Dear Watchman:
Some people believe this new year will be the greatest year ever while others are gearing up for 2015, expecting it to be
incredibly difficult. Take time with me to praise God for what He has already shown us this year:
His faithfulness to us in 2014
 Provided over $341,000 more to the Ministry Action Plan (MAP), or budget- an amount that surpasses
all previous giving by our people.
 Provided for over $549,000 in principle payments towards the debt on The Bridge through faithful giving
to the MAP and other gifts.
 Provided $10,800 through offerings given at the Christmas Eve services for Mission Marshall.
 Led Mobberly to take the Gospel effectively to the lost and hurting locally, nationally and globally
through the World Mission Offering and through the abundant giving to mission endeavors in
December.
 Led us to be a part of establishing a new church plant in Girdwood, Alaska, that has already begun
meeting weekly, received its first mission team from Mobberly and is touching an area in Alaska that
desperately needs to hear the Gospel.
 Led us to start fifteen new groups that stretched new leaders, connected guests and created greater
community here at Mobberly. Each new group has on average ten people and we thank God for each
one!
His passion and love shown through the Family Services ministry team…exemplified at the home-going
celebration of one of the team members who cared deeply about ministering to others.
His leading our Celebrate Recovery Ministry to begin its 8th year of helping people deal with life’s hurt, habits
and hang ups.
His continued provision for men and women to be actively mentored in their faith and leadership.
His answer to our year-long prayers for a woman to lead Mobberly’s Women in Crisis Ministry in calling out
Patricia Binkley-Childress.
His provision for our new block party trailer through the generous financial gifts of our members who desire our
church to take the Gospel all over East Texas one neighborhood at a time.
His leading our people to an increased spirit/participation of prayer in our worship services.
His leading our people to an increased interest of musicians and vocalists for the Crossing and Marshall bands.
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His continued favor and provision for our local prison ministry allowing Mobberly to lead the way in evangelism.
We see weekly first time decisions for Christ and have been allowed to follow-up with baptism. Churches all over
Longview are now joining in for a great movement of the Holy Spirit.
While I do not know the future, I do see potential potholes that may cause great difficulty ahead. Eight times the
Scripture implores us to "take heed to yourselves" (Exodus 19:12, Deuteronomy 4:23, 11:16; Jeremiah 17:21; Luke 17:3,
21:34; Acts 5:35, 20:28). Taking heed is one of the primary tasks in prayer. As we pray together this month, please take
spiritual inventory to consider these blind spots as the impediments that they truly are. Let's evaluate our individual life in
Christ so we can maximize our corporate life together in Christ.
1. Reliance on the leadership of the Holy Spirit is rare.
Why is there not more of Acts in the church today? Because the church today is not wanting it. Reading the book of Acts,
one cannot help but see the passion, the intimacy, and the supernatural activity that is largely missing in many churches
today. The early church was a community of Spirit-filled people who turned the world upside down. Many Christians
today would rather live by logic or the law instead of liberty in Christ, relying on the moment-by-moment leadership of
the Holy Spirit. Let's be a church that prays in the Spirit, obeys the Spirit, and stays in the Spirit.
Is your worship being led by the Spirit?
For our Worship ministry pray that:
 The counsel of the Holy Spirit will lead us as we develop a process to train, mentor and develop future worship
leaders and musicians from within the Mobberly family (especially children through youth ages).
 The Holy Spirit fills and guides our youth choir and youth ministry as they prepare for a summer trip to True
North Church.
Do you rely on the Spirit to connect you with fellow believers where there are more differences than similarities?
For our Connect Ministry pray that:
 Our small group guests and members will be more focused on God’s will and rely on the Holy Spirit for godly
living. Ask God to give them a new passion for connecting with their friends, family and co-workers. We can plan
events and write Bible studies but only through our Spirit-filled people will God move.
 God will call out the called. We are in need of more leaders, especially teachers and ministry coordinators, who
are willing to spend time out of their week praying, preparing and serving. Ask God to give them a heart to
shepherd as we start new Small Groups monthly.
