In preparation of the IGSM Winter Retreat, Chul Kim provided a discussion of the parable of the sower as written in Matthew 13:1-23. He considers the parable, which is a representative story given by Jesus to those who are listening, and the explanation that Jesus later provides for this particular parable. In this parable is a man who sows seeds, which represent the Word of God, and the four types of soil that the seeds can fall upon, which represent four different ways a person can respond to the Word. From the seed that falls on the path, Chul discusses the importance of being able to listen, and listen carefully, to the Word that it may have the authority to change our lives. From the seed that falls on the rocky soil, Chul emphasizes the difficulties of living in the Word, and the importance of recognizing this. From the seed that falls among the weeds, Chul speaks of the difficulties that Christian have to face daily, and have to overcome. Ultimately those who can do so are like the seed that falls on the good soil. The evening ends with a testimony from Nghia Tran, and how his life was transformed by the Word.
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Last Friday we had our second sports night of the year at Maxwell Family Field! We were joined by the Visiting Scholars Ministry and we split into six teams and played our classic staple of games: Wild Turkey, Ultimate Frisbee, and soccer. It was certainly a relief for us to get some exercise after a busy week of research and coursework. The mental fatigue didn’t show on our faces though, as everyone was going all-out in the games and having a good time with rocking music playing in the background.
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The Graduate Student Welcome Nights concluded with a final message titled “This is Our Story: About Truth.” In it, Chul Kim pointed to the ongoing uneasiness we feel as go through life knowing our days are numbered, yet there is something in us that longs for eternity. A message worth pondering, no doubt. If you missed it or want a second listen, click 
Wow, it seems like Grad Student Welcome Nights happened months ago, but in fact it was only 3 weeks that GSWN #2 happened. It was a packed house at the YWCA as we enjoyed a delicious Korean BBQ dinner to start off. The highlight of the night was an intriguing skit entitled “Life,” in which the main characters attempted to understand the meaning of an abstract painting with that title, only to discover at the end that all of their interpretations were incorrect. Watch the skit to see why.
