Joy in the House of the Lord
On Good Friday, we remember the cross—not with despair, but with gratitude. Jesus gave His life for ours, carrying our sin and shame so that we could be free. “But He was pierced for our transgressions… and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) The curtain was torn, access was granted, and grace was poured out.
On this Resurrection Sunday, joy overflows because Jesus is alive. The tomb is empty. The grave has lost its power. Our hope is alive, and our future is eternal. “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.” (Matthew 28:6)
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Our Trials Together
This weekend, our members will vote on whether to invite Andrew Middlekauff onto the pastor team—that is, assuming a quorum is present. No quorum, no vote.
Years of prayer, fasting, and hard work have led to this, and naturally we all feel the anticipation. We wonder if we can finally put this search behind us and begin the next…
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New Creation
As we abide in Christ, each day He guides us by His Holy Spirit into new paths that lead us to be the person God designed us to be. Because God has a unique plan for each of us, we can rest in the knowledge that His plan is good and will accomplish His will (Jeremiah 29:11).
Just like us as individuals, God has a plan for us as a body here at LTCC. As has been noted in several of the recent weekly updates, we are about to embark on a new phase in our life as a church. Next week we take another step on that journey as we….
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Discernment
If your childhood was anything like mine, you have many stories of questionable decision making. Even as a young man, I regret that often I needed to learn the hard way. This resulted in more than one embarrassing situation or trip to the E.R. As a young Christian I struggled to use spiritual discernment in decision making. Looking back in hindsight on some of my decisions, it seems there was less wisdom, and more hoping God would bless my mess. Some of us are a little slow on the uptake but find…..
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Building Our Wall
On Palm Sunday, LTCC will hear the Gospel proclaimed and Scriptures taught. We will participate in sincere prayer and worship our God. In many ways it will be what it always is, time with our LTCC family. It will also be a day of great excitement, anticipation and joy as we hear Andrew Middlekauff preach his candidate sermon!
Our path to this point has taken over 3 years! In many ways, it resembles the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem we have been examining…
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Pastor Candidate Visit
We are excited to share that Andrew Middlekauff, a candidate for our pastoral position, will be joining us at Lake Tapps Community Church from April 9th-13th for a time of connection, ministry, and discernment. During his visit, Andrew will participate in various church activities, meet with leadership, and spend time getting to know our congregation. Andrew, wife, Edith, and two of their four children, Joy and John, will join him from April 11-13. We encourage you to take time to connect with the Middlekauffs and extend a warm welcome during their visit.
Sunday April 13th is when Andrew will preach during our morning worship service. This will be a key opportunity to…
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Side by Side
Each person, from priests to merchants, stood side by side, using their unique gifts to restore what was broken. No task was too small, no effort unimportant. They worked without fanfare or desire for recognition. Many of you serve in the same way—faithfully, quietly, and with hearts focused on loving God and helping others follow Jesus. How has God gifted…
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Ask For The Ancient Paths
Everyone who walks the earth today is young. Our ancestors walked deeply with Christ for thousands of years before we ever took our first breath; and thousands of years before our Christian forefathers took their first breaths, God was laying paths for His people through the sea, through the desert, and into lands promised but never seen until he revealed them. Our Lord’s paths are more ancient than we can fathom.
When we follow the Wisdom that planned out the entire human story, we find the only true…
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The River
It reveals His faithfulness by always flowing - every day it's always flowing. In Buckley the river is tumbling and noisy - showing God's omnipotence and wrath. In Auburn it's wider and deeper - revealing the abundant life God brings. Down in Puyallup it's slower, more gentle and quiet - revealing God's gentleness, peace and patience.
Rivers reveal God as Jehovah Jira (the LORD who provides). Rivers are the source of drinking water, power generation, transportation, irrigation for farming, boundaries, habitation for various wildlife and a source of recreation.
The eternality of God is displayed on the cloudy days we so often experience. They are the visible sign of the…
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Elder | Deacon Review
We are happy to report that the results of the first Elder/Deacon review comments were overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. We wish to thank you for your prayers, kind words and support. The Elders shared the comments with the Deacons for their encouragement also.
There was a question from one individual who said they were not sure what the Elders did and wanted more transparency. Mike Tedrow was gracious enough to…
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Help Is On The Way
“If you would have come sooner, he wouldn’t have died,” the sisters cried. They had suffered a great loss. The loss of a loved one. They were processing what had happened to their brother and trying to make sense of it. Little did they know, this happened so the…
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Prayer & Fasting
The week of February 2nd-8th is going to mark our second fasting and prayer time of 2025. We are doing this as we seek God‘s will in getting our next Pastor. It is more than just that. We want to be as diligent as we can in drawing close to the Lord and His will for us in this next season at LTCC…
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Icebergs
I love icebergs. It’s amazing to see them form, huge chunks of ice falling into the ocean, enormous waves and, finally, a little bit of the ice still visible above the water.
While not so dramatic, the work of our elders reminds me of icebergs. Especially the last part, where only a small bit is readily visible.
The elders meet nearly every Sunday to pray, study, review and plan. Much of what we discuss is confidential, but here is a peek at …
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Gifts
God has uniquely equipped each of us to serve Him and others. Romans 12:6 reminds us,
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”
But how do you discover those gifts…
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Envisioning 2025 at LTCC
“Joined Together on the Journey with Jesus.” Jesus’ disciples follow Him with their local church. Acts 2:42-47. Discipleship ONLY happens as we follow/journey with Him together. Jesus’disciples are not independent. We are interdependent. We envision four things we will do….
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A Family Fast
Moses fasted when receiving the Ten Commandments. Daniel fasted while seeking God’s guidance. Esther fasted before approaching the king. Paul and Barnabus fasted before appointing elders in various churches.
The modern American church rarely emphasizes fasting; but given the power and pervasiveness of fasting throughout Scripture, we neglect it to our own detriment. Our congregation is preparing to invite a pastor and his family into our church family. Several candidates have expressed interest, and the PST is making decisions that will affect LTCC’s trajectory for years to come. Now is an excellent time to embrace the power of pairing our prayers with fasting.
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Making Plans
Oh, the many times I have longed to be a cricket riding the shoulder of one of those men… to hear Jesus open their minds to the Scriptures and reveal God’s plan, from eternity past, to save sinners. But as I complete another yearly read-through of the Bible, I am convinced that Jesus has been, and is, opening…
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Bodybuilding
When I was a child I played a lot of basketball, and honestly, I was good. When I grew up, I thought I was going to play basketball professionally. I was filled with potential and dreamed of playing in the NBA. Those dreams were crushed by my older, wiser, cousin when I was 12 years old. He said I had a better chance of winning the lottery than playing for the Supersonics, or any other team for that matter. Who knew I would actually grow up to be a “bodybuilder?”
It’s hard to tell by looking at me, but yes, I am a bodybuilder. Guess what? If you are…
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Reconciliation
This put Paul in an interesting position. He is the spiritual father of Onesimus, and the young man is very helpful to his ministry while he is confined to prison, but more importantly, there is unresolved conflict between Onesimus and his former master Philemon. Paul sends Onesimus back with a letter to his “beloved fellow worker” Philemon pleading with him to …
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