--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That’s when it finally hit home—God is…" description: "\"“That’s when it finally hit home—God is not a pile of bricks or a collection of outdated rules—He is a living, breathing, Being. No church, no building..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg" --- # That’s when it finally hit home—God is not a pile of… ![“That’s when it finally hit home—God is not a pile of bricks or a collection of outdated rules—He is a living, breathing, Being. No church, no building, no collection of people would ever be Him. He was God. He was love. He is the greatest being in the universe. Nothing—save Jesus’ death on the…” quote by Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg) > ““That’s when it finally hit home—God is not a pile of bricks or a collection of outdated rules—He is a living, breathing, Being. No church, no building, no collection of people would ever be Him. He was God. He was love. He is the greatest being in the universe. Nothing—save Jesus’ death on the cross—could ever fully represent Him or His love for the human race.”” [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine love is portrayed as a living, personal being beyond institutions, with Jesus' sacrifice as an incomplete representation of that love. **In simple terms:** God is love, not a building or rules. Key Takeaway Divine love transcends institutions. Themes theology spirituality love religion Mood reverent hopeful Type theological reflective When to use this quote - personal prayer - interfaith dialogue - comfort after loss Key Concepts personal deity ineffability Practical Applications - encourage personal spiritual reflection - use in counseling about faith and doubt Questions to Reflect On - How does personal experience shape one's concept of the divine? - Can communal rituals coexist with this individualistic view? A Different Perspective The view may conflict with traditions that find value in communal worship and doctrinal structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness is to be found only in the home, where God is loved and honored. Where each one gives love,cares,and helping each other No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/happiness-is-to-be-found-only-in-the-home-where-god-is-loved-and/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) > [Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-smith/joseph-smith-the-prophet-and-seer-of-the-lord-has-done-more-save/) [Sam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-smith/) > [Our God is might to save jesus conquered the grave, He risen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sikhwetha-maanda-stanley/our-god-is-might-to-save-jesus-conquered-the-grave-he-risen/) [Sikhwetha Maanda Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sikhwetha-maanda-stanley/) > [The gospel declares that no matter how dutiful or prayerful we are, we can't save ourselves. What Jesus did was sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/the-gospel-declares-that-no-matter-how-dutiful-or-prayerful-we-are-we/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [Remember that vision on the Mount of Transfiguration; and let it be ours, even in the glare of earthly joys and brightnesses, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/remember-that-vision-on-the-mount-of-transfiguration-and-let-it-be/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [What will it cost you, oh Mary, to hear our prayer? What will it cost you to save us? Has not Jesus placed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/what-will-it-cost-you-oh-mary-to-hear-our-prayer-what-will-it-cost/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [“(Almost) every religion is waiting for someone to come save us. Jesus is going to come save the Christians, Messiah is going to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alathea-daniels/almost-every-religion-is-waiting-for-someone-to-come-save-us-jesus-is/) Alathea Daniels > [“After centuries of being told that “Jesus saves,” the time has come to save Jesus from the church. If the door is locked, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-r-meyers/after-centuries-of-being-told-that-jesus-saves-the-time-has-come-to/) [Robin R. Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-r-meyers/) > [“No men can save himself, that's why Jesus was nailed on the cross.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evans-biya/no-men-can-save-himself-that-s-why-jesus-was-nailed-on-the-cross/) [Evans Biya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evans-biya/) > [For many people, God is a frightening idea. Asking God for help doesn't seem very comforting if we think of Him as something outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/for-many-people-god-is-a-frightening-idea-asking-god-for-help-doesn-t/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Things change and so do people but God's love will never change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/things-change-and-so-do-people-but-god-s-love-will-never-change/) [Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/) > [I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-am-a-pilgrim-in-the-world-but-at-home-in-my-god-in-the-earth-i/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Soul yearns to return home to God. Home to God means the area of supreme divine love that has no conditions attached to it:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/soul-yearns-to-return-home-to-god-home-to-god-means-the-area-of/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) > [Look up in the sky see the clouds the beautiful colors, the birds in the trees, whistle beautiful rhythm organized song's! The Sun lit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/look-up-in-the-sky-see-the-clouds-the-beautiful-colors-the-birds-in/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Love your country. Your country is the land where your parents sleep, where is spoken that language in which the chosen of your heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-mazzini/love-your-country-your-country-is-the-land-where-your-parents-sleep/) [Giuseppe Mazzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-mazzini/) ## More by Michael J Heil > [“I felt so lost in my addiction, I believed that no one was capable of understanding or helping me. I thought I was uniquely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-felt-so-lost-in-my-addiction-i-believed-that-no-one-was-capable-of/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“I didn’t realize that there would always be something influencing my decisions and weighing in on my life. At this moment weed was calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-didn-t-realize-that-there-would-always-be-something-influencing-my/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“Common sense told me that I didn’t want to lie to my family constantly, steal all the time, and drug myself into a coma.