pain, a broken relationship, a dream that has died, or something completely beyond our control. And sometimes the night lasts much longer than we ever imagined. John shares personally about a season when th...
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  61. Can God Heal Your Mind? 17.08.2026 13min

  What do you do with the mess inside your mind? In this reflection on Psalm 102, John Ortberg explores how the Psalms can become a kind of divine therapy, teaching us to bring our actual thoughts, emotions, fears, and beliefs honestly into the presence of God. Drawing from Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, the ABCDE framework associated with Martin Seligman, and insights from Walter Brueggemann and Dallas Willard, John shows us a practical way to process what's happening ins...
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  60. Understanding Biblical Contradictions 14.08.2026 14min

  How do you deal with foolish people? The Bible gives a surprisingly complicated answer. In Proverbs 26:4 we're told: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly...” And then, in the very next verse: “Answer a fool according to his folly...” So which is it? In this reflection on Psalm 14, John Ortberg explores why biblical wisdom can't be reduced to a simple set of rules. Sometimes wisdom requires speaking. Sometimes it requires silence. Sometimes you engage. Sometimes you walk away. Th...
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  59. The Noble Pursuit of Being Ordinary 13.08.2026 14min

  What if the goal today isn't to make your life extraordinary? What if it's to learn how to see the extraordinary gift hidden inside the ordinary? In this reflection on Psalm 104, John Ortberg explores how modern life has changed the way we see the world around us. We know more than ever about how nature works, yet we may have lost something along the way: our ability to experience creation as filled with meaning, wonder, and the presence of God. Drawing on Charles Taylor and Dallas Willard, J...
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  58. Pinocchio Theology (Getting Real) 12.08.2026 14min

  Which version of you shows up when you pray? In this reflection on Psalm 55, John Ortberg explores a surprising truth about prayer: God doesn't want the cleaned-up, polished, "Disney version" of you. He wants the real you. The Psalms aren't theological essays or collections of perfectly polished emotions. They're raw prayers from real human beings bringing fear, anger, anguish, confusion, and desire honestly before God. John connects this idea to the original story of The Adventures of Pino...
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  57. This Psalm is Deeply Important to Me 11.08.2026 12min

  What are you looking to for help today? In this reflection on Psalm 121, John Ortberg explores two simple actions that can make today a blessed day: God watches over us. We lift our eyes toward Him. But "I lift up my eyes to the hills" may mean something different than we often assume. In the ancient world, the hills weren't merely beautiful. They were places of idolatry, uncertainty, and danger. The psalmist looks directly toward them and asks: Where does my help really come from? John e...
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  56. Why You Shouldn't Pray EVERY Psalm 10.08.2026 18min

  Should you pray every line of every Psalm? In this reflection on Psalm 109, John Ortberg tackles one of the most difficult passages in the Bible—and offers one of the most freeing insights of the entire Psalms series. What do we do with prayers that sound angry, vengeful, or even shocking? Drawing on the work of René Girard, John explains that the Psalms are not polished theological essays. They are honest prayers in process. They teach us how to bring our real emotions into God's presence...
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  Following Jesus: The Pros and Cons (2022) 07.08.2026 15min

  What does it really cost to follow Jesus? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Jesus' most misunderstood invitations: "Count the cost." Drawing from Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart, he explains why discipleship is not an emotional decision but a thoughtful one. More importantly, he asks a question many of us rarely consider: What is the cost of not following Jesus? Discover why surrender isn't the loss of life, but the pathway to the greatest treasure you'll ever find. ...
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  Freedom - Defined. (2022) 06.08.2026 14min

  What if doing whatever you want doesn't actually make you free? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Dallas Willard's most profound ideas from The Renovation of the Heart: true freedom isn't the ability to satisfy every desire. It's becoming the kind of person who desires what is good and has the strength to live it out. Discover why self-denial is not the enemy of freedom, how envy quietly steals our joy, and why the path Jesus offers leads to the deepest kind of human flourishing...
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  Self-Improvement Just Can't Cut It (2022) 05.08.2026 15min

  Is Christianity about becoming a better version of yourself? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Dallas Willard's most challenging and hope-filled ideas from The Renovation of the Heart: the ruined life isn't meant to be enhanced, but replaced. Discover why self-denial isn't about self-hatred, why Jesus calls us to lose our lives in order to find them, and how true transformation goes far beyond self-improvement. If you've ever wondered what Jesus really meant by "deny yourself," ...
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  The Necessity for Change - That No One Likes (2022) 04.08.2026 16min

