Video Transcription

I started looking into meditation, mindfulness, self-help. I got to visit temples of various religions, Hindu temple, Buddhist temple, and I figured out that what our God wants is different.

My name is Philip Sherban. I come from Romanian. I'm a graduate student. I actually just graduated with my masters from University of Oregon. I'm also an athlete. I did rowing.

In Romanian, the main religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity and my grandmother was very close to God. She taught me everything that I needed to know what are the habits, you know, rituals that we as Eastern Orthodox Christians do, but he didn't teach me about the God I'm serving. She didn't teach me about a relationship that I can have. The potential that lies there.

When I got to high school and then college. This distance increased and increased and increased. I start looking into meditation, mindfulness, all of the others, you know, self help, personal development, ways that are so tempting in a way because they promise you okay take my online class do this 30 day program and your mind will be transformed. You do them they give you a peak but at the same time it doesn't last.

I was in Romanian and I applied for a scholarship to go to United States of America and I said okay I can't do this on my own and I applied for the scholarship and I was rejected. I started to reflect all of these things that I did that promised me can transform my mind, made me a better person, a better man, you know, didn't work. That was the moment when I was like, ‘God, I want your help. I need you in this moment, you know. I know that in the past, I was all over the place but I need you now.’

I still remember the day I went to church and I kneel down. I promise God, if you made me successful in this and bring me here to USA, I'm going to use this degree to serve you. God made it happen. He brought me to US, I got accepted for the full price scholarship which is very, very prestigious, very competitive scholarship.

I arrived here and I completely forgot about God and everything you know like, ‘Okay I'm in US. Let's explore. Let's have fun.

I found out that my phone was not working. You know international student, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on getting a new phone so I went on Facebook Marketplace. I found this lady that was selling her iPhone. I said, ‘I can give you only $100, I'm an international student. Please would you meet with me?’

Surprisingly she said yeah and we met. While we were talking, while I was testing the phone, she was asking me questions.

“Hey, what you do in Romania? What is your faith? Do you go to church?

“Yeah, I used to go to church.”

She was very, very happy. You can see her eyes, in her heart, you know, the love for Jesus that I forgot.

She was like, “I know this group of students, internationals, you know, that meet every Thursday for bible studies. Would you like to go to one of their meetings?”

The thing that won my heart was that she said they have a lot of snacks, free things.  I just arrived to US and I needed stuff, you know, for my apartment, and I said “okay.”

I was captivated. I was surprised to see students my age, eager to learn more about Jesus, eager to have a relationship with God. I never had this in Romania.

In Romania, it's mostly ‘old people go to church.’ And if you go, you go only on Sundays, Easter, Christmas, you know.

But here you can see people who are having fun while reading the Bible, you know? I like this. I like this community.

I went to one more meeting, one more meeting, one more meeting. So my faith deepened grew and grew.

I learned about God's heart for the nations, how he wants to be glorified all, around the world, how he loves us, and how he wants to have a relationship with us.

I got to visit temples of various religious Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ temple, and many others. I figured out that what our God wants is different. He's the only God. He died for our sins. He wants a relationship, and not just a transaction, not “I'm bringing to you my offerings and you give me this.”

I was fascinated to see God working in my life.

I feel Jesus as a friend, as a mentor, as a coach at the same time, coaching me along the way, every step. And as an anchor that keeps me rooted to the source of life, keeps me connected to something that is bigger than my own desires, my own pleasures, my own aspirations.

I see that he has a plan for me. My life has purpose meaning and is full of positive events that I can't wait to wake up, “Okay, how am I going to serve today? How am I going to be used by God for his mission.

I strongly believe that Jesus is the answer for everything that you are searching for, and I'm not telling this brainwashed, you know? I studied psychology I studied word religions, I experienced on my own various ways that promise you, “Okay, you are going to have peace, you are going to be successful.” And none of them work. So why not try this 2,000, over 2,000 years old book? You know, read the Bible. Dive into it.

Pray that God will enlighten you and will help you to understand what's there. And I promise, I promise, God's willing, He's going to help you understand.