In today's episode, Pastor Craig takes us to Kiowa country in western Oklahoma where he preached a funeral message for someone he affectionately referred to as his second mother.  Alfreda Claus was the matriarch of the well known Claus family, a family that has had a lasting legacy in ministry spanning five generations.  This godly mother, wife, grandmother and mentor to many slipped into the presence of the Lord at the age of 92!  We encourage you to join Pastor Smith as he honors her life and legacy in a unique sermon he's titled A Beautiful Woman, A Beautiful Land - Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Alfreda Claus.  Tell your family and friends to tune in as well, as they will be uplifted by the story of this amazing woman and how her faith sustained her for most of her life.  Also, Pastor Smith weaves in the gospel throughout the message, which could encourage your family and friends on to their own saving faith in Christ.  We trust you'll be blessed by the story of Alfreda Claus from the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma!

In today's final episode in our series with Pastor Jason French, Craig, LaDonna, and Jason lay out what biblical worship must look like in the context of our Indigenous cultures.  God only accepts worship based on His truths, and not the imaginations of the world, regardless of cultures or conditions.  It has been a marvelous journey with Pastor French into the Word of God as it speaks to us on worship God accepts.  If we, as Indigenous believers and churches desire to be in a blessable position before the Lord, we must meet Him on His terms and not ours.  We encourage each of you to hear from the heart of this godly Cherokee leader how he understands worship that is a sweet smelling fragrance in the nostrils of the Lord.  No compromise will ever win God's approval, because He has made it clear from His Word how He expects us to come to Himself in humble adoration and worship.  Be an Abel, and not a Cain.  Bring to Him the items of worship that is acceptable in His sight.  Remember, as A.W. Tozer once said, God will save a man, but He will not save him and his idol!  We hope you've been blessed, challenged, and have enjoyed this extended visit with Pastor Jason.  We know the Smiths were blessed to host him on these powerful editions of Indigenous Faith.  We'll see you next week on another edition of this growing broadcast.  'Till then, God bless you abundantly is our prayer!

In this powerful series on biblical worship, Pastor Jason French continues to give his perspective and convictions on how to process any human culture and its influence on worship in the Evangelical Christian church today.  Of particular importance, and the focus of this series, is the modern Western culture and the traditional Indigenous culture's influences on biblically based worship.  Craig and LaDonna remind listeners about mankind's adulteration of any created thing by turning those items into culturally based objects of worship or utilizing such things as mediatory devices that aid the worshipper in worship and devotion to God.  All this leads to idolatry, which God hates and forbids His redeemed people to embrace.  The issues are deep, controversial, and can divide believers in Christ into opposing camps of convictions.  Thus marring the image and reputation of Jesus Christ among people groups around the world.  It's time for God's people to realign themselves under the banner of the cross and in adherence to the truth so clearly laid out in the pages of God's Holy Word!  Where do you land, dear friend, in this battle for the mind, will, and emotions of saved believers in Christ?  If we are to honor the Lord, the only option is to camp on the side of the truth of God's Word in all aspects of our lives, worship included!  Stay strong, and stay tuned as the discussions with Pastor Jason French continue next week.  See you then!

Craig and LaDonna Smith continue their fascinating visit with Cherokee Worship Pastor, Jason French, as they continue to dig deep into God's Universal Call to Worship in Psalms 148.  Today, the focus is on culture and its effects on worship.  Jason shares his perspective on the challenge in the larger culture of turning worship into just another form of entertainment, and then they begin scratching the surface on how traditional Indigenous culture can impact God honoring worship by turning it into a man or culture focused goal instead of true biblical worship of the one true God.  He also opens up his heart about something he calls, Cain Worship, which, as we know from Scripture, was him bringing an offering to God in his own kind of worship that he assumed God would be pleased with...but He wasn't!  Not all offerings to God are pleasing to Him so we need to take notice about those ways when we are seeking to worship God in ways that not only honor Him, but He accepts as well.  Fascinating stuff, dear friends!  We trust you are encouraged by the ongoing series on Biblical Worship 101 with Jason French, right her on Indigenous Faith.  See you next week for more!

Today, Worship Pastor Jason French (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) and the Smiths unpackage the truths found in Psalms 148, which is God's Universal Call to Worship for all of creation.  How do inanimate objects worship God is one of the questions Pastor Craig asked Jason.  His insight to this and other questions on how things in the heavenly realm and all things on earth praise their Creator is incredibly helpful to help build lasting faith for all people.  All of mankind is summoned by God to worship Him, but it must be done in His way is the clear teaching of God's Word.  The two original sons that were a part of the Adam and Eve family learned about the fact that God does not welcome all kinds of worship.  Cain offered to God some of the fruits of the soil he was tending while his brother Abel offered the fat portions from the firstborn of his flock.  God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's offering, resulting in Cain murdering his brother out of jealousy and rage.  Why?   Because the shedding of blood of a sacrificial animal was a type of the sacrifice Jesus would make on Calvary's cross centuries later to pay the sin debt of each one of us.  To learn from God's Word what is acceptable worship and what is not is important to building a biblically healthy Indigenous Faith.   As we go from here in this series, the Smiths and Jason French talk about the challenges facing Indigenous people in North America through syncretism and for the larger Western Culture churches, the challenges found by making worship more man focused through entertainment vs. God focused through reverent and meaningful worship.  All cultures are affected by sin's curse and can lead us astray very easily, even in the issue of worship.  Please, dear friend, take the time to go through the whole series with us.  As Pastor Craig says, This is one of the most consequential series we will ever do on the Indigenous Faith broadcast.  So please stay with us in the weeks to come for the complete visit with our Cherokee brother, Jason French!  You won't be sorry!

