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Life's greatest lessons often come from unexpected places. In today's devo, John tells a story of a little boy in a developing village who hears about tithing for the first time. After giving a single fish to his teacher, he responds to the question “Where are the other nine?” with something unforgettable: “Oh, they're still in the river. I'm going to go catch them now.” That is how faith responds. It's a childlike confidence that God's provision isn't scarce or hidden, but abundant, always flowing like a river.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

When was the last time you were genuinely wowed? With all the content we consume on the daily it's getting more and more difficult to find these moments of amazement. But the truth is that we were made to be astonished. Whenever we neglect that part of who we are our souls shrink a little. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt observes that screen addiction damages our capacity for transcendence. His research and others' affirm what the Bible has been talking about for millennia: the heavens are telling the glory of God. Awe is a gateway to God. It reminds us of our smallness and God's grandeur.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

We learn through imitation. This is why we have role models and icons. Those who have gone before us and shown us what's possible. Whether we know it or not, we are followers first. The Apostle John talks about this in 3 John, where he writes, “Do not imitate what is evil but what is good.” In other words, you will imitate what you watch, so watch wisely. From spiritual mentors to social media influencers, the people and patterns we imitate form our character and ultimately how we make our way in the word.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today's We Should Get Out More brings us to this phrase, straight from Dallas Willard: Bless what you dread. We were blessed by God and we are made to be a blessing. For fun and to put this into perspective, we're taking a lesson from the Hokey Pokey song and applying it to blessing others: you put your whole self in. (Sing it with us: You put your right foot in, take your right foot out…) To truly bless is to do so intentionally and with your whole heart and spirit. The very act of blessing is something we see in the Bible from the beginning of time. God creates, God gives, God adds value. He blesses the trees and the seas and the sky and the earth. The world exists to be blessed, and you were made to be a blessing.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Have you ever felt like you wanted to change… but couldn't? Sometimes, change isn't possible by the flesh alone. True change is often only available with God's help. That's what today's lesson highlights as we continue our journey through We Should Get Out More. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today's episode of We Should Get Out More features an interview with Andy Crouch, one of the central thought leaders of this series, whose work we've been studying together. He's a partner for theology and culture at Praxis and the author of several books like “The Tech-Wise Family” and “The Life We're Looking For.” Today, Andy and John discuss the intersection of technology and human flourishing. Tune in for a chat about how our “glowing rectangles” (as Andy refers to smartphones) are sometimes forming us in ways we're not fully aware of. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today, as we continue through We Should Get Out More, we're talking tech, but not just the usual doom-scroll warnings. John sits down with Pat Gelsinger, a tech mogul and lifelong follower of Jesus, to talk about how faith and technology don't have to live in separate worlds. In fact, Pat argues this moment in history is a “Gutenberg moment”: a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Church to use technology to spread goodness, beauty, and truth. So instead of running from it, what if we stepped into it, with wisdom and courage?Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

What is self-control? Is it trying through blood, sweat, and tears to make ourselves miserable? Maybe not. Maybe, a miserable life of constant resistance isn't a God shaped life. The Apostle Paul calls self-control the final fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), not because it's least important, but perhaps because (maybe) it takes the longest to grow. At its core, self-control is about spiritual renovation. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Reality is where life happens. It's where we learn, fail, love, and find hope. It in our nature to be out in nature. On a quiet deck in the presence of birds, dogs, and laughter. We've said it a lot in this series, but we will keep saying it, “We Need to Get Out More.” Not just for exercise or aesthetics, but for spiritual formation. Today John and Nancy have a conversation about a recent hike in Yosemite's Vernal Falls. The grandeur was recalibrating to the soul. Nature, with all its gratuitous beauty and unnecessary joy (like ducks, as Dallas Willard once noted), reminds us that God is both powerful and delightfully good.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

When Tiffany and her husband Cam moved across the country to pursue their dream of running a mountain camp, they had no idea what was waiting for them. A financial crisis, a pandemic, wildfires, floods, and windstorms. They had to deal with one disaster after another. Each event felt like a reason to give up. But looking back, those same struggles became the soil where deep spiritual resilience took root. Instead of running from discomfort, they stayed and as a result they witnessed God bring life from ashes and strength from suffering. That's the strange grace of challenge: it forms us in ways comfort never can.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

