Pastor Mark's Blog and Podcasts

The Importance of the Christian Family: Husbands & Wives

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:26:00 +0000

Husbands & Wives
Part 1 of 3 in our new series on the Importance of the Christian Family
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton on Mother's Day
May 10, 2009

The Meaning of the Sacraments: Holy Communion

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:23:00 +0000

Holy Communion
The 3rd in a 3 part series on the Sacraments.
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton
May 3, 2009

The Meaning of the Sacraments: The Sacramentals

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:16:00 +0000

The 2nd in my 3 part series on the meaning of the sacraments for our faith.

The Meaning of the Sacraments: Baptism

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:07:00 +0000

The first in a 3 part series on the meaning of the sacraments.

Is There a Hell, And Who's Going There?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:53:00 +0000

Is There a Hell, And Who's Going There?
January 28, 2007
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

Does God Care?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:21:00 +0000

Does God Care?
January 21, 2007
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

Life's Toughest Questions Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:20:00 +0000

Life's Toughest Questions Introduction
January 14, 2007
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

A Royal Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:16:00 +0000

A Royal Visit
January 7, 2007
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

Such a Babe in Such a Place

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 01:01:00 +0000

Such a Babe in Such a Place
Regular Sunday morning sermon preached December 24, 2006
at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

Christmas Eve 6:00 p.m.

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:59:00 +0000

A Star, A Stable & A Song
A sermon preached at 6:00 p.m. December 24th at
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

Christmas Eve 11 p.m.

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:55:00 +0000

A Star, A Stable & A Song
A Christmas Eve sermon preached at 6:00 p.m. December 24, 2006
at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas

Miracles in Contrast

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 05:02:00 +0000

Miracles in Contrast
Rev. Mark Long
A Sermon preached on December 17, 2006
at First United Methodist Church of Trenton

Who Are You Waiting For?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:45:00 +0000

Who Are You Waiting For?
Matthew 20:1-16
Advent week 2
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
December 10, 2006

Make a Straight Path

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 05:22:00 +0000

Make a Straight Path
First Sunday of Advent / Hanging of the Greens Service
Preached at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
December 3, 2006

God Size Your Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 22:15:00 +0000

God Size Your Vision
part 3 in a 4 part series on God sizing our lives for ministry.
Delivered at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
October 15, 2006

God Size Your Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:54:00 +0000

God Size Your Mission
A sermon recorded at First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
October 8, 2006 - 11:00 a.m.

God Size Your Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 19:22:00 +0000

God Size Your Dreams
New sermon series titled "God Size It," begun Oct. 1, 2006
First United Methodist Church
Trenton, Texas
October 1, 2006

Open Doors

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:25:00 +0000

Open Doors
3rd in a series on "being open to God."
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
September 17, 2006

Open Minds

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 04:41:00 +0000

Open Minds, pt. 2 in a series on opening our lives to God.
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
September 10, 2006

Open Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 22:34:00 +0000

Open Hearts, pt. 1 in a new series of sermons on opening our lives to God.
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
September 3, 2006

WOW - Welcome and Thank You for Subscribing

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 02:30:00 +0000

I logged on to my account with Feedburner and realized that I now have a much larger audience than I thought would turn up! Great! Thank you for subscribing to this feed - I will pray that God blesses this message for you and your life.

As you listen to the messages that I deliver, or as you live your life, you may come up with a question that you want to ask. Please don't hesitate to send them via my church's web page. Just go to www.firstumctrenton.org/requestpage and click on the "send request" link at the bottom. You will be redirected to a location from which you may anonymously send a request to our offices and we will respond accordingly. If you need us to pray for you - or if you just want to inform us of something important - feel free to come visit the church website.

Grace and Peace+
Mark

Joyous Songs of Praise

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:38:00 +0000

Just A Little Talk With Jesus
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
Chancel Choir
August 27, 2006

August 27, 2006 Children's Sermon

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:35:00 +0000

Anya's Children's Sermon
Anya's "footsie" washing children's sermon!
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
August 27, 2006

Authentic Christian Witness

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:04:00 +0000

Ultimate Humility
Sermon - John 13:3-17
First United Methodist Church of Trenton, Texas
August 27, 2006

Our labors here are not meaningless deeds, but life affirming acts of goodness that flow straight from the throne of God.

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Mark Long) — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 03:45:00 +0000

Now Reading:

In the same way that Christ’s life and ministry was not meaningless, so ours has meaning when we place our life in His hands. Of course, this means we let loose of our own lives – we cease to control our destiny and we give up our ambitions and dreams of greatness and seek only to find ways to proclaim the glory and majesty of our Lord, Jesus Christ. For, when our lives glorify Christ, when people see the beauty of God’s life dwelling in us, the world takes another step toward complete transformation.

God’s will and deepest longing for our lives together is for us to love one another (I John 4:7-8), and to trust and serve Him with our whole lives. When we do that, when we have truly given God our whole being, then we can rest in the knowledge that when God calls us to his throne, that not only will God recognize us because of our witness of faith, but those whom we have witnessed to will also see and remember, “That person was so filled with the love of God, I would recognize that goofy grin anywhere.”

We've all worked in the occasional "thankless job." That place in life where everyone seems to take your efforts for granted and you feel overlooked and undervalued. But when we do this work as if it is a spiritual act of worship, it gains a whole new meaning. But sometimes, even though we feel undervalued in a position, we still do it out of obligation or duty. Some feel that way about parenting from time to time (usually from about the 11th or 12th year on or so) and they start to lose themselves. This isn't necessarily a good time to continue something out of duty...instead, it is a time to really regroup and rediscover our purpose in this task of raising a child. Is it to be a best buddy? Is it to prove how great we are so we'll always be obeyed or looked up to? Or is our job to give moral and ethical guidance, and to show our children the path we are to walk on in order that, when the time comes for them to make really hard decisions for themselves, they will be able to do so with a solid, biblical foundation of moral and ethical certainty?

Other jobs can feel similarly. Is janitorial work just janitorial work, or is it an opportunity to bless someone else, just as God has bless you? Maybe the fact that our work is ignored by those who are blessed by it can be a way for us to understand how often God is ignored by humankind, in spite of His continual blessings that are poured out in our lives. Is an Administrative Assistant a service level job that goes unrecognized and underappreciated? Maybe this is an opportunity, again, for us to experience how God may sometimes feel.

Know this: no matter how difficult a position we may find ourselves in, in regard to our employment, there is always someone else who has it worse. And somehow, those that seem to have it worse are the ones that come along to brighten OUR day (how dare they), and help us to gain a new perspective on God's grace in the midst of the marketplace.