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We all carry an invisible resume, trying to prove our worth through titles, accomplishments, or image. Paul names his old resume — circumcision, tribe of Benjamin, Pharisee, zeal — then calls it all loss compared to Christ. John shares his own “impressive-itis” and failures, then draws from Henri Nouwen and John Wesley's line “I submitted to be more vile” to show the new resume: weakness, humility, and love. To shine is to let go of self-promotion and live from God's love.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Shining for Jesus is like burning, it gives off light but not without pain. Paul tells the Philippians that Epaphroditus (his brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier) nearly lost his life serving the cause of Christ. This was not a story of calm detachment or stoic control. Instead, Paul openly describes homesickness, distress, grief, and anxiety. Real love is messy, and real relationships are risky. Yet, it is in that risk, not in protecting ourselves, that we understand more about God.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Life is deep, complex, and beautiful. In many ways life has a way of giving us more depth, complexity and beauty if we let it. But it's important to remember that becoming deep is not about pretending to be better or wiser than we are. Paul wrote about this to the Philippians, where he reminded them that Jesus showed the way—humbling himself, becoming a servant, and pouring himself out for others. To follow Jesus means turning from shallow living, where vanity and ego dominate, toward a life that reflects self-giving love.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Safe places and safe people are a good thing… but there's something even better. John brings today's teaching from Ireland, and fittingly so, our learnings are inspired by Saint Patrick. As a teenager, Patrick was kidnapped, enslaved, and suffered greatly. In the middle of his suffering, though, he discovered God's presence. Patrick wrote that he would pray constantly during the daylight hours. He described that sometimes in a day, he would say as many as a hundred prayers, and at night nearly as many again. His faith continually grew.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Today, we grieve. We pause. We remember. We mourn. And we cling to the hope of Jesus that transcends all.Join John and Become New in this short video for some thoughts on Charlie Kirk's assassination, remembering September 11th, and reckoning with darkness. As a community, we are praying for our nation and for God to bring comfort, peace, and healing.

One of the most famously quoted verses in the Bible comes from Paul: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It's not only often quoted, it's arguably even more commonly misunderstood. Today, Laura Ortberg Turner joins us with John to unpack what Paul truly meant with these words.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Paul calls the Philippians to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” for God is already at work within them. The life that shines is not grumbling or self-promoting but open to God's Spirit. John contrasts grumbling vs. groaning, shows how Moses' radiant face came from being with God, and ends with the blessing: “The Lord make His face shine upon you.” To shine is to live from God's shining face turned toward us.00:00 — What does it mean to shine with inner light?00:32 — Why some people radiate joy and gratitude01:45 — How Philippians 2 explains shining02:17 — What does “work out your salvation” mean?03:00 — Is spiritual life a motorboat, raft, or sailboat?04:03 — What does “fear and trembling” really mean?05:13 — Do everything without grumbling06:14 — What's the difference between grumbling and groaning?07:25 — Why groaning invites God but grumbling shuts Him out08:18 — Shine like stars in a dark world09:12 — How Moses' face shone after meeting God11:15 — What it means that God's face shines on you13:02 — Today is your day to shineBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Philippians 2 is called the “hinge of history.” Jesus, though in very nature God, humbled Himself to death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him, giving Him the name above every name. John calls this the greatest strategy for life: double down on the cross. True greatness and true life flow from self-giving love, and the simple but ultimate confession: Jesus Christ is Lord.00:00 — What is the greatest strategy for life?00:22 — What is the most important phrase Christians can say?01:16 — Philippians 2: the oldest words about Jesus01:57 — Jesus humbled Himself to death on a cross02:31 — Why “as a consequence, therefore” matters03:17 — The hinge of history explained04:03 — Why humility always leads to exaltation05:06 — What does it mean to double down on the cross?06:33 — What name is above every name?07:19 — Why “Jesus Christ is Lord” seemed ludicrous then08:19 — Why Jesus, not Caesar, defines history09:25 — How calendars themselves point to Christ10:23 — Why love, not power, defines reality11:05 — What it means to double down in daily life11:55 — How to shine by serving othersBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Jesus, though in very nature God, did not cling to privilege but poured Himself out, becoming a servant. Paul lived this by refusing to claim his Roman citizenship until after suffering in prison, choosing solidarity with the powerless. Greatness in God's kingdom is not about grasping but giving, not about climbing status ladders but coming down them. The “great inversion” is joyfully using gifts and privilege for others, not yourself.00:00 — What does Philippians 2 teach about privilege?00:28 — Did Jesus give up His privilege?01:16 — Paul in Philippi: the backstory02:35 — Why did Paul wait to claim Roman citizenship?03:29 — How Roman society defined status and rank04:26 — Who were the elites, citizens, and slaves?05:46 — Why gold rings and togas signaled privilege06:58 — How laws reinforced status in Rome08:19 — Jesus' great inversion: down, not up09:03 — Why washing feet was shocking in Israel10:00 — Paul chooses to suffer with the powerless11:08 — How the church became a community of equals12:03 — Give till it pinches: Lewis on generosity12:24 — Why God has a thing for servers13:00 — What the great inversion means for us todayBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