God didn't design us to live behind glass, protected, isolated, or untouched by risk. That's the danger of our screen-saturated, control-craving world: we can build an “unrisky life” that appears safe but leaves our spirits weak. John draws out a striking metaphor from Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation, where he talks about trees planted in a perfectly controlled environment that grew fast but fell before maturity because they lacked the stress and strain of wind. Without this stress, they never developed the “stress wood” that would make them strong enough to withstand life. You and I need wind too. We were made for challenge.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Sometimes the best theology is found on the back deck. A small bird on a simple patrol caught the attention of a friend, and in that moment the truth came to light. That mockingbird, later named “Jabez,” seemed to be extending its reach, enlarging its territory. And just like that, we're reminded of a prayer tucked quietly into 1 Chronicles 4:10, a prayer that asks God not for riches or comfort, but for blessing, for growth, for protection, and for freedom from pain. But it's not self-centered, it's a vision of hope in the face of the world's curse, a longing that our lives might be vessels of blessing for others.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today, we're keeping the gentleness discussion going. We are invited to get out of our hurried, harsh, screen-ridden worlds and into God's world–the real world, full of life and joy. We're reflecting on this truth from Jesus in Matthew 11: “I am gentle and lowly in heart.” Gentle and lowly? What countercultural words. And this isn't the watered-down kind of gentleness; this is full-on fruit-of-the-spirit gentleness. Like John teaches, people can often misunderstand this. It's not softness, weakness, or meekness. Gentleness is steady, and it actually begins at home in overcoming our harsh inner critics.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

In our culture, revenge is pervasive. In fact, John unpacks research showing a hidden framework for understanding human revenge, rage, and violence. In practice, revenge actually operates like an addiction in our brains. The cycle begins with grievance. And every little grievance - from a driver who maybe cuts us off, to a coworker who forgets our name - can trigger imagined injustice. We indulge our outrage and a desire for revenge. But the way of Jesus - the fruit of the spirit, love - interrupts that loop. Love doesn't deny pain or injustice; it just refuses to use power to harm. It chooses to show up instead as gentleness and grace.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today's journey of We Should Get Out More brings us to something a little different: a chat with Len Vanden Bos, chaplain of the Buffalo Bills– where John and Len visit one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the U.S. John and Nancy recently visited and what they saw was staggering. Angola holds countless stories not just of pain and injustice, but amazingly, deep transformation and freedom. Tune in for a meaningful chat about true surrender. People who aren't being formed by algorithms, but truly the Holy Spirit.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today's episode of We Should Get Out More might just be an introduction to your new favorite Bible verse. It's an often-overlooked passage in Romans 16:22: “I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.” And while this might seem like a verse you'd look past, it's significant because it's Paul offering dignity to someone the world considered insignificant. Tertius was a scribe (maybe even a slave) whose name means “third.” In the ancient world, people were often reduced from a name down to a number. But counter culturally, Paul stops mid-letter to let Tertius speak. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Dr. Rick joins today to discuss what it really means to become a good person. Despite all his years of counseling, Rick shares that no one has ever walked into his office saying, “I want to be a good person.” However, by the end of their sessions, that desire is typically surfaced. It's the realization that we all want to become someone who is grounded. Generous. Integris. That little question: Am I a good person? quietly lingers within each one of us.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today, John talks with Glenn Packiam about how resilience begins with recovery: the ability to return to a place of spiritual rest. Like a stress test measuring how fast your heart returns to normal, true spiritual health isn't the absence of struggle, but the speed at which we return to God after it. There is no such thing as a life without trouble, which is why Jesus promised that he would be with us to the very end of the age.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today, John talks with Pastor Steve Cuss who shares his practice of “tripping over God's presence” 10 to 12 times a day through intentional micro-habits. These small moments that look like savoring a meal, noticing a sunset, holding a loved one's hand, or hearing from a friend are more than pleasant. They are reminders that life is good and full of God's presence if we could notice, tune in, and appreciate what has always been there under all the noise.Get more from Steve Cuss here: https://capablelife.activehosted.com/f/29Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Social media loves to make promises. Promises about optimizations, quick fixes, the perfect skin, the perfect parenting hacks, and on and on. These promises are tempting, but the problem is that social media rarely delivers on the promises it makes. This keeps us consuming more and more looking for the next best hack. We arrange our lives around this pursuit, only to find out—sometimes painfully—they're not real. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

