Daniel Rose: The Pastor Next Door

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:45:22 -0400

I love days like today where I am overcome with a sense of gratitude.

What's So Amazing About Grace?

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:28:28 -0400

Listen to the unabridged audio here:

Beyond Sunday School is back, and this year we are focusing our conversations on the topic of grace. Over the coming months, we will be diving into a few authors whose work has deeply shaped and influenced how we understand God’s love. There is no better place to start than Brennan Manning’s classic book, The Ragamuffin Gospel.

Brennan Manning influenced the modern church in ways he probably never could have imagined. The Ragamuffin Gospel single-handedly helped rejuvenate the concept of grace for countless believers. What makes his writing so powerful is his tone. Brennan doesn’t write like an untouchable theologian sitting in an ivory tower; he writes like a guy sitting across from you in a diner with bad coffee and stale cigarettes.

Before diving into the book proper, it is worth setting the stage by turning to Scripture—specifically Ephesians 2:1–10.

Saved by Grace, Not by Works

Ephesians 2:1–10 is one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture. After speaking eloquently in chapter one about God’s sovereign grace and great love, Paul dives into the heart of his letter:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air… Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved… For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”

The foundational truth of this passage is simple yet shocking: you cannot earn it.

We live in a culture obsessed with performance, merit, and earning our keep. Popular culture often imagines religion as a series of strict rules where slipping up means ultimate judgment. But Christianity presents a radical reversal: we do nothing to earn God’s favor.

Why does God extend favor to us? Simply because He loves us. That is who He is.

If you look at the opening of Genesis, the rhythmic refrain of creation is, “Let there be,” and “It was good.” We often picture God sitting on a throne waiting to say, “Thou shalt not,” but the story of Scripture begins with allowance, invitation, and goodness. Out of His immense lovingkindness and rich mercy, God grants us grace.

Remembering Where We Came From

To understand why grace is necessary, we have to be honest about our condition. Paul does not pull any punches in Ephesians: before Christ, we were dead in our transgressions.

In modern society, death is often sanitized. We use euphemisms like “passed away,” and by the time we see a loved one at a funeral home, they look peaceful and asleep. But in the ancient world, death was familiar, harsh, unsanitary, and ugly. When Paul chose the word dead, he knew exactly what it meant.

Furthermore, Paul includes everyone in this reality:

All of us lived among the disobedient.
All of us gratified the cravings of our flesh.
All of us were, by nature, subject to wrath.

When we forget that we came from a place of spiritual death, we risk slipping into self-righteousness. It becomes easy to look down on others from a “holier-than-thou” high horse—a posture that immediately suffocates grace. Remembering our shared origin reminds us why grace is truly amazing, rather than treating it as a cold, academic definition like “unmerited favor.”

The Mechanics vs. The Master

When we talk about salvation, human nature naturally wants to figure out the mechanics:

How does it work?
What specific steps do I need to take?
What is the exact formula?

If you look across Scripture, the “mechanics” seem to vary. When asked what someone must do to be saved, Jesus told one man to sell everything he owned. In other passages, salvation is connected to belief, public confession, or baptism.

The truth is, we do not need to get bogged down in the exact theological mechanics of how dead spiritual soil suddenly bursts into life. What we do know is the Who.

God makes us alive together with Christ because of His great love for us. A dead person cannot resuscitate themselves. Salvation is fundamentally an initiative of God’s grace, and our faith is the natural response to receiving that new life.

Created for Good Works

A crucial element of this passage is verse 10, which can sometimes feel like an afterthought:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Grace is not just a passive gift to be stored away. We are not saved by works, but we are saved for good works. God has a purpose and a mission for His people.

When you truly experience an overwhelming, undeserved act of kindness, your natural instinct is to respond differently to the world around you. In the same way, the good works we do as Christians are not attempts to pay God back or secure His favor—they are the natural, joyful response to receiving a grace we could never earn.

A Word for the Ragamuffins

As we kick off this season reading The Ragamuffin Gospel, consider how Brennan Manning sets the stage in his foreword:

“The Ragamuffin Gospel is written with a specific reading audience in mind. This book is not for the super-spiritual… It is not for legalists who would rather surrender control of their souls to rules than run the risk of living in union with Jesus.