In today's episode, Cherokee pastor Jason French continues to share his backstory which contributes so much to his becoming established as one of Native North America's leading worship pastors in both Native and modern America settings.  Having served for several years with internationally known pastor John Piper as his worship leader, that experience and his academic pursuits in seminary settings has given Jason extensive experience in the whole topic of worship.  But as it says in 2 Samuel 24:24, I will not offer sacrifices to the Lord that cost me nothing.  And Pastor Jason continues to offer sacrifices of praise that have come at a huge price.  His young wife, Anjel has suffered numerous bouts of cancer, including stage four battles that have brought such challenges to this young family.  But worshipping God because of His ultimate worth and for His ultimate glory has seen them through every dark and deep challenge.  This should cause each and every one of us to sit up and take notice of all he has to share about the value and worth of God and how worship is required for each of us.  We're mining gold from the depths of this man's heart and experiences, and we're the better for it!  We know you will be as well.  So call a friend, family member, or someone who needs to hear how you can beat the suffering and pain in your life by becoming a true worshipper of the Lord!  Jason has, and you and I can too!  Let's dig a bit deeper into this well of powerful truths from our Cherokee brother and friend, Jason French!

Today Craig and LaDonna Smith begin a follow up series that stays on the theme of the one he just finished about God's Universal Call to Worship.  The Smiths are joined by their friend and ministry colleague, Pastor Jason French from the Eastern Band of Cherokee in Oklahoma.  Jason is one of America's leading Native worship leaders and helps the Smiths go deeper into what constitutes God honoring and biblically based worship.  It's been one of the most powerful sessions the Smiths have recorded with a guest and it's a series that will really help Indigenous believers honor the Lord with their worship that isn't reserved just for a Sunday morning in Church, but every day, all day long.  And it's all due, as Jason says, to the worth and glory of God whose praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalms 34:1).

Make sure you've listened to Craig's three part message on God's Universal call to Worship out of Psalms 148 before you go deeper with the Smiths and Pastor French into what the Bible teaches about worship.  You'll be stronger in the Lord for doing so!  See you next week as well...

In today's third and final episode on Craig Smith's teaching from Psalms 148, he concludes his review of the fourteen verses that constitute God's Universal Call to Worship.  He then expands on several other passages that also are God breathed to remind us of how we are to worship Him in ways pleasing to His Holy name.  He wraps up in the final book of the Bible, Revelation, which circles back to what the Psalmist wrote in Psalms 148...a call of all things to praise God throughout eternity.  What a great way to finish this inspiring look into mankind's ultimate role, that of being worshippers of the One who created us.  In doing so, we build a strong and lasting Indigenous Faith that will keep us in the center of God's will and purposes.  Craig and LaDonna Smith pray that God will use this series to draw you as faithful listeners closer to the God we serve!

In today's episode of Indigenous Faith, Pastor Smith continues to unpackage Psalms 148 in this timely message on God's Universal Call to Worship.  This comprehensive yet short Psalm leaves no ground, or space in the sky, unturned as the Lord calls all of His creation to worship and praise the One who made them.  There isn't a part of Creation that is exempt from this command to worship God.  While some may call that an arrogant edict from on High, only the Creator of all things has the holy ability to call us all to His throne, His way, for His purposes.  Do you want to protest that order?  You could enhance your case if you first created air that you could breath in order to lodge that protest.  Want to stomp your feet on the ground instead?  Then create your own ground to stomp on and your objection would merit a closer look.  But none of us can do that, can we?  As the title of a play performed by an African American troupe says, My arms are too short to box with God!  And there you have it!  Worship of God by all God has made is a beautiful thing and fulfills the ultimate purpose for which God has placed us on planet earth!  Surrender to His sovereignty and do it, my friend.  You'll be the better for it and your Creator will be praised and blessed by it!

Today, The Indigenous Faith broadcast looks to Craig Smith as he opens God's Word to Psalms 148 in a message he's titled, God's Universal Call to Worship.  This series looks at all levels of creation as they all, in their unique ways, worship the One who created them.  All the way from the starry host in the vast universe, to the great sea creatures under the waters that surround the globe, God's handiwork is on display as a symphony of praise, adoration, and worship of the God of the Bible.  Craig shares some timely quotes from Dr. A.W. Tozer about worship losing its way when it begins to look more like the culture around us than the Christ within us.  Craig also addresses the two cultures relevant to Indigenous people of this great land, that of the dominate society and that of our tribal, Indigenous people.  Worship's biggest challenge in modern culture is it becoming entertainment and in the Indigenous culture when it syncretizes with the old traditional religions, practices, traditions, and sacred objects.  Ultimately, the goal is to help biblically healthy Indigenous followers of Christ worship the Lord in His way, and not ours.  Principles that will help build a lasting faith are presented clearly on the table of today's biblical buffet.  Join Pastor Smith as he opens God's word for a timely message for us today.