What if you stopped doomscrolling and started life-scrolling instead? In today's message, you'll discover a better way to navigate screens and the bad news cycle — by tasting real goodness, practicing gratitude, and sharing hope like the bees do their waggle dance. Let's get out more, root ourselves in God's presence, and bring goodness into the real world together.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

John invites us to consider how our digital lives often differ from kindness and tend toward condemnation. All one needs do is get online and look at the Subtweets and group chats that exclude others. There are endless examples of passive-aggressive stories and soft blocks. We've been trained to cancel people but Jesus did something different. He didn't cancel people, he canceled sin. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Happy Fourth of July from Become New! Today marks not only a holiday, but also a shift in direction for us. As we sat with the title, You Should Get Out More, for the past few weeks, we noticed something felt off. It's a single word, but it makes all the difference. We should get out more. As we explore this topic, know that we aren't pointing the finger your way; we're learning these concepts right along with you. So together, let's get out more, and let's dive into today's topic: kindness. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

The word of the day is patience. The kind that reshapes your soul over time. A long faithfulness. As we continue You Should Get Out More, John invites us into something countercultural: living as pilgrims, not tourists. Tourists pick their destinations, stay as long as it's fun, and move on when they lose interest. Pilgrims, though? They're going somewhere. They're going to God and the path for getting there is through Jesus.  Digital life trains us to expect everything instantly: food, updates, approval, progress. But the fruit of the Spirit, especially patience, grows at a much slower speed than scrolling.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today's thought is kindness. And if that sounds a little too soft for your inbox this morning, hang tight because what we're covering today isn't shallow or merely sentimental. John is joined by Kara Powell, the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, and they're discussing the kind of radical, steady, others-focused kindness that can actually change us and change the world.Find out more about the Fuller Youth Institute at: FullerYouthInstitute.org/BecomeNewBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Take a deep breath. Remember, patience is a fruit of the spirit. It's about living with an unhurried spirit. Often, people confuse patience with a lack of urgency but the truth is, patience is the ability to live with calmness and poise in the face of obstacles and delay. It's living with an unhurried spirit in a sped-up world. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

The invitation for today is to live at peace, but not the kind you might think. This isn't only silence or stillness, but rather the deep, soul-rooted type of peace that Jesus offers in a world full of noise and division. As we continue our series, You Should Get Out More, John contrasts peace and contempt, which is what pastor and author Jay Kim says are actually opposites. Contempt is a mindset that abounds in digital spaces and it erodes our ability to love and empathize. As followers of Jesus, we're called to a higher standard. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

The lines between physical and digital reality are increasingly blurred, especially for children. Today's conversation between John and his daughter Laura, reminds us that spiritual formation and family life are happening at the same time. Often in the midst of unprecedented technological change. The challenge, then, is not to fear technology but to become wise in how we use it, especially when it comes to guiding the next generation. We need parents, mentors, and spiritual friends, who are willing to help young people stay grounded in the real world—where eye contact, touch, boredom, and community shape our souls far more deeply than curated images or trending videos.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Doesn't it seem like everything is hyperconnected, screen-centric today? In a matrixed existence how are we meant to find pockets of peace in the day? It can feel almost impossible to grasp. The peace has a hard time flourishing in an online environment that usually amplifies outrage, judgment, and anxiety. Leading voices today have noted that social media gives us the power to express contempt with increasing ease. It's not pretty out there. And too often, Christians have joined the chorus of division and often led it. But Scripture reminds us: peace is not found in being right, it is a fruit of the Spirit. It grows not from surrender. Peace is not about willpower; it's something we experience as we let go of judgment, hurry, and the illusion of control.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Joy is not an accident. It's a fruit of the Spirit that grows from attention, action, and cultivation. In contrast much of our online lives are lived passively comparing ourselves to others without even thinking about it. Algorithms are designed to keep us longing for what we don't have, by showing us lives just out of reach. This is an upward envy that creates a downward disdain and erodes joy. But God life with God gives us the good work of Joy. Joy is deep, personal, and often tied to the relationships that reflect God's love and goodness.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Jay shares his personal experience, as well as his pastoral perspective, on the mental, emotional, and spiritual costs of being chronically online. The issue is not the existence of technology, but how subtly and deeply it forms us into distracted, image-obsessed and ultimately hopeless people. The point of the conversation is to remind us that our digital tools are using us often more than we are using them. Our attention is being bought and sold, and the cost is our contentment, resilience, and joy.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

