teaching – Worship Works

31Mar 2025 by Mel Lewis No Comments

Where might the Spirit be moving in your workplace?

#workisworship, career, ekklesia, In practice, teaching

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit… The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” [John 3:5-8] How wonderfully mysterious is the work of the Holy Spirit! Like the breeze across a field, He is uncontainable. Or a small child who loses their hat to an unexpected gust, He takes us by surprise. It's the Spirit's unpredictability that reminds us of our limitations as created ones and helps foster awe at His Divinity. Unlike the weather forecasts that can get predictions wrong, one thing about the Spirit of God is certain - He is always at work (John 5:17)!! In continuous connection with…

18Feb 2025 by Mel Lewis

Crossing the Lines: Embracing Our Mission Identity

career, In practice, teaching

Many of us have crossed borders, but perhaps never stopped to reflect on what they truly mean. I am writing this blog from the Myanmar/Thailand border, where an arbitrary line once scratched in the dirt by government officials now marks the divide between vastly different realities. This border is particularly significant for the Karen people, who found themselves split between becoming Thai or Myanmar nationals. On one side, there is relative stability and opportunity; on the other, justice gives way to injustice, freedom of speech to censorship, and security to persecution. Borders like these are not just physical; they exist in how we live our lives. We draw lines in the dirt of our daily routines, dividing time, spaces, activities, and roles. One divide we have created as Christians is…

03Feb 2025 by Mel Lewis

Confidence in Knowing Who and Whose You Are

In practice, teaching

'Yet you, Lord, are our Father.We are the clay, you are the potter;we are all the work of your hand.' [Isaiah 64:8] As a classroom teacher, I found it amazing to look across a class of 30 primary school students and see such diversity - individual personalities, intellectual abilities, creative skills etc. I knew every child had been uniquely designed by a loving Heavenly Father who packed them full of potential to fulfil different, yet equally divine purposes in their lifetime. I loved seeing every student have their moment to shine amongst their peers as they brought their strength and ability into the mix. But what was difficult for me was to see students struggle in areas and start adopting negative, limiting language like, ‘I’m stupid’; ‘I’m not as good…

09Jan 2025 by Mel Lewis

Being Thankful Makes Your Prayers Powerful!

In practice, prayer, teaching

When we read the letters of the Apostle Paul, we learn that he was a big advocate of giving thanks. He often wrote about how thankful he was, and he frequently encouraged his readers to be thankful. In Colossians 4:2, he instructs the Church to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving”. In this verse, there's a sense of: Being steadfast in prayer (some translations even say “Devote yourselves to prayer”) Be watchful. Be thankful. This instruction comes just a few verses after Col 3:23-24, in which Paul writes: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ”. In chapter three of his letter…

23Sep 2024 by Mel Lewis

Fishers of Men

career, In practice, teaching

As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, He noticed two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, casting their nets into the water, engaged in the daily work that provided their bread and butter. “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Without hesitation, they left their nets and followed Him (Matthew 4:19-20). In this simple yet profound encounter, we see Jesus, the first Fisher of Men, inviting these ordinary fishermen into an extraordinary apostolic mission—fishing for souls for the Kingdom of God. This invitation wasn’t just for them; it echoes through the ages, reaching us today. Jesus still calls us to follow Him and draw everyone unto Him. So, how do we respond? Must we all leave our jobs to preach full-time? For some, that…

12Jul 2024 by Mel Lewis

When Staying is Obeying: Trusting God in Hard Places

In practice, teaching

‘The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you..." [Genesis 26:2-3] Living here in The West, ‘famine’ feels like a far-removed concept. It’s something we might hear about in the news, but not experience first-hand. Well, that is when it comes to food. But none of us are immune from experiencing ‘famine’ in alternative forms. Shortage. Want. Unproductivity. Scarcity. Barrenness. Loss. Lack. Fruitlessness. Do any of these resonate across your life right now? In Genesis 26, we read that Isaac is experiencing famine in the land where he lives. In the PROMISED land - the very place where God…

15Feb 2023 by Mel Lewis

Trusting God in the Waiting

#workisworship, teaching

Love it or hate it, waiting is a part of the human experience. It shows up in every area of our lives - (our work life is not exempt!) It can be frustrating; it can be painful; and it is definitely uncertain. But as Christians, how can we live well in the waiting? Tomi, a Worship.Works Graduate (2021), shares some personal reflections on how she handles times of waiting by bringing God into the process with her. I started this year with God impressing the word ‘trust’ on my heart. When we think of trust, we think of a ‘firm belief’. Trust means ‘to be confident in the truth or ability of someone or something’. For a Christian, that ‘someone’ is God, and He wants us to be reliant on…

13Jan 2023 by Mel Lewis

The Power of IGNITE! to Spark a Light

#workisworship, teaching

The pizza had been ordered. A reminder email sent out to attendees. The benches were wiped clean and the glasses neatly set out in rows. As a team, we prayed and committed the evening to God and our volunteers made their way to the front door, prepared to greet people with a smile as they arrived. We were ready! But there is always an element to an event like IGNITE! that you just can’t prepare for, organise meticulously or control. And that is: In what way is the LORD going to show up? As a new team member of Worship.Works, this was my first IGNITE! Meetup. From flicking through archives of photographs and listening to people share their previous experiences, I had some idea of what to expect. But it’s…

28Oct 2022 by worship

Mustard Seed Faith

#workisworship, teaching

So often our perspectives are shaped by the circumstances or the people around us. We can lose sight of the unique gifts that God has given us, which can have an impact on the lives of others. A seemingly small act of kindness, saying a faith-filled prayer for someone, or whatever faith-motivated act we take, no matter how small, can have an eternal and mountain-moving impact on another’s life. What is Faith? The solid ground that makes life easier to live on is Faith. It is essential for us to have faith in our life; it is on par with breathing. Faith nourishes the heart and spirit in the same way that oxygen in the air nourishes the body. Do we make the most of what we have, or have…

30Mar 2022 by Mark Lawrence

Bearing Fruit

In practice, teaching

This is our third part of a series on growing as a disciple in the marketplace. If you have not yet read the previous articles, here is part one, Abide in the Word and grow as a disciple. In part two we saw what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We will now explore another signifier of discipleship, which is bearing fruit but first, we need to look at what the bible says about fruit. Colossians speaks about bearing fruit in every good work as we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord as we increase in the knowledge of him. Our life should be one that bears fruit and grows in our knowledge of Him. The Lord is pleased by this. so as to walk…