We all have unique experiences, expectations, and diverse thoughts because we are different. Yet, what unites us and makes us brothers and sisters is our connection to and never-ending love for Jesus, which binds us together. We are the House of God, the Church—a Great House. Bishop D. G. Hargrove concludes a powerful five-level journey with God, establishing our commitment to Him as a Great House.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure…” (2 Timothy 2)
That foundation is steady. It doesn’t wobble when culture shifts. It doesn’t crack when opinions collide. It stands sure—because God is faithful, and God knows who belongs to Him.
And then Paul says something that ought to settle every anxious heart that has ever struggled with church people:
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”
(2 Timothy 2:20)
In other words, it’s a great house—even when everybody in the house isn’t at the same level of maturity.
And I want to talk to believers in Garland, TX—and all across Plano, Richardson, Murphy, and Wylie—and throughout Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County. If you’ve ever felt discouraged by division, disappointed by people, or tempted to walk away because the church isn’t perfect, hear me plainly:
It’s still a great house.
The Enemy Uses Opinions to Divide What God Built to Unite
One of the loudest messages of disunity among the people of God has always been this: opinions.
The moment we travel outside core biblical principles and start majoring on lesser matters, the enemy finds room to work. Even in the New Testament, strong leaders like Paul and Peter had sharp disagreements, and the early church wrestled with issues that could have fractured everything.
But they eventually learned something we must learn today:
If we don’t tolerate differences with spiritual maturity, the enemy will use “lower purposes” to divide us from the ultimate purpose—pursuing the Kingdom of God.
We are not chasing something temporary.
We are pursuing something eternal.
And if you spend your life trying to make the temporal perfect, you’ll stay frustrated. But if you pursue the eternal, God will bring what’s necessary into order according to His plan.
Brothers Can Have Pillow Fights and Still Be Family
Let me make it plain. I grew up in a small house—four boys, one room, two beds.
And when the lights went out, we’d start the pillow fights. We’d go at it—thumping each other, laughing, aggravating one another. And then we’d hear Mom coming down the hall. We’d freeze. She’d open the door, flip on the light and say, “Everything okay?”
“Oh yes ma’am. We’re good.”
She’d leave.
And we’d start right back up again.
But here’s the point: we were brothers.
We may have different opinions.
We may not always see everything the same way.
But we are family—because Calvary brought us into the Kingdom.
So yes, in a great house you’ve got gold and silver—and you’ve got wood and earth. You’ve got vessels to honor and vessels that need some sanctifying. But Paul said it clearly:
It’s still a great house.
And I wouldn’t want to travel through this life without it.
Don’t Let Assumptions Hijack Your Calling
There’s a story of two men in a bank audit department traveling overnight to a distant branch. They were eating at a café, and one of them said, “First we’ll hit the tellers, and then we’ll get the vault.”
The next morning they arrived at the bank and were promptly arrested.
Why?
A police captain had been in the café and overheard them. He assumed they were planning a robbery. He didn’t understand “audit language,” so he made a dangerous assumption.
Let me tell you something: assumptions can imprison people.
Assumptions can fracture relationships.
Assumptions can create division in God’s house.
So today I’m not here to clarify every assumption people may have. But I am here to lay down something vital:
The journey in God has levels. And if we understand the journey, we can love people at every stage.
The Five Levels of the Journey in a Great House
1) Faith
Everything begins with faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Some people in this great house have nothing but faith right now—they believe God exists. They believe He rewards those who seek Him.
And hear me: we don’t despise that.
We embrace it.
2) Experience
Many have had an experience with God—something real, something personal.
I remember at 18 years old sitting in my old ’69 Chevrolet van, head on the steering wheel, saying, “God, if You really exist, talk to me.”
And I felt something.
That was an experience.
You may be reading this from Garland, or Plano, or Wylie, or Richardson, and you’ve had moments where God touched you, nudged you, spoke to you in that still small voice.
I’m not here to discount that. Not at all.
But I will tell you this: there is a greater, fuller experience Jesus calls us to.
3) New Birth (Born Again of Water and Spirit)
The greatest experience you will ever have is to be born again.
Jesus said if you want to enter the Kingdom, you must be born again. After Jesus was glorified, He poured out His Spirit—Acts 2 tells us they received the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.
If you’ve had an experience but not the full experience, I’m here to declare:
It’s yours.
4) Relationship
After faith and experience, relationship begins to grow.
And relationships are valuable. Of everything we will gain in this life, relationships matter most.
Some of us didn’t even know what a real father looked like until we came into the Kingdom and found what Scripture calls:
“Abba, Father.”
There are people throughout Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County carrying wounds from broken homes, absent fathers, and fractured families.
But in this great house, you can find a Father who loves you, cares for you, and calls you His.
5) Love and Walking in the Spirit
Somewhere in the journey, if you keep going, you fall in love with God.
And when you fall in love with God, your values realign.
Love is not always a feeling—it’s a commitment.
There have been days I didn’t feel like loving. Days I didn’t feel loved. But commitment held steady.
And when you fall in love with God, you stop hunting for exits.
Because if you’re looking for an exit route, you’ll always find one. But love says:
“I’m staying.”
Not because you loved every song.
Not because you agreed with every sermon.
Not because you liked every personality.
But because you love God.
And when love grows, something else happens: you begin to walk in the Spirit.
“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
That’s where maturity lives. That’s where freedom lives. That’s where people stop getting tangled up in things that have no eternal weight.
Love People at Every Level—Because It’s a Great House
Here’s the takeaway for every believer in Garland, TX and beyond:
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If someone near you only has faith—embrace them.
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If someone has only an experience—love them forward.
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If someone is building relationship but still shallow—be patient.
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If someone is growing into love—encourage them.
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And if you’re ready—rise up and walk in the Spirit.
Because this is a journey.
And the church—God’s church—is still a great house.
I’m on My Stairway to Heaven
I brought a songbook once—compiled by my step-grandfather—and there was a song on page 11:
“I’m on my stairway to heaven tonight, I’m climbing higher and higher each day…”
I tried to sing it for him once, thinking he’d be proud. When I asked him how it went, he told me it was one of the worst renditions he’d ever heard.
I never sang it again.
But I never forgot the message.
We’re on a stairway. We’re on a journey.
It starts with faith. It grows through experience. It deepens into relationship. It matures into love. And it leads us into walking in the Spirit.
And if you ever truly fall in love with Jesus—there’s nothing too hard, nothing too heavy, nothing strong enough to pull you out of the great house.
