This is an excerpt from the third chapter of By Water and the Word: God’s Gift of Baptism for You by Brian Thomas (1517 Publishing, 2026), pgs 52-60.
Even when the bitter places sink down deep into our bones, the Restorer never relinquishes his grip on you.
To Live Well is therefore not a general advice book, but a message suffused with the gospel.

All Articles

The testimony of the apostles is not an escapist message in which Christians are redeemed by leaving bodily life behind.
The story of your life stretches beyond the dash on the tombstone.
It is death that deserves derision, not the disciple who reaches through sorrow for his Lord.
Thanksgiving, then, is not just about plenty. It is about redemption.
Why is it truly meet right and salutary that we should at all times and all places give thanks to God.
The Christian answer to death is not a disembodied app, but a bodily resurrection.
The ascension is not about Jesus going away. It's about Jesus taking his rightful place so that he might fill the world with his presence and power.
“The fear of the Lord” is our heart’s awakening to and recognition of God’s outrageous goodness.
I realized that no matter where I call "home," I won't be able to shake the feeling of homesickness.
In Scripture, laments are raw expressions of grief, but they always point to hope. What if our culture’s obsession with holiday lights is an unconscious way of crying out, “We need good news, and we need it now”?
The Lord’s provision doesn’t rest on the strength of our gratitude.
Thanksgiving is never out of place for the Christian.