Become New with John Ortberg

What the NVIDIA CEO’s Resignation Made Me Ask

Why do smart people make terrible decisions? In this special episode of Become New’s Seven Deadly Sins series, John Ortberg explores how compartmentalization lets us hold

23. Two Biblical Characters. Two Ways to Handle Anger.

Who are we becoming while we’re busy getting things done? John Ortberg explores why overcoming anger involves actively seeking the good of others. Contrasting Herod the G

22. Why You Get Angry and How to Change It

How quickly do we decide someone’s motives when we’re angry? John Ortberg shares an airplane encounter that exposed his own assumptions and explores how meekness helps us

21. Five Myths About Anger (and What Actually Helps)

Does venting actually help? Do other people make us angry?  Is the absence of anger always a sign of spiritual maturity? John Ortberg examines five common anger myths an

20. How to Confess Envy: A Guided Prayer

Envy grows in secrecy. John Ortberg guides us through an honest confession, helping us name the comparisons and resentments we often keep hidden. Drawing from Psalm 73 a

19. Jesus Didn't Envy. Here's Why

Why didn’t Jesus envy anyone?  John Ortberg explores how envy distorts our vision, damages our speech, and turns someone else’s happiness into our pain. Through Giotto’s

18. Three Practices for a More Contented Life

Why can a good life suddenly feel insufficient when we compare it with someone else’s? John Ortberg explores the discontent and entitlement underneath envy. Through bibl

17. A Trainwreck Named Desire

What lies underneath envy? John Ortberg explores how comparison, discontent, and entitlement steal our joy, then offers three practical antidotes: gratitude, humility in

16. Two Flavors of Envy and How to Deal with Them

Why does someone else’s success sometimes make us feel worse? John Ortberg explores malicious and benign envy, what comparison reveals about our desires, and how we can m

How to Vote and Not Lose Heart

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

15. Humanity’s Fascination with Monsters & Understanding the Spiritual Realm

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

14. Why rejecting every compliment can deepen our hunger for approval

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 des

13. Twelve Stages to Becoming PRIDEFUL

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 compari

12. A Pride With No Ego

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 some

11. The Problem with, “Just Think About Yourself Less”

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 de

10. What We Lose When We Prioritize Success Over Character

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

09. Good Pride, Bad Pride

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

08. What Actually Counts as Sin?

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 Planting

07. Is Pride Running My Life?

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 pul

06. “STOP IT” Doesn’t Work When It Comes to Sin, Here’s Why

Why does telling yourself “Don’t do it” sometimes leave you stuck on the very thing you want to avoid? John Ortberg uses a golf analogy to explore the thoughts shaping ou