Story Church

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We are a collection of people with stories imprinted by brokenness and the redemption of Christ. We have a STORY to tell; a narrative of REDEMPTION.

Our hearts break for the broken lives and broken families of the Springfield area. While we recognize we cannot single-handedly "fix" our community, we believe we can be a catalyst for change by loving well the community where God has placed us. Just because we can’t do everything doesn’t mean we can’t do something. Let the Redeemed of the Lord tell their STORY...
— Psalm 107:2

10/29/2026

Here’s my annual reminder to embrace a missional impulse on October 31. Take it, or leave it. But please prayerfully consider it. Whether you refer to October 31 as "Reformation Day" or "Halloween", one thing is certain, many children and families will dress up in costume, roaming neighborhoods seeking free candy. The question is, will you be home with your porch light on and armed with a full bowl of the best candy? Could this be the way to shine the Light of Jesus in your neighborhood?

There are always some who oppose my thinking on this topic. But please hear me out. There was a time in our history when Christians went door-to-door sharing the gospel of Jesus with their community. Recognizing our culture is less accepting of this practice, most Christians no longer participate in door knocking. But this is one day of the year, when knocking on a stranger’s or neighbor’s door is socially acceptable. In fact, it’s expected. So rather than boycotting Halloween, or attending a Christian alternative, I recommend embracing this cultural opportunity to shine the Light of Jesus from your own front door. Handing out candy, or hot chocolate, or providing a canopy for respite from the rain is not embracing paganism. It is understanding missional impulses of the Kingdom of God. Living with missional intentionality means living as a missionary within your community's context. The question becomes, how can you practically “love your neighbor” while they celebrate Halloween? Can you hand out Bibles and candy bars? Can you print off Bible verses and attach them to a treat?

Of course, when engaging such topics, we must always defer to Scripture. Whatever has been made "clean," is made "clean" by the redemption of Jesus. But you must never violate your conscience. In Romans 14, Paul addressed the question of eating food sacrificed to idols. While it’s not the same situation, certainly Paul’s conclusion applies to our modern context. [20] Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. [21] It is good not to eat meat or drink w**e or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. [22] The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. [23] But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:20–23, ESV)

As I said above, make this a matter of prayer. Ask God how you might participate for His glory and our good. Happy October 31…however you participate.

-Chris Ballard

10/25/2026

Luke 11:1-2

Jesus is not giving us a formula to recite, but a model framework for our heart's attitude in prayer. We have a Heavenly Father who desires to hear from His children. Therefore we should desire to grow in our communication with God. Genuine prayer places God’s name and His glory above our personal and selfish desires. Therefore we must learn to pray according to Kingdom priorities.

CCLI: 20509654

10/25/2026

Gather with us this morning at 9:00 & 10:45am at 203 Jamestown Blvd., as we continue our study of the Gospel of Luke and celebrate Baptisms! If you can't join us in person, you can watch live on our YouTube Chanel. We can't wait to worship with you!

"How to Pray"
Luke 11:1-2

Jesus is not giving us a formula to recite, but a model framework for our heart's attitude in prayer. We have a Heavenly Father who desires to hear from His children. Therefore we should desire to grow in our communication with God. Genuine prayer places God’s name and His glory above our personal and selfish desires. Therefore we must learn to pray according to Kingdom priorities.

10/22/2026

[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, ESV)

The apostle Paul is making it abundantly clear that partaking in the Spirit of God is a shared experience among every Christian. This week, we will witness the physical baptism by water as a symbol of the spiritual baptism by the Spirit! Christianity takes people from every ethnic background and socioeconomic class and fills us with His Holy Spirit. We are ONE in Christ, yet remain diverse only by the unique spiritual gifts we receive. We are held together by ONE common thing; we are all baptized by the Holy Spirit.

We were baptized of the Spirit when we were justified in Jesus Christ! Contrary to what many teach today, there is no “second blessing” in the Christian experience; only a growing understanding of what this baptism brings to our lives. We will never receive an extra measure of the Spirit, only a greater awareness of this precious gift. At the point of salvation, every believer in Christ is saturated by the Spirit as they are baptized in the Spirit. A Christian is filled with the Spirit as they are made to drink of the Spirit. His Spirit cannot be taken away from you, and no one has need of more than Jesus has already given.

However, it is our joy to grow in our understanding of this amazing grace. And we should pray to be filled with understanding of the fullness of God. But every person who has been brought to faith in Jesus Christ has been given the Spirit of God as the guarantee of their heavenly inheritance. [13] In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13–14, ESV) No one can take this Spirit away from you, and no one needs any more than Jesus has already given. So let’s ask God to help us live in light of this marvelous grace.

-Chris Ballard

10/18/2026

Choosing The One Thing | Luke: A Salvation Story

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus and His disciples arrived at Bethany to dine with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. At the house, He chose to teach them the ways of His Kingdom. Mary and Martha both made a choice. Martha chose to be "distracted with much serving" and became resentful of Mary who chose to sit at the feet of Jesus. Mary chose the one good thing, to call Jesus her Lord; she sat at His feet, learning His ways for a flourishing life.

CCLI: 20509654

10/18/2026

Gather with us this morning at 9:00 & 10:45am at 203 Jamestown Blvd. as we continue our study of Luke. If you can't join us in person, you can watch live on our YouTube channel. We can't wait to worship with you!

