International Graduate Student Ministry – Gracepoint Berkeley

In the fourth installment of “The Cross of Christ” message series, Chul Kim used the text from Mark 8:22-38 to talk about our need for the second touch from Jesus.  In this podcast, we learn about the answers to the following questions: (1) How did the blind man “fully” regain his sight?  What was commendable about his response to Jesus’ question after his first touch? (2) How did Jesus respond to the blind man’s answer to his question, “Do you see anything?  What can we know about Jesus from the way he responded to the blind man’s answer? (3) What do you think enabled Peter to correctly answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?” (4) Why do you think Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him after hearing Jesus’ teaching about imminent suffering and death?

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In the third part of “The Cross of Christ” message series, Chul Kim teaches us that the Cross should be our driving force and motivation in our lives.   The text was from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, 6:1-2.  Not only does the cross leads us to reflect upon our own sins, but it also leads us to concrete change through the ministry of reconciliation.

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In the second message of “The Cross of Christ” message series, Kevin Han discusses the topic of Jesus’ faithfulness and the relevance of the Cross based on three perspectives from the Cross.  While the first man on the cross believed a “Save Yourself” mentality and the second man on the cross had a “Healthy Fear of God” mentality, Jesus viewed the cross as a way to obey God and glorify Him.  What do these three characters have to do with our lives? What does the Cross have to do with me?

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In this Friday Forum message, Chul Kim used the backdrop of “The Calling of the Disciples (Luke 5:1-11) and Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10) to teach us about two notions of time.  While we may find many example of “chronos” (“time”, in terms of sequence and amount) in our lives, the “kairos” (“time”, in terms of significant and often, life changing) moments in our lives doesn’t come every day.  These two Bible stories teach us how to bridge the chasm between the seemingly disparate realms of the Bible and real life through the bridge of obedience and trust in Jesus.

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Also check out our pictures of the after Friday Forum outings- going to get snacks in Oakland Chinatown at the Yummy Guide and Shooting Star Cafe.

In this IGSM Open House message, Chul Kim juxtaposes the biblical account of “Apostle Paul’s Vision and his Thorn” with the “Parable of the Rich Fool” to examine what happens when varying worldviews collide with reality.   He also leads us in contemplating whether or not material possessions satisfy our heart and how we will face the ultimate reality in our life–death.

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In our first IGSM Large group Sunday Gathering, Chul Kim gave a message based on the the Healing of the Paralytic in Mark 2:1-12.  Through this message, we learn to identify the core problem in our lives–sin–and the critical importance of dealing with this issue amidst the busyness of our daily lives.

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In the fourth installment of the IncomPARABLE Wisdom series, Chul gave a Bible study on “The Parable Of the Great Banquet” from Luke 14:15-24.  From this passage, we learn that the excuses by those who were first invited to the banquet reveal both a noncommittal attitude and a shift of interest that exposes that they never took seriously the banquet invitation, God’s invitation to life with Him.  We learn that we need to safeguard ourselves from allowing good things, such as possessions, (our) potential, and people (in the form of relationships), from precluding ourselves from the joy that God wants to bring to our lives.

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In the third installment of the IncomPARABLE Wisdom series, Chul spoke about, “The Parable of the Good Samaritan”, based on Luke 10:25-37.  From this message, we can learn how we can develop two main ingredients in love–noticing others’ need and growing compassion for others.  It is when we add these ingredients into the recipe of our lives that we can bring unity into our Christian community and better understand God’s heart for us.

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In the second installment of the IncomPARABLE Wisdom, Chul teaches us about the Parable of the Tenants from Matthew 21:33-45.  We explore the answer to the question, “What is the purpose of our lives?  What expectations does God place in our lives?  We learn about sharing in God’s heart for the spiritual harvest field and considering the critical life questions despite the busyness of our lives.

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In the first installment of the “IncomPARABLE Wisdom” series, Chul discusses the theme of “Lost and Found” through the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son from Luke 15.  What is one of the most important things in Christian life?  What common themes do these three parables share?  Chul answers these questions, and we learn more about the fundamental identity of God, i.e. his sheer joy in finding what was once lost, in freeing us from the enslavement of our sinful desires, and in helping us understand our inherent worth as beloved children of God.

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In the last installment of the “Why Am I….?” series, Sharon answered the question, “Why am I so lonely?”  It turns out that the way to deal with loneliness is not to constantly surround ourselves with family and friends or to pursue our own agenda, but rather to take our eyes off of ourselves and onto God and others.  Through a character study of Zaccheus from Luke 19, we begin to notice modern-day “tax collectors” in and around us, and learn that the Biblical solution to loneliness leads us to true joy, contentment, and refreshment.

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For Part IV of the “Why Am I…” series, Chul explicated the topic that so many of us can relate with—envy.  (This explains the picture of the three gummy bears—two gummy bears talking together, and the other one, aloof, and his food coloring exposing just how much he is green with envy.)  The text was on Genesis 4:1-16, and from the story of Cain and Abel, we learned that God is a Personal God who examines our hearts and inner motivations.  Cain and Abel both seemed to bring comparable offerings, but God was concerned about not only the offering,  but also about the response from Cain that he would be “angry, and his face downcast” in light of the circumstances.

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