In today's episode on the failures of Judas and Peter, the Smiths continue to unpackage the despair Judas was in which led him to take his life after selling out Christ for 30 pieces of silver.  Sadly, this sentiment runs rampant across Indigenous North America, resulting in suicide rates many times that of national averages.  We all are tempted to sin, and as LaDonna reminded us from Matthew's gospel, even Christ suffered great temptation, yet, was victorious over it through the same power available to us, the power of the indwelling, empowering Holy Spirit.  The Smiths then turn our attention to the shameful disobedience of Peter, who denied Christ three times within a few short hours.  There are so many lessons to learn from these two of Christ's closest followers, as the options become clear to us from the pages of God's Holy Word.   Let's continue to  have our guard up to stand against the wiles of the devil, and enable us to live God honoring Indigenous Faith!

In today's episode of Indigenous Faith, Craig and LaDonna Smith continue their character studies in the lives of biblical characters who were victorious in many parts of their lives, but disobedient in ways that caused great harm personally, and to the advancement of the Kingdom of God.  In today's episode, the Smiths take us to the New Testament as they study the lives of two unique men who served as Christ's inner core of disciples during his three and a half years of public ministry.  The focus is on Judas and Peter, both of which failed miserably in ways that brought great shame.  For one, it led to suicide, but to the other, it led to redemption and being mightily used by God.  Judas' suicide hits home hard in the Native world, as the Smith's explain in some painful dialogue.  Please join the Smiths as they take us into the lives of Judas and Peter, one who had a great falling out, while the other, a great falling forward!

After two and a half years of the Indigenous Faith Podcast, Craig and LaDonna Smith have been greatly encouraged by the growth, especially recent, in the number of listeners who have joined them in this teaching ministry.  They are especially grateful to the Lord that the podcast has now been accessed by people in over forty countries around the world!  Knowing there are new listeners, the Smiths felt it important to revisit the very first episode they recorded and posted back in April 2021.  It was titled Indigenous Faith Explained.  In it the Smiths gave an overview of not only content they planned to present, but how occasionally they would break away from the routine to focus on special events and interviews, such as the one they did with Dr. Will Graham, grandson of Dr. Billy Graham, and current leader in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the spring of 2022.  They also go into detail about the huge battle they faced with Covid just months prior to the start of this podcast ministry.  It's an enlightening window into what this podcast is all about, and they revisit it now to help you, as new listeners, understand the importance of this unique discipling tool.  Tribal Rescue Ministries trusts the teaching ministry of the Smiths will help you go deeper and deeper into victorious Indigenous Faith!

In this concluding episode on the series titled, To Obey is Better than Sacrifice, Craig and LaDonna Smith wrap up the story of Queen Esther as found in the Old Testament book of Esther, showing how God blessed the Queen with deliverance for not only herself and her uncle, Mordecai, but for the whole Jewish race as well.  In an incredible turn of events, wicked Haman, the Agagite, was impaled on the same tall pole he had erected to impale Mordecai on, and Mordecai was put as overseer of the whole property and legacy of this wicked man, Haman!  This truly is an incredible ending to the story that spans five centuries, all the way back to King Saul's disobedience with another Agagite, King Agag.  Oh the consequences of our disobedience!  Why can't we learn from the mistakes of the past and the mistakes of others!  The Smiths hope that this extended journey into two Old Testament books will encourage us to choose the paths of biblical obedience in order to establish a lasting and fruitful Indigenous Faith!

Oh how the tables are turned on wicked Haman, the Agagite, in the continuation of this series on King Saul, the prophet Samuel, and the impact Saul's disobedience had on the nation of Israel that stretched out five hundred years into the future!  Haman, the Agagite, who lived during the reign of King Xerxes, was desiring the total destruction of God's chosen people, but as God so often does, provides an escape that could never be devised by human imagination or plans.  As Craig and LaDonna continue their study on the lives of Mordecai and his niece, Esther, we see an amazing turn of events.  Haman's plot to kill Mordecai by impaling him on a seventy five foot tall pole got turned around and it was Haman who ended up being impaled instead!  Yes, God is sovereign over all people groups, especially his chosen and redeemed ones!  What great encouragement this story is to all who seek to follow Christ and place our safety and security in His mighty hands!  Be encouraged, dear friends, as you journey with the Smiths deeper and deeper into this amazing story.  You'll be blessed for sure!

In part two of our study into the story of the prophet, Samuel, King Saul, and King Agag, Craig summarizes the steps that led to Saul's egregious disobedience that cost him his kingship.  It all starts with Saul receiving a specific job to do from the Lord.  It wasn't unambiguous, but clear...destroy all the Agagites completely, because they were sold out to Israel's total annihilation, and they offered child sacrifice in their religious system.  Saul did almost all God commanded, but kept the wicked King Agag as prisoner.  In celebration of his own pride and arrogance, Saul builds a monument in his own honor.  Samuel the prophet confronts Saul and reminds him as he reminds us all, to obey is better than sacrifice...Sauls act of disobedience left the window open for the Agagites to remain and repopulate over time.  Some 500 years later, one of the Agagites living in that day was a man named Haman.  His fervor for the destruction of the Jewish race was just as strong as King Agag 500 years earlier!  Craig and LaDonna bridge that 500 year gap and take us to the story of Mordecai, Esther, Haman, and King Xerxes in what is one of the most fascinating stories in all of Scripture.  You'll be amazed at how this story unfolds, which brings this episode to a close.  You'll have to stay with the Smiths as they continue on in next week's further dig into this story of man's evil plans, and how God has the last word every time!  What a faith building story for us, friends as we seek to build a biblically healthy Indigenous Faith!