The Ragamuffin Gospel was written for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out. It is for the sorely burdened who are still shifting the heavy suitcase from one hand to the other. It is for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don’t have it all together… It is for earthen vessels who shuffle along on feet of clay… The Ragamuffin Gospel is a book I wrote for myself and anyone who has grown weary and discouraged along the way.”

If you are tired, messy, or feel like your life is a disappointment, this journey is for you. Welcome to a season of discovering the endless depth of God’s amazing grace.

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:31:12 -0400

Watched: 🍿

We saw this tonight and while my wife did not enjoy a single second of it, I left with so many questions and thoughts. I need to see it again even though it was a bit exhausting.

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:53:35 -0400

I despise Bulgarian Split Squats.

A few years ago, I could not do Bulgarian Split Squats.

Now I can.

I still despise them.

2.4 Faith After Innocence

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:41:27 -0400

Deconstruction is clear, but reconstruction requires true courage. In this episode, we explore what it looks like to rebuild a resilient, mature faith after your previous spiritual frameworks have broken down. Moving beyond the need for absolute certainty, we discuss how to embrace a scarred resurrection hope, distinguish childlike faith from childish faith, and establish a new foundation centered on grace and love.

Key Takeaways

Reconstruction vs. Deconstruction: Taking something apart is straightforward; rebuilding requires stepping into maturity and becoming who you are meant to be rather than trying to return to who you were.
Childlike vs. Childish Faith: Mature faith moves from childish characteristics (fragile, defensive, hyper-certain) to childlike trust (open, honest, and comfortable with depth).
Holding Tension: A resilient faith can coexist with mystery, doubt, and unanswered questions without collapsing.
Trust Over Certainty: The goal of reconstruction isn’t to build a new set of rigid certainties, but to cultivate deeper trust with God, self, and community.
Grace at the Center: God’s faithfulness remains intact even when our conceptual frameworks crumble. Reconstruction is not about earning your way back, but responding to a God who never left.

Practical Steps for Reconstruction

Return to Worship Cautiously: Seek out new, healthy communities rather than forcing yourself back into environments where you experienced harm.
Shift Your Spiritual Habits: Pray with simple, honest language rather than flowery rhetoric, and read Scripture through the lens of grace and love rather than legalistic scaffolding.
Hold Doctrine Humility: Treat theological doctrines as helpful signposts rather than absolute items to be defended at all costs.
Pace Yourself: Allow the non-essentials to settle slowly—you don’t need all the answers to stay faithful.

Scripture Focus

John 20:24–29 (Thomas and Jesus): Jesus meets Thomas directly in his doubt without rebuke, offering his scarred hands and side as an invitation to trust.

Memorable Quotes

“Faith with scars is still faith.”

“Childlike faith is trusting, open, and honest. Childish faith is fragile, defensive, certain, without depth.”

“God’s faithfulness did not deconstruct when our framework did.”

Next Episode Teaser

Join us next time as we address community: How do we stay connected when church has become complicated?

Transcript

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:08:57 -0400

I played the Jack Nicklaus designed, Bay Point Golf Course today. Stunning views and the signature fifth hole was so very cool.

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:07:36 -0500

“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Mary Oliver, poet

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:14:02 -0500

Last night Amy and I had dinner at Wicked Wheel in Panama City Beach, FL. Fantastic environment and the food was marvelous.

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:12:48 -0500

I really enjoyed my round of golf at Signal Hill in Panama City Beach, FL today. Played one of the best rounds of my life and was paired up with two really great guys from Georgia.

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:21:10 -0400

This morning I played The Legacy in Panama City Beach, FL. It was toasty but fun. #Rest

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 22:02:50 -0400

Sometimes you have to just stop and create space.

I am grateful to be able to do so this week. Not everyone has that freedom or privilege.

My gratitude is overflowing.

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 20:02:16 -0400

The sunsets in Panama City Beach, FL are second to none.

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 17:27:22 -0400

Finished reading: by Pierce Brown 📚

It was a struggle to get into this one but it got better and better. I am anxious for book five to become available from the library!

