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.

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In a world—and even a church—full of distractions, thank God for Rod Rosenbladt. He pointed us to Jesus and Jesus alone.
My goal here isn’t to selfishly reflect on all the reasons I will miss Rod because I know that if you are reading this, you may miss this man, too.
God demonstrates his great love for us in the actions of Jesus, who came down into the flesh and soaked up all our sin.
In normal human relationships, when reconciliation is necessary, we place the burden on the person who did wrong, who disrupted the relationship.
A “good death” and “good life” are not accomplished through personal striving but are grasped by faith in the promises of God.
God gives his church a story that helps to make sense of this life.
Your justification isn’t a matter of “Jesus plus” anything.
It would serve us well to embrace the beauty of our diversity within the unity of the body of Christ.
Amy Mantravadi asks if we should forgive others even if they are not repentant
No plot spoilers here just some really Good News
Confession and absolution offer more than assurance, they gift real and genuine Divine promises.
Human solutions to problems, important as they are, are inadequate to meet our deepest needs