We all long for greatness, but Jesus redefines it. In Philippians 2, Paul quotes one of the oldest hymns about Christ: though He was in very nature God, He poured Himself out, became a servant, and humbled Himself to death on a cross. Greatness is not climbing the ladder of success — it's coming down the ladder in self-giving love. This reveals God's true nature: to serve, not to grasp.00:00 — What does Philippians 2 teach about greatness?00:20 — Why we all want to be winners01:10 — The problem with the ladder of success01:40 — How Jesus redefined greatness02:15 — The oldest hymn about Christ in the New Testament03:11 — “Being in very nature God” explained05:54 — What does it mean that Jesus emptied Himself?07:30 — The very nature of God is to serve08:32 — Jesus revealed God by becoming a servant10:14 — Why the way of Jesus is down, not up11:20 — How to have the same mindset as Christ12:00 — Why Jesus changed the world through humilityBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

The light we have to shine comes from God. We are like the moon; our radiance comes from another source. In Philippians 2, Paul says that we are given gifts like encouragement in Christ, comfort from His love, fellowship with the Spirit, and tenderness and compassion. These qualities reflect who God is, given to us to know how to live, act, and love. Just as Jesus glowed with light on the Mount of Transfiguration, we too are invited to carry his presence into our daily relationships.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

“This is our day to shine.” Not tomorrow, not in easier circumstances, not when life finally evens out. Today. But the temptation is to believe that it would be easier to shine if life was a bit easier. Paul talks about that temptation in Philippians 1:27: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Whatever happens (good or bad, easy or hard, expected or surprising) Paul is saying that shining in the light of Christ is not about the absence of pain. It is about the presence of meaning.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Paul's words — “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain” — confront us with life's deepest questions. But what if we struggle to believe? Through C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, George MacDonald, and others, we see that even when certainty wavers, we can choose to live as if the gospel is true. Faith is not just mental assent; it's the decision to live a life worth following, even amid doubt and darkness.00:00 — What does “to live is Christ, to die is gain” mean?01:05 — Why is it harder today to believe in life after death?01:36 — What do we really know about what happens after death?02:24 — C.S. Lewis on doubt and faith in The Silver Chair03:36 — Is the Christian story just a fairy tale?04:25 — Puddleglum's answer: why I choose faith anyway06:05 — Tolkien, courage, and fighting on the losing side07:06 — George MacDonald: why I would live my life believing08:24 — Would you still follow Jesus even if you doubted?09:28 — Why living as if Christ is true is the only way worth living10:24 — How to keep going with faith through grief, doubt, and lossBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team

Today we continue our series, Shine, as we explore the book of Philippians and understand how to stand out as the light of Jesus in our daily lives. Let's start the week with some good (but not always easy) news: your circumstances do not have to determine your perspective. As we continue through Philippians this lesson is a consistent theme.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamWEBSITE: BecomeNew.comPODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.comSOCIAL MEDIA:

As we kick off today's episode of Shine, consider this question: Who is the most difficult person in your life right now? A family member? Maybe a coworker or a friend? Paul knew people like that, too. In Philippians 1, he talks about brothers and sisters in Christ who were trying to cause trouble for him while he was in prison. Paul says that some were operating out of love, but some were motivated by selfish ambition. His response to this is remarkable. Translated from the Greek, he uses two little words: “So what?” The motives of others didn't derail the direction of his life. The gospel was still being advanced.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamWEBSITE: BecomeNew.comPODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.comSOCIAL MEDIA:

This is your day to shine. The only thing is… (tough news incoming) shining won't be in your ideal situation. Shining means right now, right where you are, right in the middle of your current circumstances. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamWEBSITE: BecomeNew.comPODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.comSOCIAL MEDIA:

Very often, we plan about the things in our lives, but it's not often that we plan the person we will become. Today, as we continue through Shine, we're asking these questions: What are your spiritual goals? Who would you like to become today? Keep those in your back pocket as we dive into our teaching. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamWEBSITE: BecomeNew.comPODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.comSOCIAL MEDIA:

When should we be confident? That's what we're studying today as we look at Paul's teachings to the church of Corinth. The world often lives by self-confidence. Do we have it all together? Are we successful? Are we winning? But Paul was confident in a different way. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamWEBSITE: BecomeNew.comPODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.comSOCIAL MEDIA:

We greet you in the name of a brand-new series, Shine! Throughout the next many weeks, John Ortberg will walk us through Paul's letter to the Philippians, and here's our kick-off thought: God can be found even in our greetings to others. Through something as simple as how we greet someone, we can demonstrate the love of Christ.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.TEXT US at 855-888-0444EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.comGET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribeGET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our teamWEBSITE: BecomeNew.comPODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.comSOCIAL MEDIA:

Episode: Forgiving YourselfSeries: PASSAGE TO WISDOMBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Idiot Lights for the SoulSeries: BECOME NEWBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Ambition EditionSeries: MADE TO COUNTBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Humility 1; Hubris 0Series: BECOME NEWBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: FollowSeries: MADE TO COUNTBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Overcoming Your "Limiting Belief"Series: HABITBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Wax On, Wax OffSeries: IN THE BEGINNINGBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Angry Thoughts, Second ThoughtsSeries: SECOND THOUGHTSBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: A Problem and a PurposeSeries: IN THE BEGINNINGBecome New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

Episode: Pass the ZestSeries: CHARACTERBecome 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.

Our devices promise constant connection, but too often, they leave us isolated, anxious, and spiritually numb. When we lose signal or misplace a phone, we feel unmoored, unable to navigate, communicate, or find joy. That's the invitation at the heart of today's reflection: to ask, Am I truly connected? Not to Wi-Fi, but to God, to my values, to the people I love. Technology can serve connection, but it cannot substitute for it. We were made for something deeper.Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time.

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.