2.3 What to Keep, What to Let Go?

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:29:32 -0400

In this episode, I explore how faith can unravel without collapsing. I walk through a practical way to tell the difference between the core of Christianity and the packaging around it, offering questions to help you sort through doubt, grief, and uncertainty with honesty. My focus is on what remains when old assumptions fall away—especially the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, grace, and love as the center of theology.

Key Topics

Core vs. Packaging: I distinguish between the core of faith and the cultural, political, and fear-based packaging that often surrounds it.
The Center Points: I share what I see as essential: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, grace, covenant love, love of God and neighbor, and new creation.
Signs It’s Time to Let Go: I break down warning signs that a belief may need to be released, including chronic fear, denial of reality, inability to tolerate questions, and prioritizing control over love.
Does It Shrink Jesus?: I argue that any theology making Jesus smaller, more manageable, or less compassionate should be reexamined.
Stability in Deconstruction: I describe how a strong foundation allows questions, stretching, and doubt to happen without losing your center.
Grace and Resurrection: I talk about how grace is never earned and how resurrection anchors our hope, perseverance, and sacrificial love.
Love as the Goal: I frame love as the very purpose and end of theology, using Jesus’ command to love one another as our ultimate measure.
The Role of Scripture: I explain why Scripture is authoritative when it points to Christ and serves love, but distorted when used to support power, political regimes, or harm.
Navigating Grief: I acknowledge the heavy grief that comes with letting go—including loss, anger, betrayal, and disorientation—and why feeling grief isn’t proof that you’re wrong.

Four Questions for Discernment: I close with four actionable questions to help guide your process.

Does this belief draw me toward love?
Does this reflect the character of Jesus?
Does this produce humility or superiority?
Does this increase trust or fear?

Transcript

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:52:11 -0400

This man. He will be missed. May God raise up another. Well done, good and faithul servant.

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:41:08 -0400

Wendell Berry has gone to be with the Lord today at the age of 92. He was one of those authors that have influenced me on a profound level.

I am grateful for his words that live forever in so many.

I think this

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:31:33 -0400

There’s a new episode for The Pastor Next Door coming tomorrow. Until then check out this highlight from last week.

Faith isn't certainty in outcomes, it's a relationship.

Abide - Crushing the Myths of Self, Comfort, and Speed

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:15:03 -0400

Listen to the unabridged sermon here:

In our household, we have two family mottos that get repeated constantly:

God is sovereign and good. We need this reminder often because the world is messy, tricky, and difficult.
Reality is our friend. (Coined by my wife, Amy.) Because the world is broken, facing reality honestly—rather than living in wishful thinking—is essential.

These two principles frame Jesus’ final words to His disciples in John 15 and 16. Sitting in the Upper Room, the disciples were in a state of emotional shock. Communion was over, Judas had departed, and Jesus had just dropped the news that He was about to be executed.

Knowing their grief, Jesus offered them a foundational truth: to truly live, we must abide in His love. But to abide in Christ, we have to dismantle three common myths that poison our spiritual lives.

Myth 1: The Myth of Self

We live in a culture that worships grit, self-determination, and independence. We love the famous lines from William Ernest Henley’s poem Invictus: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

It sounds heroic, but spiritually, it’s a total lie.

Jesus directly undercuts this mindset in John 15:5: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” In the original Greek, “nothing” means nothing. You cannot build a life of eternal significance on your own hustle and determination.

The Remedy: Jesus gives us the key to staying connected to Him—keep His commands, primarily the command to love one another.

Loving God often feels relatively easy; we can pray, sing, and come to church. Loving people is where the friction happens. Deep community quickly exposes annoying habits, personality clashes, and offense. Yet, staying connected to the Vine requires putting to death the self-centered myth that we can manage life alone. You cannot pull yourself up by your own bootstraps; you need Christ, and you need His church.

Myth 2: The Myth of Comfort

A widespread misconception in the modern church is that following Jesus guarantees a smooth, pain-free life. Yet Jesus explicitly warns His followers that the world will hate them and that inconvenience, opposition, and struggle are normal parts of the journey.

Furthermore, Jesus introduces the uncomfortable reality of spiritual pruning: “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2).

