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 d...

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 annihilat...

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 hu...

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 a...

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 syncretis...

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 fam...

What do you do when you are in the presence of two significant and blessed brothers in Christ at a conference you all are invited to minister at?  You break out the podcast recorder and spend some time visiting about ministry, the conference you are at, the upcoming busy travel schedules of all, and just enjoy being in each other's presence!  That's right, Craig and LaDonna were blessed...

If you've been listening to the first two episodes in this interesting case study on the life of Moses, you probably are approaching today's episode with a bit of sadness, realizing that such a great man of God who has gone down in history as one of the most important figures in all time ended up not realizing his goal of leading God's people into the promised, Promised Land.  Moses...

Strike the Rock?  Or, speak to the Rock?  That is the question.  That also is the defining line between Moses entering the Promised Land with his band of grumbling, mumbling, and stumbling Children of Israel, and him being left behind because of the judgement of God!  In part one of this three part series, Craig and LaDonna Smith already shared with us about the first time Moses encounters a simpl...

In today's episode, Craig and LaDonna begin looking at some character studies  of men and women in the Bible who gave us clear examples of how to live in both God honoring obedience and self-defeating disobedience, and the blessings and  consequences that accompanied those kinds of decisions.  Some are so consequential that they literally shape the future of many generations of a nation and a...

Craig and LaDonna Smith present the third and final installment of their teaching session titled,  Called to Obedience.   In today's episode, the Smiths continue to delve into the issue of disobedience and the results it leaves believers and non-believers with. They remind us of the danger of complacency because we don't often see God's judgement come in the same ways the Old Testam...

In part 2 of Craig and LaDonna Smith's Called to Obedience broadcast, they continue unpacking for us the principles laid out in Deuteronomy 28.  Today, the theme shifts from the blessings of God when we obey, to the judgements of God when we disobey.  And the options are many in this very dark and dingy world infused by the powers of darkness resident in Satan and his legions.  It's impo...

In today's episode, Craig and LaDonna Smith begin a series they've titled,  Called to Obedience.   Called, because God calls all His followers to obey what He lays out for us in His Holy Word.  As we will soon see and hear, obedience brings incredible blessings on us, both personally and corporately, whether it be in our churches, our in our tribes and nations.  Today's episode shou...

In this second part of a two part message Craig's titled The Anatomy of Failure, he reviews the steps to failure the Children of Israel experienced when they came into possess the Promised Land.  Though promised by God, Israel had the opportunity of believing and trusting God and His word, or yield to the temptation of compromise and fail in their attempts at trusting in the God who keeps all...

Craig and LaDonna Smith transfer from the many weeks of presenting their  Indigenous Faith  teaching materials to an important and related subject matter, the matter of biblical obedience.  It was Israel's disobedience that cost them many times and in many ways as they faced the judgement of God for their disobedience.  In the next few weeks, Craig presents a message he's titled  The Ana...

In today's final episode on the issue of syncretism being the larger church's largest issue, Pastor Craig continues sharing the alarming statistics of how the church, its pastoral leaders, and congregants, all suffer from a lack of maintaining a biblical worldview as followers of Christ.  Our sin issues are often times played out in embracing other worldviews blending in with our partial...

What do you do to follow months and months of teaching on the issue of syncretism?  If you're Craig and LaDonna Smith, you come right back to the subject matter and present more teaching on syncretism!  That's right!  But, no, it's not a continuation of syncretism in the Native American context.  It's the syncretism of the church at large.  In fact, Dr. George Barna, a long tim...

As Brother Vern wraps up the 2022 Indigenous Faith Summer Leader's Conference sessions, he leaves those in the audience, and all the rest of us listening in, with a strong reminder that God has left us here as heaven's movie trailer to help draw the interest of men and women to come to Christ before its too late.  As he said to the audience, When you leave here today, we hope you'll...

In this final episode of Pastor Craig's final  Indigenous Faith  summer conference teaching series, he continues to lay out some practical guidelines in processing our Indigenous cultures in light of God's Word.  Theological guidelines help shape the cultural guidelines we all must employ in our desire to remain pleasing to God and stay under the authority of His Word.  An important cons...

In this third episode of Craig's final teaching session from the summer 2022 Indigenous Faith  Leader's Conference, he continues to lay out the practical steps in processing our Indigenous cultures and traditions in light of the revealed Scriptures.  Pastor Smith lays out some key theological guidelines in processing culture before Craig addresses one more important step.  Following the...

In this second part of the all important teaching of the practical ways in which we are called to apply the biblical truths on Christ and Culture, Craig continues to unpackage the issue of  Identity and Significance.  Using Paul's letter to the Philippians, he reminds listeners that before coming to Christ, Paul's identity and significance was all wrapped up in who he was as a tribal, li...

In today's episode, Craig launches into his sixth and final session in this Indigenous Faith teaching series, which was presented live in August 2022.  He closes his series by turning to the practical aspects of how to live biblically healthy lives in the context of our Indigenous cultures and communities.  But not before he spent five sessions in laying out a biblical foundation to do the pr...

In this, the final episode (part 4) in this all-important question and answer session, the team continues to answer the audience's questions on the issues of Christ and Native cultures.  The earlier addressing of how Christian Native lay people should handle working in an animistic work environment spills over into the beginning of this session.   The panel reminds us that no matter how our c...

Dr. Vern Charette starts off the panel's answering to the question of the believer's identity and significance with by sharing a statement from African American pastor, Dr. Tony Evans, whose statement really helps put some great perspective to this issue.    The panel also provides insight and answers to issues affecting both clergy and the laity.  How do ministry leaders handle communit...

As we continue into the second part of the informative Question and Answer Session, the panel hits their stride in tackling the list of questions posed by those in attendance at the summer 2022 Indigenous Faith International Leaders Conference in Bemidji, Minnesota.  Randy Jackson (Cree), gives an incredibly insightful answer to the question that stated, Is it not inconsistent, if we are calling N...