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/common-sense-told-me-that-i-didn-t-want-to-lie-to-my-family/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“If you use sex whenever you want with whomever you want, you’re treating it like trash, like it means nothing. Imagine a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/if-you-use-sex-whenever-you-want-with-whomever-you-want-you-re/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“As I sat on the floor in the corner of the concrete block, it felt as if the last domino had fallen in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/as-i-sat-on-the-floor-in-the-corner-of-the-concrete-block-it-felt-as/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“I was no longer missing a piece. Jesus had taken all my insufficiencies, washed them away, and filled the very core of my being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-was-no-longer-missing-a-piece-jesus-had-taken-all-my/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“God could not overlook the plight of the orphan or the widow, the victim of genocide, war, or rape; He could not turn His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/god-could-not-overlook-the-plight-of-the-orphan-or-the-widow-the/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“I’d been so used to the court system and thinking of myself as a criminal. I’d been so used to pleading in abeyance, proclaiming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-d-been-so-used-to-the-court-system-and-thinking-of-myself-as-a/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“I tried to think and hope for the best, but it didn’t change who I was. It didn’t change my core, my desires, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-tried-to-think-and-hope-for-the-best-but-it-didn-t-change-who-i-was/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“We live in a world full of contracts. When someone fails to meet the outlined terms of the contract, we seek a better suitor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/we-live-in-a-world-full-of-contracts-when-someone-fails-to-meet-the/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“Perhaps life’s simplest and most frequent mistake is to take who we are for granted in our anxious anticipation of who we might be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/perhaps-life-s-simplest-and-most-frequent-mistake-is-to-take-who-we/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“Each year there are new scientific breakthroughs, many of which contradict the old ones. Blinding myself by becoming set in my bigoted, limited perspective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/each-year-there-are-new-scientific-breakthroughs-many-of-which/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“When the eternal God looked at my record and said, “Michael is found guilty, the penalty of his crimes is death and his crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/when-the-eternal-god-looked-at-my-record-and-said-michael-is-found/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“I was told that even if I had years of sobriety, I would always be an addict, and I believed it. Since my identity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/i-was-told-that-even-if-i-had-years-of-sobriety-i-would-always-be-an/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) > [“Our culture tells us to want sex, pleasure, and instant gratification. Every hit song raves about it. Consumerism tells us that we need it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/our-culture-tells-us-to-want-sex-pleasure-and-instant-gratification/) [Michael J Heil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) [Explore all 32 Michael J Heil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That’s when it finally hit home—God is not a pile of bricks or a collection of outdated rules—He is a living, breathing, Being. No church, no building, no collection of people would ever be Him. He was God. He was love. He is the greatest being in the universe. Nothing—save Jesus’ death on the cross—could ever fully represent Him or His love for the human race.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael J Heil" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-not-a-pile-of-bricks-or-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-not-a-pile-of-bricks-or-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/851/michael-j-heil-19861_finally-hit-home_that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-n_109084.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That’s when it finally hit home—God is not a pile of bricks or a collection of outdated rules—He is a…” — Michael J Heil", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael J Heil", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-heil/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“That’s when it finally hit home—God...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-not-a-pile-of-bricks-or-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-heil/that-s-when-it-finally-hit-home-god-is-not-a-pile-of-bricks-or-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```