Today, Worship Pastor Jason French (Eastern Band of Cherokee) 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...