1. The Gospel and Discipline
One of the first things you learn at getAHEAD is that discipline times are a great times to share the lessons of the Gospel – Jesus’ forgiveness to us, our need to repent, that no sinner is worse than another sinner, etc… Today, a child at the program I helped with did not want to participate in a game because she said the other students were mean to her.  Back at getAHEAD I would have talked to her about how Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, hugged her, and pulled her back into the game. However, I quickly realized that I did not know if this girl knew anything about Jesus. Even though this is a Christian program, there didn’t seem to be an organized Bible time, so
I wondered if this talk of Jesus would make sense to her. At getAHEAD, I am always confident that weeks of floor times and discussions with teachers, helpers, and van drivers ensure that kids have a steady stream of the Gospel message.

2. The Gospel and Education
It would be much easier to offer getAHEAD as a glorified babysitting program. No lesson plans. No tough tutoring sessions (and we’ve all had tough days!). The kids would love to just play games with us all afternoon.  And couldn’t we get the Gospel out just as well that way? This is how I think of it. Our desire to meet physical, social needs
(like education) comes from real love and affection. You would not have to rationalize why you provide education for your kids. You do it because you love them, and you want them to have the opportunities education brings. Similarly, One Hope provides education, because the staff of One Hope love these children like their own – like Jesus
loves them. Naturally then, powered by this love that overflows from knowing the glories of salvation in Christ, the staff wants to provide for these kids.

3. The Gospel and Individuals
I think of how often kids are called by their names. Even with 50-60+ kids, most of the interns know every kids’ name, their face, something about their background.  We have birthday celebrations with them and mark other milestones.  Many of the kids have lived in the homes of families who work with One Hope for a time. There is
something so deeply personal and beautiful about the relationships built through getAHEAD that reflects how Jesus, like John remarked in John 13:1, “loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” May God bless getAHEAD as it continues to make the Gospel the center of its distinctive mission.

Happily, the entire bunch of them was at home. They seemed excited when Miss Lottie told them that she and I were taking them to look at Christmas lights. They quickly found their shoes and jackets and piled into the van. I sat in the back, middle row of the van with an adorable five-year-old girl snuggled up on my left, and the oldest girl sitting on my right, chatting away. Every time we passed a house decorated with Christmas lights, the littlest ones asked, “Are those the lights we are going to see?” They even thought maybe the downtown lights were our destination. All we told them was that we were going to Broken Arrow.

“Broken Arrow?” the wee girl sitting next to me said. She looked concerned.

“No, no,” said the one on my right, looking very wise, “There’s not a REAL arrow. There’s nothing that will shoot you.”

You can imagine how impressed they were when we pulled up to the amazing array of lights at Rhema Bible Church! We corralled the nine of them, and led them into the midst of this colorful, flashing grove of Christmas spirit. It was sweet to see the oldest boy take responsibility for his young sister, steadfastly carrying her on his back, and, even when she walked, declaring that they were a team and she needed to stick with him.

The best part of the night was when we crowded back into the van to finish our tour around the church.  Lighted letters propped up on the roof of the church buildings proclaimed various titles of Jesus: “Jesus is the Savior”, “Lord of Lords”, “Messiah.” I had the kids read the words aloud and asked them what those things meant. The older ones especially had good comments and truly thoughtful questions. By the time Lottie pulled the van out of the church parking lot, we were engaged in a lively conversation about the story of creation, the fall, Jonah, and Christ’s second return. As the little girls snoozed on my shoulder, the older ones talked to Lottie and I about the Bible for the length of the car ride home.

It made my heart so glad to hear these kids discussing the Bible with as much knowledge as many adults who have been in church for years. In fact, I was ecstatic, but Lottie was not really phased. She explained to me that this was a pretty regular kind of conversation with these kids and shared with me some of the dialogues they had.  As always happens when I come to Tulsa, I was humbled. I come in thinking that I can bring the Gospel to these kids, and I end up being so grateful for God’s servants who brilliantly, beautifully communicate the Gospel to the kids week in and week out. I feel blessed just to watch their ministry and continue to learn what it really is to be witness for Christ. I know that God’s Word does not come back void, and so I have great hope for the salvation of these kids that Lottie and others faithfully teach and disciple. God is certainly at work in the city of Tulsa, and I love nothing more than feeling the glow of the glory that has touched the kids of One Hope.

This verse has been showing itself to be applicable in many areas of my live. Whether it is at my job, in my neighborhood, or with family or friends these words have impacted the way I try to use my words.

Someone today spoke about it being “intentional” with people when speaking. This has been something I have often not done. I often just am not intentional with the words I speak, and because of this I end up killing people with my silence. As I have prayed and sought opportunities to speak at work, God has been faithful to open those doors and give the blessing of obedience to His word. By His grace I will continue to speak.