In a world shaped by online personas, it's easy to mistake what looks good for what really is and emotion for identity. We have been conditioned to scroll through the highlight reels of others' lives, unaware of the building loneliness and pain that is masked by the doom scroll of online life. But the truth is that social media is not truly social, a fact we must remember because while it promises connection it usually delivers isolation. That is the work of a follower of Jesus in the digital landscape.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

The word today is love. Not the polished, curated kind we post about online, but the messy, risky, vulnerable kind that can only happen in the real world. In today's video, John reminds us: the opposite of love isn't hate—it's self-centric despair. It's the temptation to retreat inward, escape discomfort, and protect ourselves from heartbreak. But real love demands we show up, with our weaknesses, awkwardness, and all.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

What if the best version of you could speak to the most distracted version of you… Except before you scroll? Today we're joined by Royce Branning, founder of ClearSpace, who's asking questions like these. Royce's app is designed to interrupt compulsive phone use and help people reclaim control of their attention, time, and ultimately, their soul. Like us, he's deeply passionate about living a spiritually intentional life in a digital world.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

John reminds us that even the word “technology” echoes Jesus—“tecton” (craftsman) and “logos” (word). Jesus was both. He's not against our tools. But he is against anything that masters us. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Today we're diving into what Andy Crouch calls the 10 Commitments of Tech-Wise Families, and they're not just for parents. These practices are for anyone who wants to live with wisdom in a distracted age. We're not aiming for perfection here. We're aiming for intentionality. And for the next few weeks, we're challenging you to pick at least one commitment to live out in real life…not just in your notes app.

Welcome to You Should Get Out More. This isn't just a fun little title. This is a spiritual call to action for all of us. Together we'll be exploring the tension between our digital lives and the deeper, richer, right-in-front-of-us life that God is calling us to. Make no mistake, technology can be an incredible gift—we're obviously using it right now to grow together in community—but it can also quietly shape us in ways that leave us more anxious, distracted, and disconnected from the world God made and the people He's placed around us.

Check out our updated website: BECOMENEW.COM to access over 900 episodes just like this one.As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

Check out our updated website: BECOMENEW.COM to access over 900 episodes just like this one.As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

Check out our updated website: BECOMENEW.COM to access over 900 episodes just like this one.As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

Check out our updated website: BECOMENEW.COM to access over 900 episodes just like this one.As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

Check out our updated website: BECOMENEW.COM to access over 900 episodes just like this one.As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

As we take a break from our regular devo series, we are offering a trip into archives and sharing a collection of some of our most meaningful messages designed to encourage and guide you in your daily devotion with Jesus. So, feel free to engage in a way that speaks to you whether through journaling, prayer, or sharing with a friend. Join in and keep growing!

Join the conversation in our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/Take the Untroubled Heart PEACE SURVEY Part 2: https://bit.ly/UntroubledHeartAfterBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.John's new book STEPS is out! Check it out here: https://becomenew.com/steps/Want to work the steps with a friend or small group? Visit: DoTheSteps.com

Join the conversation in our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/Take the Untroubled Heart PEACE SURVEY Part 2: https://bit.ly/UntroubledHeartAfterBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.John's new book STEPS is out! Check it out here: https://becomenew.com/steps/Want to work the steps with a friend or small group? Visit: DoTheSteps.com