ISM headed up to the Sierras at the beginning of Spring Break to enjoy the abundance of snow and great fellowship. This packed 1.5 days included nerf gun wars, eating great food, snow ball fights, and sledding. We haven’t felt this young for years.
Our praise team recently had a new addition: Cesar on the drum. Below is his sharing about his experience.
After my high school music teacher very subtly and kindly made clear that I was a total and shameful failure as a musician, I slowly distanced myself from anything related to the musical activity. It was not until I came to know Jesus as my personal savior that I was reminded He actually had better plans for me in that area. Since that time, He led me to serve Him in different worship teams as a drummer, which became a very meaningful and intense worship experience for me. Being a part of a praise band is very special and humbling because besides the worship itself, one participates in leading others towards praising the greatest person of all times, which becomes the really important part, pushing the pleasure of simply playing an instrument to a second place.
Recently, I was invited to join one of ISM’s newly formed praise bands. Needless to say that I was really excited, and gladly accepted. Since that time, serving along my ISM brothers and sisters proved being a very encouraging and rewarding experience as I witnessed how much excellence was put in everything that was done. From making sure that each one of us understands the technical basis of setting up the equipment and instruments, to the actual set up for Friday Forum, there is so much love and excellence put into it, that I end up praising God just for that. I can say that I am really honored and thrilled to serve God along such genuine and committed believers, and also encouraged to see everyone’s readiness to worship our father with the best they have.
To relieve stress, we played sports at the gym at Willard Jr. High. There was an exciting game of volleyball, competive basketball, and intense badminton. Then we played “Braveheart” where teams tried to get the other team members out using yoga balls. Unfortunately there are no pictures since the photographer was actively involved in the game.
In two separate accounts of Jesus healing the blind, we find that the way that Jesus accomplishes the miracles are different—very different. But maybe that’s because Jesus knows that different techniques apply to different people. As we consider our own spiritual journeys, we need to realize that God will speak to all of us in ways that are not identical to the ways that God speaks to other people. The important similarity in the healings also applies to us too: that Jesus can only heal us if we know we are blind. None of us likes to beg, yet Jesus can only come to us if we are humble and desperate enough to admit our need for him.
Listen:
When Jesus confronts the Pharisees, he talks about the human condition: that we are open and vulnerable to outside influences. We may not know it, but there are things occupying our hearts. And once we discover this fact, we try to set ourselves free by our own strength—but that’s not enough. Jesus is the only one who is strong enough to overcome the things that possess us. And how do we know this? Because Jesus said there would be a special sign. Listen to the podcast to find out what it is.
Listen:
International Graduate Student Ministry (IGSM) is an official graduate student group at UC Berkeley. IGSM started in the fall of 2003 with the vision to help all UC Berkeley graduate students from various countries (including students from the United States) find out the true meaning and purpose of their lives through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of us also attend Gracepoint Berkeley, where Pastor Ed and Kelly Kang lead the ministry.