Hello friends!  Welcome to a continuation of our case studies in the lives of some prominent biblical characters who demonstrated moments of great disobedience that impacted not only their own lives, but the lives of a whole nation as well.  And often the implications of their disobedience spanned not just centuries, but in the case of today's person, implications were being felt over five hundred years later in the life of Israel.  Who are we talking about?  We're talking about King Saul and his interaction with the prophet Samuel as recorded in 1 Samuel 15.  It's where the classic verse that says, to obey is better than sacrifice...(v.22).  There's no arguing that what God called King Saul to do was incredibly difficult, but God had His reasons, and His reasons always are righteous and just.  He was called to wipe out a whole people group, young and old alike, and all their livestock as well.  Why?  Because this nation was demonstrating two things God hates, the sacrificing of infants and children to idols and a demonic desire to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.  King Saul did go to battle, and did, I'd say, about 99.9% of what God ordered.  It's that little .01%, though, that was so egregious to the Lord, and brought the whole future of the Children of Israel into question half a millennia later.  King Saul learned the hard way that, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams... Another important case study that we can learn from to help us build a healthy Indigenous Faith that is encamped close to the heart and Word of God.  We hope you'll stay with us for the whole series!

In the concluding episode of the Smith's extended visit with Dr. Vern Charette and Randy Jackson, brother Vern continues to share about his family roots on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota and how much it means to him to come back home to preach near where his father was raised with his Ojibwe people.  And while his identity and significance is now fully placed in the person and work of Christ in his life, it still is an important, yet secondary part of his life.  This is what the Indigenous Faith teaching series is all about.  Both Randy and brother Vern will be bringing their giftedness to the main stage of the Lake Itasca Family Music Festival near the headwaters of the Mississippi River starting this Friday and run through Sunday, August 4-6, 2023!  If you'd like to know more about this festival and how you can plan to attend, visit familybluegrass.com for all the information you'll need to be there!  This amazing four part series ends with both Randy and brother Vern tying in the current syncretism issue with the falling away of the evangelical church at large as the larger American culture comes crashing down around us, signifying the soon return of Jesus Christ and the catching away of His Bride in the much anticipated rapture!  What a great way to end a great series with these two giants of the faith!

Welcome to the third episode in this special series that features Dr. Vern Charette and Randy Jackson.  Craig and LaDonna continue their discussions with these two great Indigenous theological minds as they review how important the Indigenous Faith teaching series is to the churches and individuals who need to know the difference between good contextualization of the gospel and blatant syncretism, which continues to be spread across the Native North American landscape.  The Smiths are grateful for their affirmation of these materials and how by all means this teaching continue to get into the Native evangelical churches, ministries, seminaries, etc.  There's never been a more important time to be communicating biblical truth to confront the false doctrine syncretism promotes.  Craig and LaDonna are excited to have you joining this podcast for a deeper and more thorough understanding of biblical truth vs. unbiblical error.  The goal is to develop biblically healthy Indigenous followers of Christ in the context of their cultures and communities.  So glad to have you along once again!

In today's episode, Craig and LaDonna continue their interesting visit with Dr. Vern Charette and Randy Jackson about their participation in the upcoming Lake Itasca Family Music Festival, scheduled for August 4-6 at the Pioneer Farmers Regional Grounds, which is just a short walking distance from the headwaters of the Mississippi River.  The website to learn more about the festival is family bluegrass.com.  This festival is an important part of Craig and LaDonna's annual summer ministry calendar.  They are thrilled that a special emphasis on Native American involvement will be an important part of this year's festival, including the Living Stone Band serving as one of the featured groups and Dr. Vern Charette (Ojibwe) will be the Sunday morning preacher and one of the Saturday morning workshop presenters.  Pastor Craig's killer wild rice casserole will be featured on Friday night at the Banjo Cafe, and some award winning fry bread, Indian Tacos, and Native burgers will be tempting the 2,000 or so attendees with tribal food that will round out the Native offerings at this year's event.  As the episode ends, Craig begins taking brother Vern and Randy down memory lane with their review of last summer's Indigenous Faith leader's conference and their involvement in it.  Very soon the video series will be available on the tribalrescue.com website for download and utilization for small group teaching events for Indigenous believers and workers around the world.  You can also listen to the whole conference teaching materials on audio on the tribalrescue.com website.  Just go to the home page and just above the podcast player click on the white lettering at the bottom of the blue background field.  Scroll down to the beginning episode from last. year's event (22.38 featuring Dr. Vern's first message), and begin your journey into our advanced teaching materials to help build a biblically healthy Indigenous Faith.  See you next week, dear friend on another episode of our podcast.