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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St. Patrick was great but only because he was a slave to Christ.
Patrick's breakthrough came when he began to leverage his knowledge of the native language and customs to build a bridge between Irish lore and the Christian mythos.
We can interpret "be the Church" as either law or gospel.
Regardless of background or beliefs, every American I talk to seems on edge, as if the sky were about to fall. But the sky is not falling.
Rod Rosenbladt, the encourager of all things good, true, and beautiful and a tireless warrior for Jesus and the Gospel message, finally rests at the marriage feast of the lamb.
There is no AA for legalists. At least not officially. But there ought to be, and it should be called your local church.
In a world—and even a church—full of distractions, thank God for Rod Rosenbladt. He pointed us to Jesus and Jesus alone.
God gives his church a story that helps to make sense of this life.
Anderson encourages us to meditate upon the ways that Christ truly is the end of our exploring.
It would serve us well to embrace the beauty of our diversity within the unity of the body of Christ.
Do our petitions move God?
What (if anything) makes a sermon distinctive?