Become New with John Ortberg

60. Understanding Biblical Contradictions

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.The goal of Scripture isn't merely to give us enough information to always follow the right rule. It's to form us into wise people, capable of judgment, discernment, and love.And Psalm 14 eventually turns the question around.Instead of asking only, “How do I deal with the fools out there?” perhaps we need to ask:“How do I deal with the fool in here?”In this episode:- Psalm 14 and the meaning of foolishness- Why sin isn't only bad, but foolish- Proverbs 26:4–5 and seemingly contradictory wisdom- Why the Bible doesn't simply give us rules- How Scripture forms judgment and discernment- When to engage a foolish person and when to walk away- Why biblical narratives require us to wrestle- The Psalms as honest journals rather than rulebooks- What it means to live as though "there is no God"- 1 Corinthians 13 and filling our minds with Scripture- How to become a wiser personScriptures:- Psalm 14- Proverbs 26:4–5- 1 Corinthians 13#Psalm14 #JohnOrtberg #Wisdom #Proverbs #Psalms #BibleStudy #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #Discernment #Relationships📚 Today's Resources:David A. Hubbard, Proverbs (The Preacher’s Commentary, Volume 15)  🙌 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 51504EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamDOWNLOAD 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 - MB01V0UASAACPKEAlta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF00:00 Why Do I Do Stupid Things? 01:01 The Folly of Sin 01:47 How Do We Acquire Wisdom? 02:07 Fool Management 101 02:33 Proverbs on Dealing With Fools 03:01 Don't Answer a Fool...Answer a Fool? 03:32 Does the Bible Contradict Itself? 04:14 What Scripture Is Actually Trying to Do 05:08 Why Rules Aren't Enough 05:36 When to Engage a Fool 06:24 Wisdom Requires Discernment 06:49 Contradictory Words of Wisdom 07:16 Wisdom Isn't a Formula 07:59 Why the Bible Makes Us Wrestle 08:25 The Psalms Aren't a Rulebook 08:42 Psalm 14 & the Fool 09:45 Who Are the Righteous? 10:09 The Fool in Here 10:29 Wisdom Begins With Surrender 10:50 Fill Your Mind With Scripture 11:26 How to Become Wiser 11:49 Fool Management 101

59. The Noble Pursuit of Being Ordinary

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, John invites us to recover the eyes of "saints, poets, and artists" and rediscover what Willard called "the well-kept secret of the ordinary."Birds sing.Trees grow.Wild animals drink.Leviathan frolics.People go to work.And apparently God really likes hyraxes.Psalm 104 invites us to look again and recognize that ordinary creation is overflowing with the generosity, creativity, and goodness of God.In this episode:Psalm 104 and the wonder of creationCharles Taylor and the "immanent frame"Recovering the enchantment of realityDallas Willard and the secret of ordinary lifeWhy God made the hyraxSeeing creation as more than something to useThe love-letter analogyReceiving your life as a giftFinding God in everyday momentsScriptures:Psalm 104Genesis 1:26–27#Psalm104 #JohnOrtberg #DallasWillard #CharlesTaylor #Psalms #Creation #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Wonder🙌 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 51504EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamDOWNLOAD 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 - MB01V0UASAACPKEAlta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF00:00 Make It an Ordinary Day 00:27 Recovering the Eyes of the Psalmist 01:06 Psalm 104 Begins 02:17 Charles Taylor & the Loss of Enchantment 02:51 Dallas Willard's Secret of the Ordinary 03:28 Listen to the Birds Sing 03:51 Rediscovering an Ordinary Gift 04:13 All Creatures Are God's Creatures 04:56 Meet the Hyrax 05:49 Why Did God Make Hyraxes? 06:14 We've Forgotten How to See 06:50 The Love Letter Illustration 07:18 You're Missing the Words 07:40 Creation Is Filled With Meaning 08:06 Every Leaf Is Charged With God's Presence 08:31 Go Outside and Actually Look 08:42 Why Did God Make Leviathan? 09:08 The Gratuitous Goodness of God 09:54 God Rejoices in His Creation 10:16 The Gift of Being Ordinary 10:53 Receive Your Life as a Gift 11:15 Give the Gift of Life to Others 11:36 Make It an Ordinary Day

