Become New with John Ortberg
Join John Ortberg each day for 10 minutes of spiritual guidance on the person we are becoming.
Episodes
1151 episodes
25. Psalm 23 and the Life You've Always Wanted
Can you really live without lack?In this reflection on Psalm 23, John Ortberg draws from Life Without Lack to explore one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture.What does it mean to say, "The Lord is my shepherd"? What...
24. Psalm 59 Explained (The Danger of Spiritualized Prayer)
What's your story today?In this teaching on Psalm 59, John Ortberg explores one of the most important lessons of the Psalms: prayer is always prayed from inside a story.Drawing from Answering God, John challenges the idea of "sp...
23. What If Refuge Was a Verb? (with Lisa Cuss)
What if refuge was something you practiced?In this conversation, John Ortberg talks with therapist and trauma specialist Lisa Cuss about anxiety, church hurt, attachment theory, the nervous system, and Psalm 31.Lisa shares how r...
22. God Loves Imperfect People
What if your imperfections are not your greatest problem?In this teaching on Psalm 138, John Ortberg explores the difference between perfection and perfectionism, the beauty of human weakness, and why God has so much compassion for impe...
21. Why We Can’t Worry Our Way to Peace
How do you calm and quiet your soul?In this deeply practical conversation on Psalm 131, John Ortberg and Steve Cuss explore anxiety, emotional awareness, prayer, soothing, and learning to rest in the presence of God.Psalm 131 of...
20. Psalm 1 and the Problem With Twitter
What is social media doing to your soul?In this conversation, John Ortberg and Steve Cuss explore Psalm 1, online outrage, anxiety, reactivity, and the emotional formation happening through social media.Why do platforms like Twi...
19. The Secret Language of the Psalms
Why should we pray the Psalms slowly?In this reflective teaching, John Ortberg explores the nature of Hebrew poetry, the structure of the Psalms, and why the language of prayer was never meant to be rushed.Using Psalm 90 and sev...
18. How Worship Neutralizes Envy
Why do other people’s lives always seem better?In this teaching on Psalm 73, John Ortberg explores envy, comparison, resentment, worship, and the deep human struggle of feeling overlooked while others seem to prosper.The psalmis...
17. Psalm 126 and the Spiritual Power of Joy
Is it possible laughter could be a form of prayer?In this joyful and surprisingly profound teaching on Psalm 126, John Ortberg explores joy, humor, delight, neuroscience, and why laughter may be far more spiritual than many people reali...
16. Remembering Is a Form of Prayer
Why does memory matter spiritually?In this reflective teaching on Psalm 77, John Ortberg explores remembrance, gratitude, grief, forgiveness, healing, and why memory itself can become a form of prayer.Using deeply personal famil...
15. Why Gratitude Cannot Be Forced
Why is gratitude so difficult to sustain?In this teaching on Psalm 100, John Ortberg explores the deeper source of genuine gratitude and why thankfulness cannot simply be forced through willpower.Using reflections from Robert Ha...
14. Why You Should Stop Having a “Quiet Time”
Why would God include violent prayers in the Bible?In this deeply challenging teaching on Psalm 137, John Ortberg explores anger, injustice, enemies, suffering, and why the Psalms are far more emotionally honest than most modern spiritualit...
13. Why We Avoid What Matters Most (Psalm 42)
Why do we avoid uncomfortable truth?In this teaching on Psalm 42, John Ortberg explores self-awareness, attention, distraction, procrastination, and the deep spiritual thirst at the center of the human soul.Using Psalm 42’s famo...
12. Psalm 19 and the Problem of Self-Deception
Why is self-awareness so difficult?In this teaching on Psalm 19, John Ortberg explores self-deception, blind spots, hidden faults, and the surprising difficulty of honestly seeing ourselves.The Psalmist asks: “Who can d...
11. What Bowling Teaches Us About Peace
What does bowling have to do with spiritual life?In this teaching on Psalm 19, John Ortberg explores anxiety, surrender, creation, grace, and the deep human longing for soul rest.Using a surprisingly powerful bowling illustratio...
10. Who May Dwell on the Holy Mountain? (Psalm 15 Explained)
What actually creates a peaceful life?In this teaching on Psalm 15, John Ortberg explores the ancient biblical vision of an “unshakable” life — a life rooted in goodness, grace, truth, and the presence of God.Psalm 15 asks:“...
9. Psalm 16 and the Secret of a Steady Heart
What’s the one thing that would make today a good day?Psalm 16 says it’s simpler—and deeper—than you think.In this teaching, John Ortberg walks through Psalm 16 and introduces a powerful idea: your life-scape—the inner world where y...
8. A Simple Way to Pray (Psalm 57)
Ever feel stuck in your thoughts… and don’t know how to pray?Here’s a simple, practical method that actually works.In this teaching, John Ortberg walks through a powerful and practical way to pray your emotions using Psalm 57.
7. A Dangerous Prayer That Can Set You Free
What do you do with anger you can’t let go of?What if the Bible actually teaches you how to pray it?In Part 3 of this conversation, John Ortberg and Rankin Wilbourne tackle one of the most difficult emotions we face: anger.P...
6. Why We Don’t Know How to Lament
What if the pain you’re avoiding is actually the path to healing?And what if God already gave you the words for it?In Part 2 of this conversation, John Ortberg and Rankin Wilbourne explore one of the most overlooked practices in the...
5. Why We Don’t Know How to Pray Our Emotions (with Rankin Wilbourne)
Most people don’t know how to pray their emotions… even after years of faith.What if the Psalms were meant to teach you how?In this conversation, John Ortberg sits down with author and pastor Rankin Wilbourne to explore a life-chang...
4. How to Bring Your Pain to God (Psalm 13)
How long can you carry something before it breaks you?And what do you do when God feels… silent?In this teaching on Psalm 13, John Ortberg walks us through one of the most honest prayers in Scripture: “How long, O Lord?”When...
3. Renew Your Mind with Psalm 8
Everyone’s talking about mindfulness… but what if we’ve missed the most important part?What if the key isn’t your mind being focused—but God’s mind being focused on you?In this teaching on Psalm 8, John Ortberg explores a deeper kin...
