Super What?
Joe Slater
	Not being a football fan, I could easily become negative regarding this “Super Bowl Sunday.” While no sin is involved in watching a football game, I am profoundly disturbed at the attention and devotion the Super Bowl receives from some Christians, especially when compared to their attention to spiritual things and their devotion to the Lord. Instead of criticizing the game, however, I want to lift up the Lord and His cause. Perhaps if we understood what a “Super” religion  Christianity is, we would keep our priorities in better order.
	In the first place, we have received super-abundant grace from God. “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). In Paul’s language, “was exceedingly abundant” is one compound verb which literally means “super-abounded.” God’s grace doesn’t drip down from heaven; it cascades in a flood! He doesn’t dole out grace by the teaspoon, but sends it in rivers!
	One of the marvelous results of God’s grace is that we have that “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Paul’s word “surpasses” is another compound word with “super” on the front – “super-surpasses.” The peace God gives is so superior to anything the world has to offer that it defies understanding.
	A companion to that glorious peace is the joy of which Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 7:4. “. . . I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.” Once again, “exceedingly” has that word “super” on the front of it – literally it means “super-abundantly.” Even in the midst of tribulation, Paul was not only joyful, but super-abundantly joyful! Christians ought to be the happiest people on earth (even more joyful than the football fans whose team wins the Super Bowl)!
	What was Paul so happy about, and why should we be so happy? God’s grace and peace contribute mightily to our joy, but consider also the grand victory God has given us over the world. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Paul’s expression “more than conquerors” is another of those compound words, literally “super-conquerors.” I suspect that both Super Bowl teams would like to win – BIG! In Christ, we don’t just barely squeak by; we are super-conquerors. As Peter wrote, “an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11).
	God extends super-grace, giving us super-peace and super-joy, and making us super-conquerors. Watch the Super Bowl if you wish, but please don’t let it detract from the super blessings that are yours in Christ!
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Life is like a cafeteria
One goes through
Choosing as he goes.
But what he chooses
Must be paid for
At the end of the line.
Choose wisely,
Carefully, prayerfully.
No refunds, no exchanges!
I just wish I could live my life over again!
	This is what Elijah, a six-year-old son of Jimmy and Trina Gee, who are missionaries in Arusha, Tanzania, said while he and his brothers were enjoying their skateboard and skates on the smooth concrete. Thinking he was dissatisfied and wanted to change something, Trina asked what he would do differently. He enthusiastically responded, "Nothing! I just want to do it all over again!"  Now that's the way to live life!
	But, the older we get the more we would like to live life over because there are some things we'd like to change.  God enables that to happen.  Paul reminds us, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinth-ians 5:17).  Being immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins puts one into Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). When one submits to Christ, by confessing His name before men and is baptized, the past life is gone.  Your new life begins.  That is why Jesus described this event as being born again to Nicodemus in John 3:1-8. Would you like to live your life over again?  Let us assist you with that.

	-- Wayne Burger (Conifer, CO)