58. Pinocchio Theology (Getting Real)

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 Pinocchio, which is much darker and more spiritually suggestive than the famous Disney adaptation. Pinocchio is lovingly created by his father, rebels against him, rejects his conscience, and longs for something he cannot accomplish on his own: to become real.And that's where Pinocchio's story intersects with ours.Transformation doesn't begin when we finally become the person we think God wants. It begins when the person we actually are becomes willing to stand honestly before Him.In this episode:Psalm 55 and honest prayerWhy every emotion in the Psalms isn't necessarily an instructionBringing our troubled thoughts before GodThe surprising theology of PinocchioConscience, rebellion, and the love of the FatherBiblical echoes of Jonah and the Prodigal SonMoving from a heart of stone to a heart of fleshWhy transformation begins with getting realScriptures:Psalm 552 Timothy 3:16–17Hosea 11:3Luke 15Jonah 1–2Matthew 12:38–40Ezekiel 36:26#Psalm55 #JohnOrtberg #Prayer #Psalms #Pinocchio #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #HonestPrayer #Transformation🙌 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 51504EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamDOWNLOAD 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 - MB01V0UASAACPKEAlta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF00:00 Which Version of You Does God Want? 00:39 Learning to Pray With the Psalms 01:06 Are All the Psalms Supposed to Be "Right"? 01:49 The Psalms Are Raw Journals 02:15 Psalm 55 & Troubled Thoughts 02:43 Fear, Trembling & Anguish 03:31 Praying About Difficult People 03:55 The Two Versions of You 04:18 The Book John Never Wrote 04:44 The Original Pinocchio 05:14 Pinocchio Rebels Against His Father 05:39 God Taught Israel to Walk 06:17 Jiminy Cricket vs. the Original Story 06:39 Pinocchio Kills His Conscience 07:03 The Tragic Story of Jiminy Cricket's Voice 07:59 Pinocchio Needs Help Beyond Himself 08:50 The Prodigal Son & a Heart of Flesh 09:21 Jonah, Resurrection & Becoming Real 10:07 Transformation Begins With Reality 10:28 Pour Out the Ugly Stuff 10:56 Don't Bring God the Disney Version 11:21 Bring the Real You, Splinters and All

57. This Psalm is Deeply Important to Me

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 explores what it means to live under God's watchful care, why Psalm 121 doesn't promise a life without suffering, and how this Psalm became deeply personal as he recited its final words at his father's deathbed.Whatever hills you're facing today, your help comes from the One who made them.In this episode:Psalm 121 and God's watchful care"I lift up my eyes to the hills"The high places and ancient idolatryWhat we're tempted to trust instead of GodNicholas Wolterstorff and Lament for a SonWhy God's protection doesn't mean a pain-free lifeRomans 8 and God's inseparable loveJohn Ortberg's final moments with his fatherScriptures:Psalm 1211 Kings 18Romans 8:35–39#Psalm121 #JohnOrtberg #Psalms #Prayer #TrustGod #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Faith #godspresence 🙌 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 51504EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamDOWNLOAD 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 - MB01V0UASAACPKEAlta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF00:00 Two Actions for a Really Good Day00:21 John's Most Meaningful Psalm00:43 I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills01:30 God Is Watching Over Your Life02:22 Living the Watched-Over Life02:46 What Does "Lift Up My Eyes" Mean?03:08 The Hills & Ancient Idolatry03:29 What Are Your Idols?04:13 The Hills We Have to Climb04:55 "He Will Not Let Your Foot Slip"05:17 Nicholas Wolterstorff & Lament for a Son05:39 The Friend Who Put Psalm 121 to Music06:04 The God Who Never Sleeps06:34 Living in the Shade of God07:16 The Moon, Madness & a Sound Mind07:40 Harm Doesn't Mean No Hurt08:05 Nothing Can Separate You From God's Love08:31 Psalm 121 at My Father's Deathbed09:26 Face Your Hills & Lift Your Eyes09:48 My Help Comes From the Lord

56. Why You Shouldn't Pray EVERY Psalm

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 without pretending, suppressing, or acting on them.This episode explores:- Psalm 109 and the imprecatory psalms- Why the Bible gives voice to victims- The difference between words and actions- Internal processors vs. external processors- Why prayer is a journey, not a performance- How Jesus Himself prayed the PsalmsScriptures:- Psalm 109- Psalms 113–118- Matthew 5:43–48- Matthew 26:30#Psalm109 #JohnOrtberg #Prayer #Psalms #RenéGirard #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #HonestPrayer #Jesus📚 Today's Resources:René Girard, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird  Lewis Smedes, Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve 🙌 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 51504EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamDOWNLOAD 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 - MB01V0UASAACPKEAlta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF