Are you looking to see God's love in action? You can find it in full swing ever Saturday in the inner city. If you are you looking for a place to serve where you know that you can make a difference then you need to come and be a part of S.N.L! It is absolutely life changing! To volunteer ... meet us in the Foundry at 2:30 PM for prayer and orientation. Kids zone starts at 4 PM in the park and the open air stage with music starts up 5 PM. Or make a whole day of it and join us for Kids Club at 9AM in the Fortress. We hope to see ya there! For more information on how you can get in on the festivities please call 615-327-1200.

Ah, something smells good.

Someone is grilling out. Man, that really smells good. It's making you hungry. You can't take it any longer; you must investigate and find the source of those delicious aromas that are wafting through the neighborhood. It is a beautiful day, made to order. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, a breeze is blowing, and right up the road you can hear music and the laughter of children. Your step quickens as you get closer to the summertime smell of a cookout. Soon you come into full view of Watkins Park, right in the heart of Nashville's inner city.

At first glance it looks like a block party, a giant picnic perhaps. You can see the grill, and my oh my it looks like they're fixing enough food to feed an army! Under the beautiful magnolia trees you can see a swarm of children blowing bubbles, having their faces painted, tossing a Frisbee, and playing with a hula-hoop. Suddenly your eyes gravitate towards an old school bus that has been painted all sorts of colors, like a rainbow, bursting wide open. The bus itself is seemingly alive and dancing. You then notice a stage and some musicians playing some great music. Soon your foot is tapping to the beat. You see chairs set out in the shade. There is definitely a party going on. It looks like a carnival! Right here in Jo Johnston? Right here in the middle of the inner city, all this fun and joy?

You stand across the street from the park and just watch for a moment. You see all kinds of folks walking into the park from all directions. Black folk, white folk, yellow folk, all kinds of folk are heading to this picnic.

You look again at the stage and notice a banner is above it. You can't read it from where you stand, so you move closer. You cross the street and step into the festivities of the park. Some man you have never seen before is walking by with a face painted child on his back and says hello, welcoming you to come on in and stay awhile. You feel okay with that, no harm in checking it out, and don't forget that food smells fine. You turn back towards the stage; you notice it is on wheels. Whoever is running this picnic must have brought it out for the day. You notice the banner again. You read it to yourself, "Saturday Night Live It's All About Jesus!"

Jesus! Oh hey, this isn't a picnic! This is one of those Christian outreach things. Yea, well, whatever, you guess you can check it out for a little while-at least get some food in your belly. Hey, these outreach folks are here what, maybe one weekend day a summer? You decide to stay because there is really nothing better to do, and don't forget you're hungry.

You notice that folks seem to actually be enjoying themselves. You notice a few of your neighbors from the 'hood and they seem to know the people with the funky bus and portable stage real well, like they are old friends or something. That's' cool. It's all good. You can hang for a while. It's peaceful, and you have to admit that the music is really kickin'. You're still tappin' your foot, people are dancing and singing, the children are having fun, the grill is still hot and sending up some savory smells.

You notice that a man is now on stage with a microphone. That's cool, you think to yourself, "the man has a right to speak if he is doing all this." The man speaks into the microphone. "Hey Jo Johnston! Welcome to Saturday Night Live It's All About Jesus! Welcome to Saturday evening Church…."

Church? Yes, church. Saturday Night Live It's All About Jesus! is not a picnic. It is not an outreach. This is Church. Church, as a verb, outside of the conventional four walls of the traditional North American Church. Church, as a noun, under a cathedral of blue sky, out in the public for the whole world to see the goodness and love of Christ Jesus. SNL (Saturday Night Live) is about community and relationships, life on life face to face encounters. SNL is stretching out your arms to welcome a brother in need. SNL is opening your heart and loving on your sister no matter her race, or her state of mind, or the clothes she is wearing, clean or dirty, come as you are! Jesus loves us right where we are, and He told us to love each other the way He loved us, right where we are.

Provision Ministries Saturday evening church service, better known as SNL, has been growing strong for the past five years. We are blessed and count it all honor to serve our King by serving our family in the John Henry Hale and Andrew Jackson housing projects. During the summer months, we are a mobile army-packing up tables and chairs and sound systems, food galore, games for the children; everything you would find inside a church, we load up and take outside, every Saturday night, June through August.

Why would we do such a thing? We have a big building. The community for the most part knows where we are. So why all the effort? Why go out in the heat and get sweaty and dirty? Why not let them come to us?

The answer is simple. Love is the reason. It is Christ's love that compels us. A desperate world is dying and in need of knowing God's plan of salvation through His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Romans 10: 14 "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?"

Jesus commanded us to go out into the entire world and preach His Gospel to all creation. He never said, " I anoint you, so let the fish come to you." No! Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all men. Two thirds of G-O-D is GO!

SNL is about building relationships and birthing trust so that the truth can not only be spoken and demonstrated, but also more importantly received. Why feed all these people week in and week out? Why have clothing available? The Gospel of Jesus in all its power, with all its signs and wonders is still, at its heart, very practical. What good is it to come face to face with a hungry brother and only pray for him and hope he gets fed, when it's you who can feed him? Or a brother who is cold and only pray for him hoping he finds warmth when it's you who can give him a coat? What kind of gospel is that?

We are told to be 'not only hearers of the word, but doers as well, lest we deceive ourselves'. Practical application of the Red Letters is what changes lives. This is the duty of the Bride, the mandate of the Body, and the glory of every believer to walk out with fear and trembling. Is this not what the Church is called to? Is this not our function, what we were made to do? It is the kindness of God that leads men to repentance.

Love is consistent. Love is commitment. If SNL were only a picnic or an outreach it would be neither consistent nor committed. Saturdays in the summertime are always hot, and by the end of each church service we are always dirty and sweaty. We are spent and poured out. But, oh the joy the Lord has in store, allowing us to see a child with a painted face laugh, or a prodigal son return home, or a young mother to know her little ones have full bellies. And the occasion is not a rare one when we see healings and deliverances, captives being set free from all types of bondage in the mighty name of Jesus! Of course, the greatest miracle of all is when one sinner comes to the front of the portable stage and accepts Jesus' free gift of salvation, takes hold of eternal life right there in Watkins Park, at a church service called "Saturday Night Live It's All About Jesus!" under a blue sky cathedral for the whole world to see.