Pruning hurts. When we experience seasons of trial or friction while trying to do the right thing, our knee-jerk reaction is to ask, “God, what did I do wrong? Why are You punishing me?”

Often, you aren’t being punished; you are being pruned. God, in His love, cuts back certain areas of your life so you can produce a higher yield of grace, patience, joy, and peace.

The Remedy: Do not confuse pruning with punishment, and do not expect ease from a world that rejected Christ. Sacrificial love and radical grace make a broken world uncomfortable, but they are the precise fruits we are called to bear.

Myth 3: The Myth of the Immediate

We are an instant-gratification culture. When a TV breaks, we order a new one for next-day delivery. When a person hesitates for two seconds at a green light, we hit the horn. We hate waiting.

Because of this, when trial or pain strikes, we demand immediate resolution. When relief doesn’t come instantly, we tend to numb ourselves through entertainment, alcohol, or endless distraction.

In John 16, Jesus acknowledges the disciples’ immediate sorrow over His departure, but He points them beyond the present moment: “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy… In a little while you will see me.”

Jesus offers something far better than instant circumstances-fixer: He gives us the indwelling Holy Spirit to walk with us through the wait. He closes His teaching with an decisive promise:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Notice the tense. Jesus spoke those words before the cross and resurrection, treating the victory as already finished.

Examining Your Heart

Which of these three myths is the hardest for you to let go of?

The Myth of Self? Pray: “Lord, I stop striving on my own strength and choose to abide in You.”
The Myth of Comfort? Pray: “Father, give me grace to submit to Your pruning and to stop fearing the world’s disapproval.”
The Myth of the Immediate? Pray: “Jesus, help me to take heart and trust in Your finished victory over my present trial.”

God is sovereign and good, and reality is your friend. Step out of the myths, anchor yourself in the Vine, and trust the One who has already overcome the world.

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:37:58 -0400

I have crossed the Rubicon. I get sore after my lifts. To stop being sore, I need to lift again. 🤣

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 06:45:51 -0400

I resonate with this quote from James Clear, ““Long-term thinking changes short-term actions. Spend a little time today doing things that will benefit you in ten years.”

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:05:03 -0400

Next week, I am going to post the podcast as a video in the podcast feed. I am curious to see if it shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube as video.

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:46:45 -0400

I bumped into this quote from Simone Weil today. What does it look to be rooted in your life?

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:46:54 -0400

I really don’t enjoy leg day. It’s hard.

I really love leg day. I can do hard things.

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:59:36 -0400

What happens when faith fails?

I tried to be a bit more succinct to keep this episode of The Pastor Next Door under 20 minutes for those of you that prefer to watch a video. Thanks to micro.blog I can host the video episode right here! I hope you enjoy it.

2.2 When Faith Stops Working

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:21:03 -0400

What happens when the faith framework you grew up with slowly stops working? In this episode of The Pastor Next Door, I sit down to explore the quiet, unglamorous moments when prayer feels flat, answers no longer satisfy, and emotional certainty fades away.

Rather than viewing spiritual dryness, doubt, or deconstruction as a collapse or divine rejection, I reframe these seasons as a natural threshold of spiritual maturity . Drawing from John 6 and the life-giving choice to “stay” even when confused, this conversation offers a compassionate roadmap for navigating faith transitions without falling into cynicism or isolation.

Key Topics Covered

When Faith Stops Working: Recognizing the subtle shift from certainty to spiritual dryness, emotional numbness, and questioning.
Transactional vs. Relational Faith: Why certainty- and outcome-based faith models fall short in the real world, and how mature faith is rooted in relationship rather than guaranteed outcomes.
Understanding Divine Silence: Why seasons of feeling distant from God are an ancient, common part of the human condition—and why silence does not equal absence or rejection.
Navigating Deconstruction: Practical guidance on slowing down, avoiding reactionary choices, maintaining small daily practices, and staying connected to safe people.

Episode Quote

“Sometimes what’s falling apart isn’t faith. It’s a version of faith that could not carry us into adulthood.” — Daniel Rose

Next Up Tune in next time as we explore what to keep, what to let go of, and how to begin rebuilding a grounded, resilient faith without pretending.

Transcript