From a Life of Effort to a Life of Grace: Courtney Ballard :: [Episode 346]

StoryTellers Live

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 611 Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today's episode wraps up our three-week "Religion to Relationship" series, and, once again, it focuses our eyes on the beauty of God's grace and how this gift plays a key role in our relationship with Him.

Courtney Ballard, from our Tupelo, Mississippi community, grew up as a pastor's kid, always aware of God and His existence, and working hard to be the "angel child" others expected her to be. However, this self-imposed title created a life pattern for Courtney of living for people and their applause, rather than living for God alone. She soon found herself at a crossroads—would she choose God's grace or her own efforts and good intentions? Listen and find out what the Lord revealed!

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VERSE OF THE WEEK:

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

This week be self-aware of the intentions in your heart and ask - am I living out of God's grace or am I living for the applause of people?

Links:

Listen to this song by Lauren Daigle- Losing My Religion

Listen to a similar story: Courtney Doyle- Ep. 71: Removing the Masks

Download a phone background of the weekly verse HERE! (click the link and hold down on the photo to save to your phone)

Give to StoryTellers Live in honor of Courtney or any of our past storytellers!!

Become a Patreon Insider to access bonus content~ including a Story Within the Story with Courtney!

Join us live on Thursday, November 6th at 7:00 PM at Samford University Wright Center for a night of worship and fellowship with Ellie Holcomb presented by Portraits of Hope! Register here and use promo code ELLIE10 for 10% off at checkout!

Shop for our When God Shows Up Bible Study series

Check out all of our live speaking engagement opportunities on our website.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's that God invites us to depend on him and trust him and not work really hard to prove that
0:08.6	we don't need grace from him and others around us. And Hebrews has become one of my favorite books in the
0:14.8	Bible. And in chapter 11, it says it's impossible to please God without trusting him. And the exact verse goes like this. Without faith, it's impossible to please God without trusting him. And the exact verse goes like this.
0:22.4	Without faith, it's impossible to please God
0:24.5	because anyone who comes to him must be able to me that he exists
0:27.5	and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
0:31.2	Welcome to the Storytellers Live podcast,
0:33.5	where everyday women are gathering in homes across the country
0:36.4	to share stories of the hope found in Jesus.
0:39.3	I'm Katie Dyn.
0:40.5	I'm Robin Cowen.
0:41.6	And I'm Lindy Walker.
0:42.8	And we are your podcast host.
0:45.6	Today we have our third and final story from our religion to relationship series, which has been so life-giving to all the last to hear these women share about just really
0:56.3	moving into personal relationship with God and receiving the grace that accompanies all that.
1:02.9	And it's been so interesting to hear about the different beliefs or what they came to
1:06.7	realize was a false gospel.
1:08.4	And so we're excited to bring you the third and final story today.
1:12.6	And today we have Courtney Ballard from Tupelo, Mississippi.
1:15.9	Something that I think is really fun is that she's actually from Tulsa, Oklahoma,
1:20.4	where we also have a community.
1:21.8	And we've found a connection between those two that some girls from Tulsa, Oklahoma,
	...

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