Become New with John Ortberg

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 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF 00:00 — How do you shine when life is hard? 00:26 — Does more suffering mean less joy? 01:09 — What does “whatever happens” mean in Philippians? 02:10 — How do you live worthy of the gospel of Christ? 03:02 — What does it mean to stand firm in one Spirit? 03:30 — How to face opposition without fear 04:20 — Why does God “grant” both faith and suffering? 05:07 — “Life is difficult”: what should Christians do? 06:45 — Why complaining and grumbling steal your joy 07:23 — Should I fix problems or just suffer for Jesus? 08:27 — Meaning vs. suffering: which shapes your life? 09:15 — The Quadrant of Suffering and Meaning explained 10:24 — Why great lives hold both suffering and purpose 11:36 — How to pray when suffering won’t stop (“drink the cup”) 12:16 — How God gives meaning to our pain 12:58 — Whatever happens, live worthy of the gospel

“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 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF 00:00 — How do you shine when life is hard? 00:26 — Does more suffering mean less joy? 01:09 — What does “whatever happens” mean in Philippians? 02:10 — How do you live worthy of the gospel of Christ? 03:02 — What does it mean to stand firm in one Spirit? 03:30 — How to face opposition without fear 04:20 — Why does God “grant” both faith and suffering? 05:07 — “Life is difficult”: what should Christians do? 06:45 — Why complaining and grumbling steal your joy 07:23 — Should I fix problems or just suffer for Jesus? 08:27 — Meaning vs. suffering: which shapes your life? 09:15 — The Quadrant of Suffering and Meaning explained 10:24 — Why great lives hold both suffering and purpose 11:36 — How to pray when suffering won’t stop (“drink the cup”) 12:16 — How God gives meaning to our pain 12:58 — Whatever happens, live worthy of the gospel

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 Chair 03:36 — Is the Christian story just a fairy tale? 04:25 — Puddleglum’s answer: why I choose faith anyway 06:05 — Tolkien, courage, and fighting on the losing side 07:06 — George MacDonald: why I would live my life believing 08:24 — Would you still follow Jesus even if you doubted? 09:28 — Why living as if Christ is true is the only way worth living 10:24 — How to keep going with faith through grief, doubt, and loss Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT US at 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

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 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team WEBSITE: BecomeNew.com PODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.com SOCIAL MEDIA: 😊 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF

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 855-888-0444 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text BECOME to 855-888-0444 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team WEBSITE: BecomeNew.com PODCAST: https://becomenew.buzzsprout.com SOCIAL MEDIA: 😊 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music in this episode: Starry Dream - Uptempo by A. Blomqvist MB01OKHAB5EAUXF