Starting Line Church: Recent Episodes
Starting Line Church
This week at Starting Line Church, we continue our journey through Philippians, focusing on how Christians are called to live with unity and selflessness. Even from a Roman prison, Paul encourages the Philippians—and us—to stay centered on Jesus, not our differences. True unity doesn’t mean agreeing on everything, but being committed to one mission: the Gospel. Jesus is our model—He gave up His rights, humbled Himself, and calls us to follow His example.
Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: October 5, 2025
Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written from prison, yet it overflows with joy and encouragement. Instead of focusing on his suffering, Paul saw his chains as an opportunity to spread the Good News and inspire others to be bold in their faith. He reminds us that living for Christ means embracing both the privilege of trusting Him and the privilege of suffering for Him. Our response to hardship reveals the depth of our commitment to Jesus, and even in suffering, we can reflect His hope to the world.
Speaker: Al Miller
Date: September 28, 2025
Hear from Emily this week as she shares how God has been teaching her to take time to sit at Jesus' feet!
Speaker: Emily Arrell
Date: September 21, 2025
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Jesus fed a ton of people with just five loaves and two fish — all because one boy said yes. In this week’s Stories of Jesus message from Mark 6, we’re reminded that Jesus can do miraculous things with even our small acts of obedience. When we trust Him, He not only meets our needs — He gives more than enough. What could God do through your yes?
Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: September 14, 2025
Jesus calls us to follow Him just like He did with the first disciples — not for a moment, but for a lifetime. When we let go of what’s holding us back, we make room for the greater purpose He has for us. Following Jesus changes everything — it gives us freedom, peace, and a mission to reach others with His love.
Speaker: Allison MIller
Date: September 7, 2025
Jesus doesn’t end the Sermon on the Mount with hype—He ends it with a warning. He knows storms will come, and what matters most isn't how your life looks on the outside, but the foundation it's built on. In a world full of information overload, transformation doesn’t come from just hearing truth—it comes from living it. Let’s be people who don’t just listen to Jesus, but actually practice what He teaches.
Jesus’ final meal with His disciples wasn’t just a dinner—it was a powerful act of love and humility. In John 13, He takes the posture of a servant, kneeling to wash their feet and showing that true greatness is found in serving others. With a humble heart, posture, and attitude, Jesus redefines leadership and calls us to do the same. As followers of Christ, we’re not just called to believe—we’re called to love and serve sacrificially, just like Him.
Speaker: Al Miller
Date: August 24, 2025
This sermon explores the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11, emphasizing how Jesus first responds not with a miracle, but with compassion and sorrow as he weeps with those who are grieving. It teaches that Jesus' tears reveal both his deep empathy for human suffering and his anger toward the brokenness caused by sin. The resurrection of Lazarus is portrayed as a powerful preview of the new life available through Christ's own death and resurrection. Ultimately, we step into this story as we reflect on the “graves” in our lives and respond to Jesus' call to rise and walk in freedom, hope, and new life.
This week’s message from John 3 unpacks the powerful conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, where we learn what it truly means to be born again. We are reminded that John 3:16 isn’t just about the past and future — it’s a call to live fully in the present with Jesus. God's love invites us into a new life, not just in heaven, but right now — a life of freedom, peace, and purpose. We also celebrate four young people boldly declaring their faith through baptism, showing that God is powerfully at work in this generation!
This week at Starting Line Church, we had the opportunity to hear from three different people at SLC who shared a story of Jesus that had impacted them recently. Feel free to pause and reflect in between each video on the question they posed to us.
Speakers: McKeely Kemock, Dalton Stump, Liz Jadczak
Date: August 3, 2025
In Matthew 8, Jesus calms a violent storm with just His words—reminding us He has power over everything, even the chaos around us. We all face storms—moments of fear, doubt, or pain—but Jesus is always with us, even when we can’t see Him working.
Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: July 27, 2025
This week at Starting Line Church, we kicked off our new series Stories of Jesus by looking at His time of temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4). Just like Jesus, we face temptations—especially when we're vulnerable or chasing what we don't have. But Jesus shows us how to stand strong: not just by knowing God’s Word, but by living it.
Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: July 20, 2025
Today at Starting Line Church, we wrapped up our worship series by exploring how we worship God in everyday life. Worship isn't just music—it’s also engaging with God’s Word, experiencing His creation, giving generously, sharing our stories, and praying with purpose. Worship is our authentic response to who God is and what He’s done, no matter how we feel or what we're facing. It’s not about performance; it’s about relationship. Let’s live lives of worship that honor God in every moment.
Speaker: Al Miller
Date: July 13, 2025
Worship isn’t about what we get from God—it’s about what we give to Him. This week at Starting Line Church, we explored the true purpose of worship: to glorify God, offer ourselves as living sacrifices, and join in the eternal praise that’s already happening in heaven. Worship is more than music or Sunday mornings—it’s a daily response to who God is and what He’s done. When we shift the focus from ourselves to Him, our faith is transformed.
Speaker: Al Miller
Date: July 6, 2025
Worship is more than just singing on a Sunday—it's a response to who God is and what He’s done. This week at Starting Line Church, we laid a foundation for understanding worship as a life of response, community, and remembrance of God’s saving work. Let’s stop going through the motions and start engaging fully—because worship is so much more.
This past weekend, we gathered for our quarterly Worship Sunday. During these gatherings, we engage in various forms of worship, including singing, prayer, scripture reading and hearing testimony from people about what God is doing in their lives. Hear today from Alexandria and McKeely as they share what God has been teaching them over the last few months!
