First Steps | A 10-Minute Look Inside the Live Masterclass with Dr. John Ortberg

Why do AA meetings sometimes feel like the safest place to tell the truth? And what could the church learn from that kind of honesty, acceptance, and shared dependence on God?

In this episode, John Ortberg explores how the 12 Steps can help us approach spiritual growth, stubborn habits, and the struggles we keep trying to overcome alone. Whether you’re wrestling with anger, fear, control, greed, or the familiar gap between who you want to be and how you actually live, the invitation begins with honesty. You don’t have to pretend you’re doing better than you are to take a step toward freedom.

Drawing on Paul’s struggle in Romans 7, Jesus’ promise of freedom, and the story of AA cofounder Bill W., John traces connections between the 12 Steps and the Christian practices of surrender, confession, making amends, prayer, and service. He invites us into a community where people can name their need, receive help, and participate in the work God is doing. Sometimes the place where we admit we’re stuck becomes the place where change begins.

In this conversation, you’ll discover:

• What the church can learn from the honesty and acceptance of recovery communities.
• Why knowing what’s right doesn’t always give us the power to do it.
• How surrender to Jesus opens a path toward freedom.
• Why friendship and community matter when we’re trying to change.
• How the 12 Steps can become practices for everyday spiritual growth.

Take your next step: Name one place where you feel stuck, and share it with someone you trust. You don’t have to walk this journey alone.

Explore the free, 12-part Steps Masterclass with John Ortberg:
https://stepsguide.com

Find more teaching and daily practices from Become New:
https://becomenew.com

Subscribe for more conversations about following Jesus, spiritual formation, and becoming the person God made you to be.

#JohnOrtberg #SpiritualGrowth #12Steps

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Music Credits:
Quince Kitchen by Rore (pizzicato theme)
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Alaska by Sarah Watson 
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Welcome to the World by Sarah Watson
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0:00 What the Church Can Learn from AA

0:41 An Invitation to Practice the 12 Steps

1:30 Why We Need Each Other to Change

2:19 Why Do I Keep Doing What I Don’t Want to Do?

3:32 The Gap Between Who We Are and Who We Want to Be

3:54 How Jesus Helps Stuck People

4:57 Jesus’ Promise of Freedom

5:31 Bill W. and the Beginnings of AA

6:17 The Oxford Group and Practices of Transformation

7:24 Could the 12 Steps Help You, Too?

8:13 The Church Needs These Practices Back

9:15 An Invitation to an Honest Journey

9:43 Explore the Free Steps Masterclass

10:07 About Become New