  What if the greatest obstacle to spiritual growth isn't what has happened to you, but what is happening within you? In this episode, John Ortberg continues exploring Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart by examining one of Christianity's most misunderstood ideas: remorse. Discover why the Bible distinguishes between the wounds we've suffered and the wrong we've committed, and why genuine remorse isn't meant to produce shame, but lasting transformation. Healing begins when we stop hi...
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  What is a Lost Soul? (2022) 03.08.2026 15min

  John explains what makes a soul lost and how the truth about ourselves is the beginning of being found. In this episode (2022), John Ortberg continues exploring Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart by examining one of the greatest barriers to spiritual growth: self-deception. Discover why the human heart naturally resists uncomfortable truths, what Jesus meant by "losing your soul," and how learning to love the truth becomes the starting point for genuine transformation. God doesn't ...
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  Irritated? This Might Be Why. (2022) 31.07.2026 15min

  What if your irritation is trying to tell you something? In this episode, John Ortberg explores one of Dallas Willard's most practical insights from The Renovation of the Heart: the everyday emotions and reactions we often dismiss may actually be warning lights revealing the true condition of our souls. Discover why denial is one of humanity's greatest spiritual obstacles, how God's grace exposes what needs healing, and why the path to transformation begins with honest self-awareness rather...
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  Psychology Was Wrong About Self-Esteem (2022) 30.07.2026 14min

  Is self-esteem really the key to a better life? For years, psychologists believed increasing self-esteem would solve many of our greatest personal and social problems. But after decades of research, the evidence pointed in a different direction. In this episode, John Ortberg explores what Dallas Willard teaches in The Renovation of the Heart about the deeper human problem and why lasting transformation begins with truth, humility, and God's mercy. Discover why the Christian path isn't about...
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  Is Self-Care Biblical? with Dr. Rick Blackmon (2022) 29.07.2026 14min

  Is self-care selfish? Or is it something Jesus actually invites us to practice? In this conversation, John Ortberg sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Rick Blackmon to explore Dallas Willard's vision of soul care from The Renovation of the Heart. Together they discuss emotional health, burnout, self-denial, and why understanding yourself is the first step toward caring for yourself well. Discover why true self-care isn't about self-indulgence, but about cultivating the kind of life that allows y...
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  What Does It Really Mean to Live by the Spirit? (2022) 28.07.2026 13min

  What does it really mean to live by the Spirit? In this episode, John Ortberg explores Dallas Willard's understanding of the spiritual life through The Renovation of the Heart. Discover why every person is both physical and spiritual, what makes the human will so remarkable, and why Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your will be done." If you've ever wondered what surrender actually looks like in everyday life, this conversation offers a practical and deeply biblical vision of depending on God rat...
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  What Does It Mean to Be A PERSON? (2022) 27.07.2026 14min

  What does it really mean to be a person? In this episode, John Ortberg explores Dallas Willard's powerful framework for understanding the human person through The Renovation of the Heart. Discover how the heart, mind, body, relationships, and soul work together to form the whole person, and why lasting spiritual transformation involves far more than changing behavior. If you've ever felt divided, fragmented, or like different parts of your life are pulling in opposite directions, this conve...
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  Anxiety: “I cannot create peace in my life” (2022) 24.07.2026 12min

  Can you experience God's peace while still struggling with anxiety? In this special conversation, John Ortberg is joined by his daughter, Laura Turner, to explore one of the deepest themes in Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart: peace. Together they discuss why peace is more than the absence of worry, how acceptance differs from giving up, and why receiving God's love often matters more than getting everything right. If you've ever wondered whether anxiety means you're failing spir...
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  The Key to Understanding ANYTHING (2022) 23.07.2026 13min

  What do you do when your life feels like it's falling apart? In Episode 4 of our Become New series, John Ortberg continues exploring Dallas Willard's The Renovation of the Heart by examining one of Scripture's most encouraging promises: "In Christ all things hold together." Even when our relationships, health, finances, or emotions feel fractured, Jesus offers a deeper kind of stability that circumstances cannot destroy. Discover how God's vision of wholeness, or shalom, provides lasting ho...