"Choosing the One Thing"

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus and His disciples arrived at Bethany to dine with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. At the house, He chose to teach them the ways of His Kingdom. Mary and Martha both made a choice. Martha chose to be "distracted with much serving" and became resentful of Mary who chose to sit at the feet of Jesus. Mary chose the one good thing, to call Jesus her Lord; she sat at His feet, learning His ways for a flourishing life.

10/15/2026

God’s Word is clear: It is the responsibility of Christian parents to raise their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4b) This practice finds it’s roots in the ancient Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The way of the following God in covenant faithfulness was to be handed down from generation to generation. “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:7, ESV) But this was not only a familial commandment, it was a communal covenant. God’s Holy nation understood this to be the way forward as His blessed people. So as a church, we must be careful to walk in covenant faithfulness to the Lord, alongside one another.

One way we take this calling seriously at Story Church is through our Parent Commissioning ceremony. This week, during our worship gatherings, we formally recognize as a congregation, parents who have had a new child enter the family. We will charge them to KNOW, LIVE and TELL the Love Story of Jesus in their home. This time is designed for parents to publicly commit before the church, with God’s help, to be the primary disciple-makers in the life of their child. It is also designed for parents to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over their child, recognizing that “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3). And that this child has been entrusted to them by God. It is imperative for the church to commit corporately to partner with these families by coming alongside them as they seek to raise their children to love Christ above all things.

How can the church partner with families? While Scripture has called parents to be the primary disciple-makers in the lives of their children, the local church should support these parents in a partnership. As a Covenant Partner of Story Church, here are a few ways you can come alongside these families in partnership:

Pray: Pray that God will help parents faithfully shepherd their children during their most formative years. Pray also for our children, that they will be “protected from the evil one” (John 17:15) and that they will one day place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Join a Chapter Group: Chapter Groups are the smaller, missional community groups where we can experience the life of Jesus together within deep meaningful relationships. These groups provide mentorship opportunities for children and youth as we help each other raise our children.

Get Involved: Help minister to the next generation by getting involved in Story Kids or Story Youth. These ministries partner with families and provide opportunities for the discipleship of our children and youth.

HOW DO WE REGISTER FOR THE NEXT PARENT COMMISSIONING? Sign up in the app. Or reach out to Nicki Bunn ([email protected]) for more information.

-Chris Ballard

10/11/2026

Gather with us this morning at 9:00 & 10:45am at 203 Jamestown Blvd. as we continue our study of Luke. If you can't join us in person, you can watch live with the link below. We can't wait to worship with you!

https://www.youtube.com//streams

"A Good Neighbor"

Luke 10:25-37

The Kingdom of God is not found in a legal or theological discussion. It is found in practicing the commandments of God. What good is it to answer this question correctly: "Who is my neighbor?" If we're not willing to love and serve our neighbor when we see them in need, we have missed the point! The good neighbor in this story is the unlikely one who showed mercy. Jesus commands us, "go and do the same."

10/08/2026

[8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [9] And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [10] So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:8–10, ESV)

The long, hot, dry end to summer caused significant stress to this old man’s precious lawn. Last week, in sync with a weather forecast that promised 3 days of rain, I aerated, fertilized, limed, and over-seeded my yard. Much to my dismay, we hardly received even a day’s worth of rain. It simply wasn’t enough. And given that I do not have an in-ground sprinkler system, that meant I had to spent significant time watering my lawn by moving a couple of sprinklers around the yard. One week later, I am growing weary! And to make matters worse, there’s no rain in the forecast for another week. But if I give up, my investment will dry up and yield poor results. If I quit now, I will not reap the rewards of a lush green lawn by next spring.

Committed Bible readers know that one of the most common illustrations for spiritual growth is rooted in the concept of sowing and reaping. These Biblical analogies are often lost on modern readers. Our modern fingers do a lot of swiping screens and pressing buttons, but few ever touch dirt. If that describes you, let me tell you, sowing and reaping fruit-bearing seed is not fast; it is a slow, painful process. Truthfully, Christian growth, or spiritual formation, is quite similar. There are no shortcuts like we have on our phones and computers; it’s all analogue and it’s all slow.

But as is true with farming, spiritual growth does include consistent elements that bring success. We can’t control every variable, but when we properly manage what is within our control, we can expect growth. But timing and pace are unpredictable in life. While in farming the weather is uncertain, we at least have 4 clearly defined seasons and the assurance that the sun will rise and set each day. Those certainties are nearly non-existent in Spiritual Formation. But we do have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is certain, but unpredictable. Christian growth follows the Holy Spirit, who is as unpredictable as a winter day in the Ozarks. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, ESV)

Having said all of this, we must remember that Paul encouraged the church at Galatia to “not grow weary in doing good.” We may not see exactly what God is doing, yet we are promised that a spiritual harvest is coming. We don’t know when it will come, but God’s promises are certain. Until the day of harvest, let us NOT grow weary or give up. But rather, remain faithful to the spiritual work God has given us.

-Chris Ballard

Address

203 Jamestown Boulevard
Rogersville, MO
65742

Opening Hours

10am - 12pm

Telephone

+14178128888

Website

http://thestory417.com/

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