Posts by Mike Laughrun

GO MOMENTS: Seizing Everyday Opportunities to Make Jesus Known Blessed. Chosen. Redeemed. Adopted. Forgiven. Sealed. Raised up. Brought near. Reconciled. According to the early chapters of Ephesians, every one of these realties is true for every Jesus follower. In Christ, God has called us according to His purpose and blessed us with every spiritual blessing. We were dead… now we have been made alive.  We were separated… now we have been brought near. We were enemies… now God has reconciled…

We have been blessed this week to have Selvin and Laurel Jeremiadoss and their family join us at TCBC. Selvin and Laurel are our strategic partners serving with the IMB in Uganda. Partners like them are one way that we are able to take part in pursuing faithfulness to the Great Commission and seeing the Lord’s kingdom advance around the world. Read the following Q&A with Selvin to learn more about their ministry and how we can partner with them…

Jesus is the Christ. What did this mean for the Old Testament prophets we have been reading about in this week’s Advent reading plan? What does it mean for us? How does it help us remember to anticipate this Advent season? Advent Resources Family Discipleship Plan Christmas Give Mike Laughrun Elder Oversight Team / Lead Pastor, Global Outreach Mike Laughrun has served as Lead Pastor at Tri-Cities Baptist Church since January of 2011. He and his wife Jennifer have been…

Pastors Mike, Paul, and Daniel discuss the 2024 Budget proposal and Advent.

As we’ve been studying and preaching through Hebrews this year, we’ve seen the resounding beat of the same drum over and over: Jesus is better!We’ve looked at answers to the question– “Better than what?” He is better than the revelation of the angels and the prophets (1:1-2). He is better than the rest that Joshua could not give (4:8-10). He is better than the high priests who had to offer continual sacrifices, including for their own sins (5:3, 9-10). He…

As we’ve been studying and preaching through Hebrews this year, we’ve seen the resounding beat of the same drum over and over: Jesus is better!We’ve looked at answers to the question– “Better than what?” He is better than the revelation of the angels and the prophets (1:1-2). He is better than the rest that Joshua could not give (4:8-10). He is better than the high priests who had to offer continual sacrifices, including for their own sins (5:3, 9-10). He…

As we’ve been studying and preaching through Hebrews this year, we’ve seen the resounding beat of the same drum over and over: Jesus is better!We’ve looked at answers to the question– “Better than what?” He is better than the revelation of the angels and the prophets (1:1-2). He is better than the rest that Joshua could not give (4:8-10). He is better than the high priests who had to offer continual sacrifices, including for their own sins (5:3, 9-10). He…

As we’ve been studying and preaching through Hebrews this year, we’ve seen the resounding beat of the same drum over and over: Jesus is better!We’ve looked at answers to the question– “Better than what?” He is better than the revelation of the angels and the prophets (1:1-2). He is better than the rest that Joshua could not give (4:8-10). He is better than the high priests who had to offer continual sacrifices, including for their own sins (5:3, 9-10). He…

Our current letter series “Wise Practices” aims to share practical knowledge and wisdom to help us grow as doers of the word. Each letter will share applied methods and answer a ‘how.’ These practices are not perfect or comprehensive. They are personal testimonies; shared knowledge and wisdom gained through pursuit and service that helped facilitate growth in our lives. We pray they help you grow as well. Apathy isn’t laziness. And it isn’t ignorance. It’s not even complacency. Simply put:…

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. (36) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (37) Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (38) therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into…

Jesus called and commissioned every one of his followers to “GO” and make disciples. Neighbors & Nations is a week-long emphasis designed to equip and mobilize TCBC for gospel advancement beginning next door and reaching around the world. Our Spring Neighbors and Nations emphasis will be advancing the gospel by serving the vulnerable. Together we will learn how to pray fervently, to give generously, and then to go — to serve the vulnerable, in our communities and among the nations.…

Turkey/Syria Earthquake More than 40,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands more injured in a devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria the morning of Monday, February 6. One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in over a century, search and rescue teams are still finding bodies under the rubble and estimate that tens of thousands of residents will need immediate medical attention. The 7.8 magnitude quake has had at least 1,206 recorded aftershocks,…