Are you developing in your reliance on the leadership of the Holy Spirit, or are you settling into a more scheduled
Christian life that does not require His leadership?
For our Develop Ministry pray that:
 The Holy Spirit would lead every aspect of Spark Weekend on February 13-15 to bring our students to complete
surrender to Him.
 The Holy Spirit would bless KidsLife each week to help our children have a hunger for His Word.
Finally, if you are serving without the leadership of the Spirit, your service is lifeless and limited.
For our Serve Ministry pray:
 That the Holy Spirit will lead our Small Groups to embrace our city this year by adopting local ministries and
leading block parties across our area. Pray for the Holy Spirit to take charge of all of these ministry endeavors,
for many to be saved and for many to be called out to full-time ministry.
 For our church plants nationally and globally as each one seeks to be a church planting church. Pray for the
pastors and staff of these churches to be filled with God’s Spirit and led in His perfect will for their congregations
this year.
For our Stewardship Ministry pray that:
 Our staff and Mobberly family seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and wisdom regarding gathering and using church
resources.
 The Holy Spirit will instruct and inspire regarding stewardship in the heart of every Mobberly family member so
that, just like the early Christians in Acts, we would give obediently, joyfully, sacrificially, and with an eternal
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Kingdom perspective. As “Prove the Tithe” Sunday approaches on March 1, pray for Holy Spirit-inspired radical
repentance and fulfilling obedience.
2. Repentance is rare.
The only way to move deeper in Christ is by becoming a good repenter. Bob Sorge wrote: "Radical repentance opens the
channels for intimate communion with God." Hebrews 4:16 urges us to draw near to the throne of grace so that we may
receive mercy. God knows our relationship with Him needs constant realignment. And we know His quick response to our
coming clean (1 John 1:9) is always met with abundant grace. So how can we experience the indwelling Holy Spirit
without the desire to be holy? John Piper defined holiness as "the infinite worth of the intrinsic purity and perfection of
God." I'm not asking, "have you repented" or "have you repented lately?" I'm asking, "are you repenting?"
 Ask God to forgive you for your lack of spiritual growth, lukewarm feelings toward Him, or hard heart.
 Pray for God to blanket our church with a constant readiness to repent.
3. Unity in the church is rare.
In His high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed for us to be unified just as He and the Father are one (John 17:21). God created
two institutions to model His own love and unity: the church and marriage. You can trace the failure of most marriages to
a lack of oneness. Every disagreement a couple has indicates a lack of oneness in that area (parenting, finances,
intimacy, priorities, etc.). God established marriage to be a unified relationship between a man and a woman. The
oneness in holy matrimony models the unity in the Holy Trinity.
Like many marriages, many churches today are failing from a lack of oneness. Unity is not the dismissal of truth.
In that same prayer, Jesus declared, "sanctify them through your truth; Your word is true." (John 17:17). Spending more
time in His Word helps us align more with His will. The early church understood being unified, and we must too. Unity is
not found in seeing eye-to-eye; it is discovered in seeing from His perspective. So, unity is best protected and promoted
through prayer.
 Ask God: What one thing must I do to protect and promote unity in our church? (Whatever He tells you to do,
then do that.)
 Ask God: What one thing must I stop doing to build unity in our church? (Whatever He tells you to stop, then stop
doing that).
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For our Church ask God:
For a continued increase in the congregation’s participation and a spirit of unity during worship (music, prayer,
and scripture reading).
For an incredibly unified body of believers to be bold in their faith and their going this year in missions. Pray for
those who have allowed fear or excuses to overcome them to sense a new desire to step out wherever God is
calling them to do whatever He desires!
To bring great unity to every marriage at Mobberly- because everything flows from this.
To lead us in the teaching and practicing of godly stewardship to promote unity in diversity while focusing on
THE mission…using God-entrusted resources to lead all people into a life-changing, ever- growing relationship
with Jesus.
The church that prays together, stays together. As we pray, God invites us to see from His perspective.
February Alert, 3