Another area where this verse has shown itself applicable has been in the relationships I have with people at church. There are some people I am closer with and am often more comfortable in speaking hard truths into their life that can bring life. However when it comes to speaking the words of life to a person that I am not as close with, I am often hesitant in speaking. Speaking in this regard seems to be like light often times. So when I go to speak, the words seem hard to get out because I know that these words will confront the darkness or death. But if I don’t speak, it is like I would rather them die than live. How cruel is that! Like the priest just passing on by…But God has been helping me to start speaking. We all need to speak… to a culture that thinks it is so normal to collect unnecessary welfare, that when you don’t and someone asks you “why not?” What do you say? Speak…to those that may already know some truth about the gospel, but need to be reminded in order that they aren’t “deceived by the deceitfulness of sin.”  Speak…because the eternal life that is offered in the gospel comes through words. The unbelievers need to hear it, and our brothers and sisters need to be reminded of their first love in Jesus.

Having the opportunity to be with a staff and other college students that run hard after Christ, build you up, and challenge you to seek the Lord more, is something that God has used in a big way in my life and for that I am truly thankful. I feel that once you intern with someone you become like family.

It is something that you can only understand unless you have been an intern at One Hope. But the main reason One Hope exists, is to glorify God by loving others and sharing His gospel with them. I have loved having the opportunity  to pick up kids for church and for getAHEAD and to build a close bond with them. People talk about how much of a blessing we as interns are in these kids lives, and I pray that it is something God uses, but I am amazed at the blessing the kids are to us, and how much they mean to all of us. I am thankful to have been able to maintain contact with some of the kids by phone. That is very important I feel! I have loved being able to intern at One Hope and pray that I will be able to do it as long as God has me to. I hope to return soon!  I miss and love all you guys!!

So it has been about two months since I have been back to Louisville and it’s been nonstop since I have gotten back. Jumped right back into school the day I got back. The Lord has kept tearing down walls of sin and peeling off my pride and my selfishness. I have realized that I am not finding my identity and hope fully in Christ. This has been done so that my life will reflect Christ, and whatever happens will give glory to God. I have seen what sin is doing not just in my life, but also my other brothers/sisters’ lives. One thing that I learned this summer is that the Lord is the only one that can change hearts. He also is also the one who will bring things to light when He so does desire, so at that right time, it will bring God the MOST glory. Knowing that truth, it makes me want to rejoice more in my weakness, so it will in the end bring God the glory.

This past summer, Jared walked us through 1 Peter as Interns and one thing that I took note of was 1:6-7, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you gave had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refines by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” It is selfish and prideful for me not to rejoice in Christ during my times of trials and have great hope that Christ is in control of all things. This afternoon I was re-listening to Brother Joe’s sermon on Titus 3:3-8 and I was reminded that “my sin makes me deserve hell”, but because of God sending His Son as a ransom for me, I have everlasting life with God. When coming to God, I need to “come to Him for Him” and not for what I can get out of God. To come to God for any other reason than to come humbly before our great Creator is sinful. I never knew what Springs of Grace meant until today- that everything we have comes to us by HIS grace, and it comes as a spring that continues to give to us abundantly.

So what are we to do with this truth that all of life is just vain repetition that leads to a sense of meaningless? Well preacher has a lot to say about this in Ecclesiastes, and you ought to go read it for yourself, but I wish to highlight one part in particular, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind” (2:24-26). What gives the tediousness of life joy and meaningless? Why should you toil and work hard and not be bummed out about all the circumstances that happen over and over again? Because God is the gracious giver of meaning, it is by his sovereign grace that anyone can have wisdom, knowledge, or joy in this vain existence we call life. And the chief way we receive this joy is by treasuring His Son, Jesus Christ, above all things. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44). Meaning and true joy, even in the middle of that staff meeting, will only be sustained by those who have come to know God, by grace, and through faith in His Son. Which is good news, because laundry day is coming soon.

Please be praying for us.

Something that I have come to realize over the summer while participating in the internship at Springs of Grace is that the amount of spiritual aid, knowledge, and encouragement that I have received from the other interns, brother Joe, and the members of the church has far exceeded any amount of work that I have done for the church.

There is no doubt in my mind that God called me to this church to strengthen my faith and build a real relationship with me, and He did so just in time for me to hit the secular world head-on, as I will be a freshman at the University of Oklahoma in less than a week. I have faith that God will not give up the work that He started in me and allow me to be tempted and distracted by the things of this world that can waste my time and eventually destroy my soul. My family has just recently moved to Springfield but we still plan on coming back to Tulsa to watch some Metro, Noah, and TU football games and visit Springs of Grace. I am already looking forward to coming back to Springs of Grace next summer to continue the internship and spend time with everyone that I have gotten to know over the past few months.