Dwelling Place Anaheim

What do you do when your heart is crushed?

When you come to the end of your rope?

When life hurts more than you can bear?

In this new series, Good News for Hurting Hearts, we begin with Jesus' words in Matthew 5:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

The poor in spirit are those who know they're not in control — who've stopped playing God and started trusting Him.

They're not hiding their pain or denying their humanity. They've come to the end of themselves, and found that God meets them there.

The kingdom of God isn't for the strong, but for those who admit their weakness.

It's for every heart that's hurting, tired, and ready to let go.

There's good news for every hurting heart — and it begins with surrender.

Alan continues our Invested series with a message on generosity. Generosity isn't automatic—it's not the default. If we want to build bigger hearts, we have to be intentional and get trained in it.

Hebrews 13:16 reminds us: "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." In Luke 12, Jesus warns us that life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. We face two life strategies—will we store, or will we share?

True generosity is purposeful—not giving when there's an appeal or out of obligation, but giving the first fruits to the Lord and seeking every opportunity to live generously. From interested to invested, take your next step in generosity today

Today, Kathryn continued our Invested series with a message called "Thankful."

From Hebrews 12 and 1 Thessalonians 5, we're reminded to give thanks in all circumstances, and to let gratitude shape our language and our life together as community. Thanksgiving banishes complaint, unites us as family, and positions us for God's salvation to break in.

Psalm 50:23 declares that offering thanks honors God and prepares the way for Him to reveal His salvation. Gratitude isn't just a response—it's a step of faith that makes room for the kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Take your next step today, and join us as we learn what it means to live fully invested—in community, as community, with thankful hearts.

This week, Alan and Kathryn continue our new series on 'Invested' and share on the theme of Worship and Prayer.

Worship is all about Jesus—it's not about what we get, but what we give. We give Him our best, and we give it fresh. We don't hold anything back, and we don't let anything get in the way. Worship is meant to be steeped in praise, not stuck in ritual.

Hebrews 13 reminds us: "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God", True worship means going "outside the camp" with Jesus, bearing His reproach and offering Him everything. Isaiah echoes this call: "Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth".

As we give ourselves in worship and prayer, we align our hearts with His Kingdom and prepare room for the new things He wants to do.

Today we begin a new journey together called Invested. Hebrews 12 paints a picture of discipleship that isn't casual—it's costly, purposeful, and transforming.

How do we really follow Jesus and grow in our faith? Not by staying passive, but by becoming passionate. Not just interested, but invested. The Father trains us with purpose, shaping us through discipline, hardship, and community so that we become more equipped, more alive in His will, and more fruitful for His Kingdom. Keep your eyes on Jesus (with expectation), and do what He tells you to do (in obedience) and trust Him to bring it to completion.

This Labor Day weekend, James shares a reminder that our work is not separate from our faith — it's central to it. From the beginning, God gave work as a gift. Genesis tells us that man was placed in the garden to work and take care of it and Paul reminds us in Romans 12 that offering our "everyday, ordinary life" — our going-to-work, eating, sleeping, and walking-around life — is true worship before God.

Work is more than productivity; it's creativity, discovery, and an opportunity to partner with God in renewing culture. Whether you're in education, hospitality, health or leading in your industry, your work matters. It is holy to the Lord.

As we celebrate Labor Day, this message invites us to see our workplace as our worship space, and to live with fresh faith that God's Spirit is poured out not only in church services, but in boardrooms and classrooms. Our Monday is as sacred as our Sunday, and God is writing His story through our everyday.

Today, we continue our journey through Hebrews 11. Together we’re not only learning the principles of faith, but also discovering the purpose behind it.

Faith doesn’t look the same for every person, and it doesn’t always look the same in every season. Yet true faith always takes what is in God’s heart and brings it into our present moment in history.

As you listen, ask yourself…

What is my faith assignment in the season?

What is God inviting or directing me to do through faith at this time?

May each of us have clarity in this season on our assignment of faith. May you know what the Spirit of the Lord is upon you to do.

As a community, we continue to take new and next steps of faith. Today, Alan continues our series through Hebrews as we look at turnaround faith.

God is not finished with your story. Even if you feel overlooked, abandoned, or left out, He is the God of turnaround. Sarah’s story reminds us of this truth—though she was past childbearing age, she still saw God’s promise fulfilled.

Turnaround faith is available for you today.

Today, we continue our new series on faith. As we look further into Hebrews, we are encouraged to take a leap of faith. Alan and Kathryn share their story of being obedient to the Lord, despite not knowing what it would fully look like. May we be inspired to live in complete surrender to His voice and remain obedient to Him, even when we don’t know all the next steps.

Today, we begin the journey through one of the most iconic chapters in Scripture—Hebrews 11. Often called the “Hall of Faith,” this chapter invites us to remember the stories of ordinary men and women who lived with extraordinary trust in God.

What does faith really look like in our everyday lives? In a world full of uncertainty, noise, and distraction, how do we, like those who came before us, live by faith and not by sight?