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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I have to believe that grace - God’s grace - will be waiting on the other side.
Five promises were seemingly all those apostles, staring into the sky, had to go on. Five promises that were more than enough.
The lack of history surrounding Psalm 130 allows it to endure as universally appealing even for our seasons of hopelessness and despair when we’re in “the depths.”
For you who are struggling to navigate grief, to cope with pain, or breathe through anxiety, the gospel announces that there is a person whose heart throbs for you.
It's easy to have courage when things go well.
Jesus continues to do the same for me and for you as he did for his disciples. He still shows up for us. He still speaks his peace to us.
For Paul, the hope of the resurrection was the ultimate antidote whenever his circumstances tempted him to despair or to "lose heart."
You are the baptized, for in Christ we are all wet. The demographic dividers are washed away.
This article is written by guest contributor, Aaron Boerst
The relationship with God through Christ and renewal in his image in Christ cannot be taken away or compromised through suffering.
St. Patrick was great but only because he was a slave to Christ.
Sin is a heavy thing to bear. Its jacket is shame, its medals are guilt.