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This weekend, Starting Line Church celebrated Awaken Sunday by reflecting on the power and purpose of spiritual gifts. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 12, the message emphasizes that each believer has been uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit—not for personal gain, but to build up the Church and point others to Jesus. Like puzzle pieces forming a greater picture, our diverse gifts are meant to work in unity. Pastor Al challenges us to identify our gifts, avoid boasting or comparison, and step confidently into our God-given purpose.
This week at Starting Line Church, we continued our Awaken series by exploring how God works through ordinary moments in our lives. From Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector to a teacher opening her home for burgers and gospel conversations, we’re reminded that simple, everyday interactions can lead to life-changing encounters with Jesus. You don’t have to be a pastor or preach from a stage—just be present, intentional, and willing. Let’s live on mission right where we are and watch what God can do!
Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: June 1, 2025
This week at Starting Line Church, we kicked off our Awaken series by exploring what it means to be spiritually stirred and motivated to share the message of Jesus. Drawing from the Great Commission in Matthew 28, we are reminded that every believer is called to evangelism—not just pastors or extroverts. Evangelism isn’t about street preaching; it’s about real relationships and reflecting Jesus through our everyday lives. Let’s awaken our motivation and step boldly into the mission God has for us!
Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: May 25, 2025
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This week at Starting Line Church, we wrap up our Christian-ish series by confronting transactional faith—the idea that if we “do our part,” God owes us something in return. But God isn’t a vending machine or a contract negotiator; He’s a relational Father who desires connection, not deals. Like David in Psalm 63, we’re called to seek God for who He is, not just for what He can do. Faith in Jesus is a relationship, not a transaction.
In this episode of Christian-ish, we explore how divided priorities can quietly shift us away from a fully committed life with Jesus. Using the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32, we examine how even good things can become idols when they take God's rightful place in our hearts. Pastor Al challenges us to honestly evaluate what we say matters most versus what our lives actually reflect. Learn how to identify your idols and start realigning your priorities to put God first—where He belongs.
Date: May 11, 2025
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Speaker: Allison Miller
Date: May 4, 2025
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In this message from our Christian-Ish series, we explore what it means to move beyond a surface-level faith into full obedience to Jesus. Pastor Al challenges the common tendency toward selective obedience—doing some of what God asks while justifying the rest. Through the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 13, we see how partial obedience and small compromises can have major spiritual consequences. This message invites us to reflect deeply on where their hearts might be settling for "almost" and how to step into the freedom of full surrender.
Speaker: Lumar Vargas
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Worship Sundays at Starting Line Church as special times where we get to spend time singing, praying, and hearing testimonies! Here is a snippet of our gathering this past weekend.
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Guided Prayer from Starting Line Church for April 10, 2023.
Written prayer:
"Mighty God,
in whom we know the power of redemption,
you stand among us in the shadows of our time.
As we move through every sorrow and trial of this life,
uphold us with knowledge of the final morning
when, in the glorious presence of your risen Son,
we will share in his resurrection,
redeemed and restored to the fullness of life
and forever freed to be your people. Amen."
Guided Prayer from Starting Line Church for March 29, 2023.
Guided Prayer:
God, help us find organic and ordinary ways to do the work of evangelism in our lives.
Help us look to you as our guide as we point people to you. Your word tells us that the
harvest is great, but the workers are few. We pray that you would call upon followers of
Jesus, like us, to be workers in the fields. Give us boldness. Give us courage. Give us
confidence. Amen.
Guided Prayer from Starting Line Church for March 13, 2023.
Transcript of prayer:
Lord God, you have freed us from evil and strengthened us in what is good.
Grant that we may serve you,
our God and Lord. Put away our sins.
Give joy to those who mourn.
Give freedom to the captive.
Give health to the sick.
Grant us peace and safety all our days,
and hold back the strength of our enemies. Hear, O God,
the cry of all your faithful Christian servants now and at all times,
for the sake of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and forever. Amen.
Guided prayer from Starting Line Church for March 6, 2023.
Written Prayer for this week:
"Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend to the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying,
soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous;
and all for your love’s sake. Amen."
Guided prayer from Starting Line Church for February 27, 2023.
Written prayer from this week:
"O God,
the protector of all who hope in you,
without you nothing is strong, and nothing is holy.
Pour out your mercy on us.
Rule us.
Guide us.
Help us as we pass through this life,
and continue in faith to eternal life;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen."
A sermon preached by Zach Miller at Starting Line Church on February 26, 2023.
Response:
On the map of the stages, begin to ask the question: “Where Am I?” Plot your journey. Write your autobiography.
A sermon preached by Zach Miller at Starting Line Church on February 19, 2023.
Response Questions:
- Why do you think it’s essential for us to have a map as we embark on this journey with Jesus?
- What is the significance that one of the first things God does in burning away sin in our life? Why is that important?
A sermon from Starting Line Church preached on January 29th, 2023.Response questions:Questions for the response time this week: What stood out and why? How can I show my faith by my actions this week?
A sermon from Starting Line Church preached on January 15th, 2023.Response Prompts:1. Take a moment to reflect on times recently that you’ve gotten angry. What were you angry at? Why did you get angry? Would it be classified as human anger or Godly anger?2. Journal about a time when you got angry and how you felt.3. Pray and ask God to give you the patience to be quick to listen and slow to speak andbecome angry. Ask for forgiveness in times that you let human anger get the best of you.
A sermon from Starting Line Church preached on January 8th, 2023
Response Questions:
1. Why do you think James starts off his letter this way?
2. Joy is a choice that we make. How does that change our perspective?
3. How does choosing endurance grow our faith?