Become New with John Ortberg

Dr. David Carreon, a Stanford-trained psychiatrist focused on neuroplasticity and mindfulness, explains how the brain can be rewired. He discusses psychotherapy as a force for real brain change. He offers practical steps to spot and shift harmful thought patterns. He compares thought habits to motor habits and explores how spiritual attention supports lasting change.

A reflection on spotting which thoughts come from God and which do not. A look at nighttime worry and how fear-driven brain circuits push us toward quick relief. An introduction to the 'wise advocate' idea and how it connects to the Spirit. A short practice: detect deceptive thoughts, dismiss them, and breathe in power, love, and self-discipline.

A guide to spotting deceptive, intrusive thoughts that twist reality. Short stories and biblical examples show thinking errors like all-or-nothing, catastrophizing, and mind-reading. Practical framing of mindfulness as noticing thoughts, creating distance, and surrendering will to God. A memorable metaphor invites naming distorted thoughts to disempower them.

Explore the idea that your brain doesn’t define you or your problems. Discover strategies to manage the flood of daily thoughts and embrace a mind aligned with hope. Learn how to turn worry into mindfulness, recognizing that most fears are baseless. The discussion emphasizes the transformative power of adopting a Christ-like mindset to combat negative thinking and anxiety. It’s a journey toward self-awareness and inner peace amidst external pressures.

A reflection on secret guilt and why self-blame often blocks joy. A literary take on Crime and Punishment reveals the struggle between rationalizing sin and daring to be honest. Stories of relentless love and unexpected grace show how vulnerability can soften hardened hearts. Practical steps toward confession, prayer, and community are offered as a path to receiving forgiveness.

A reflection on the pain and power of being loved deeply. Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment frames guilt, confession, and the demand love places on the soul. Stories of sacrifice and facing wrongdoing show why deep love asks for change. Practical exercises and spiritual insight challenge listeners to receive and offer love that aims at goodness.

A lively dive into Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and the moral drama of Raskolnikov. Themes include embracing ordinariness, resisting the lure of feeling exceptional, and the slow work of humble virtue. Conversations touch on conscience, reform versus human nature, and a memorable detective’s probing questions.

A reflection on why we crave someone to confide in and the healing power of speaking truths aloud. Stories and research show how secrecy fuels anxiety and moral decline. Literary example of isolation illustrates the danger of keeping darkness private. Community and honest sharing are presented as the antidote to hidden sin and distorted thinking.

A reflective look at Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and its troubled protagonist. Discussion of utilitarian thinking, temptation, remorse, and the path from wrongdoing to discovery and confession. Exploration of brooding, intrusive thoughts, and how deceptive brain messages can mislead. Emphasis on renewing the mind, observing thoughts, accepting them, and surrendering to a higher transforming power.

A reflective look at what keeps hope alive and how to measure its strength. Conversations about gratitude, the living hope tied to resurrection, and the blessed hope of a future restoration. Explores dream, desire, and faith as hope’s ingredients and the challenge of holding belief when reality doubts. Ends with a call to nurture enduring trust in God.