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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Jesus refreshes you with the promises of the gospel, wrapped in the words of Scripture, drawn in the pictures of the sacraments.
Polycarp’s faith, life, writings, and even his death revealed the fruit of faith and love grafted into his heart by Christ the Vine.
In the upside-down wisdom of God, the place of the cross becomes the place of life, absolution, and triumph.
Jesus is very difficult to bring down. That’s the power of it.
In the liturgy, Christ is present, self-giving, and ever-addressing his people.
Luther’s famous treatise contains great consolation for Christians struggling with grace, suffering, and hope.
"When God has his say, have confidence that his Word and sacraments bestow precisely what he says."
The gospel gives us faith, hope, and love, all of which proceed from Christ’s death and resurrection.
We now are the magi: we worship Christ because of who he is, but also because of what he has done for us and what he continues to do in his gift-giving to us.
Epiphany continues the work done at Christmas, bringing light and life to a dying world desperate for hope.
The crucified and risen Christ comes to renew, restore, and build up.
A Bit of Earth is about the garden, but it’s also about us—as we are made from dirt.