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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Was Jesus ambitious or unambitious? We have to say that the answer is…yes.
If Psalms 1 and 2 reveal the Christ who reigns, Psalms 3 and 4 reveal the Christ who remains.
When we fail, our first impulse is the same as that of our spiritual ancestors: to sprint headlong into the bushes.
He has freed you from a selfish fixation on gifts. He has freed you to look to the Giver.
Just like Peter, you don’t need to do anything to earn God’s forgiveness for your soul wounds.
Election is not a riddle to solve. It’s a pillow to rest your head on at night.
God leads us to green pastures. He comforts us with his grace in our darkest valleys.
The following entries are excerpts from Chad Bird’s upcoming book, Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of the Psalms (1517 Publishing, 2025), pgs. 191-192.
While ambiguous “Christ-centeredness” by its very nature fragments Christianity by way of its subjectivism, Christological commitments beget unity or, at least, move strongly in that direction.
Here is the true story, the one worth remembering: You are a gift.
The “mystery of faith” entails the article of faith: Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and, finally, his Parousia.
We need redemption, and we receive it in our church community through God’s Word.