Hebrews is a theologically deep book. I am thrilled that we are going to walk through Hebrews together as a church family. The aim of the author is unquestionably to present Jesus as superior! Or to say it another way, Jesus is better. Often we say, “Make much of Jesus.” Hebrews is bluntly and unapologetically written to do just that. For many Hebrew people there was a deep temptation to find identity in their traditions, leaders, and experiences. However, this…

Thirty-three years ago, Tri-Cities Baptist Church launched as a new congregation in upper East Tennessee. One family that has been a part of this church body from those early beginnings is Gene and Gayle Mermilliod. Over the last three decades, Pastor Gene has served as a consistent, steady, and wise pastor of the flock. Gene has faithfully taught God’s Word, cared for God’s people, served the body of Christ globally, led our student ministry, served on our elder team, provided…

November 16, 2022 What Does Church Planting Have To Do With The Great Commission? Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun At TCBC, we talk a lot about the Great Commission. And rightly so. For this year’s Neighbors and Nations (happening right now), we’re focusing on Church Planting. But what does Church Planting have to do with the Great Commission? Church planting directly helps us fulfill the Great Commission. For instance, we cannot do all that Jesus has commanded us to do…

November 9, 2022 Neighbors and Nations Begins This Sunday! Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun    Neighbors & Nations is a week-long emphasis designed to equip and mobilize TCBC for gospel advancement beginning next door and reaching around the world. (Click here to learn more about Neighbors and Nations.)   This year, our focus is plant churches. Several guest church planters will join us during the week. Some of the church planters are current partners and others are potential partners working locally as well nationally.      Going…

October 5, 2022 Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.” Psalm‬ ‭86:9 ‬How does a church in East Tennessee make disciples in other parts of the world? Answer: By working with strategic partners in the hard to reach places on earth.  For almost four years now, TCBC has partnered with an IMB (International Mission Board), team working in Kabong, Uganda, among the Karamajong people group.…

September 28, 2022  We Give To Go…Because Jesus Is Worth It!  Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun In Philippians 4, Paul writes a letter to the church there who had given generously to partner with him as he advanced the gospel all over the Mediterranean region.   And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. (16) Even in Thessalonica…

September 21, 2022 We Go Because Jesus Did Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun During Jesus’ ministry, he spent a good deal of time out among those who were marginalized or looked down upon in society. It’s easy to look at that with approval. But what does that look like here, in the Tri-Cities? It may mean volunteering at Agape to walk alongside mothers who are considering an abortion. Or being paired up with an international student who is in America…

September 7, 2022 We go because he is worthy! Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun As I write, Jennifer and I are in New York City with over four hundred church planters pastors from the northeast part of the US. We are attending a Send Network event designed to encourage and equip these pastors to press on and faithfully GO make disciples. We were not here very long before we realized the ministry of making disciples over the last two and a…

July 28, 2022 Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun Question: What has most impacted, shaped, strengthened your life as a Jesus follower over the past few years? For me, without question it has been the gift, blessing, responsibility, and challenges of belonging to a local congregation of believers. As an engaged member of a local church we are loved and we learn to love. We learn to forgive and be forgiven. We are built up in Christ and invest in building others…

July 28, 2022Why Church Membership?Elder Letter by Mike Laughrun Question: What has most impacted, shaped, strengthened your life as a Jesus follower over the past few years? For me, without question it has been the gift, blessing, responsibility, and challenges of belonging to a local congregation of believers. As an engaged member of a local church we are loved and we learn to love. We learn to forgive and be forgiven. We are built up in Christ and invest in…

June 30, 2022GO Make DisciplesElder Letter by Mike Laughrun Jesus said GO! Every Jesus follower is commanded, empowered, and commissioned by Jesus to GO and make disciples. That was made clear by Jesus at the beginning of His ministry in the gospel of Mark: and Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” – Mark 1:17 Jesus gave this same command to His disciples at the end of His earthly ministry: Go therefore…

June 23, 2022Update on the Southern Baptist ConventionElder Letter by TCBC Elders Last week, the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) took place in Anaheim, California. This year’s meeting drew extensive attention in large part because of the Sexual Abuse Report released just days before the meeting. Because TCBC is a cooperating SBC church, the proceedings and decisions of this annual meeting deserve our attention and consideration. What is the SBC?The SBC is made up of over 45,000…