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Pastor: Improving Your Life’s Batting Average

Years ago, a great teacher named Bob Mumford had a thought: “If you want to increase your batting average, you have to stop swinging at every pitch that comes over the plate.”

A baseball player watches for that perfect pitch and then swings for good results. Apply the same strategy to your life. Most people today are swinging in all directions — but they are swinging without a strategy. If you only swung at the ball intended for you to knock out of the park, you would be a Hall of Famer.

One pitch that is thrown to us continually is the pitch of temptations. Why? Because we will swing almost every time at the temptation pitch and strikeout.

Let me confess something to you. I wouldn’t say I like to write about behavior. Most times, it seems the only thing pastors and churches talk about is behavior. Don’t get me wrong. Behavior is important. Why? The next step after, “Lead us not into temptation,” is, “Deliver us from evil.” The problem is not temptation. We all have temptations. The problem is giving in to temptations whose fruit has debilitating consequences.

In the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” doesn’t mean God leads us into temptation. It means precisely the opposite. Jesus was saying, “Lord, help me make wise decisions today. Empower me to overcome temptation, not be overcome by temptations.”

Behavior and how we conduct ourselves are essential. It could determine our destiny. The problem is how we, in the church and other institutions, address other’s behavior. So, many times, it comes across as condemnation, not liberation. It’s more legislation than transformation. It’s like locking a robber in jail and then bragging about how he is not robbing banks anymore. Unless there is a fundamental transformation, that robber is still robbing banks on the inside. He just doesn’t have the opportunity to do what’s still in him. He knows it is illegal to rob a bank, but he doesn’t understand why.

Legislation (the Law) is, “Thou shalt and Thou shalt not.” Transformation (Grace) sees why it’s wiser not to do something and to do another. It’s not throwing the book at somebody and shouting, “Behave yourself,” with no choice or empowerment.

Consider this horse trainer tip from Pastor Randy Helm: “A good horse trainer can get a horse to change. A great horse trainer gets the horse to want to change.”

The same is true of people.

May I suggest a more empowering, more liberating, Biblical approach to making choices that lead us not into temptation? If there is a doubtful issue in your life, something with a mental question mark after it, put it through the Four E’s test. If your problem clears these four tests, it should no longer be a problem.

God gave us the Four E’s test for a reason. It’s a God-empowered strate-

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph

Glendale Star Columnist

SEE DELPH PAGE 21

ANSWERS ON PAGE 3

ACROSS

1 Circulate 5 Jolly laugh 9 Lustrous black 12 Zero, in tennis 13 Scent 14 -- glance 15 Border on 16 Reply to “Shall we?” 17 Rug cleaner, brie y 18 Gestation location 19 Goat’s plaint 20 Roman censor 21 Fib 23 Medit. nation 25 Cellist Pablo 28 Keep perusing 32 Muscat resident 33 Sky blue 34 Lively dances 36 “Be that as it may ...” 37 Sch. URL ender 38 Atty.’s title 39 Libretto 42 Plead 44 “Oops!” 48 Priestly garment 49 Competent 50 Tiny bit 51 2016 Olympics city 52 Composer Bartok 53 Figure skating leap 54 Gender 55 Mideast gulf 56 Helen’s home

DOWN

1 Imperfection 2 Timber wolf 3 Egg 4 Stick-in-the-mud 5 Baker Street sleuth 6 Classic theaters 7 Empty talk 8 Hosp. areas 9 Co ee 10 Coup d’-11 Mexican entree 20 Hodgepodge 22 Homer classic 24 Penn and Connery 25 Police o cer 26 “I love,” to Livy 27 Bando of baseball 29 “Gee, ya think?” 30 Spanish gold 31 Just out 35 Filled in 36 Sea o Greece 39 Old salts 40 Author Wiesel 41 PlayStation alternative 43 Vogue rival 45 60 minutes 46 “Beetle Bailey” dog 47 Vague 49 Lawyers’ org.

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers di er from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

DELPH FROM PAGE 20 gy, not a law-driven strategy, changing behavior from the inside-out, not the outside-in. The Test of Expediency in I Corinthians 6:12.

It may even be good, but is it good for me to do?

The Message Bible says, “Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it is spiritually or morally appropriate.” Another version says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profi table.”

Expediency is defi ned as someone or something appropriate for a situation but generally doing it for selfi sh reasons. It’s legal, but generally, that supporter will not be the best person for the post. So, if your temptation is to do the political thing rather than the best thing, it did not pass the test of expediency. The Test of Enslavement in I Corinthians 6:12.

Could making this decision enslave me? Could it become an addiction? Could it lead others into an addiction?

The Message Bible says, “If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.” Another version says, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”

If something could enslave you, if you are weak in that area, be wise, it’s not for you. The real question to ask yourself about any decision is, “Is this wise?” Not, “Is it legal?” It’s wiser to choose freedom from an affair than to choose the legal right for an affair. The Test of Edifi cation in I Corinthians 10:23.

Does doing this build me or others up or tear me or others down? To edify means to instruct someone in a way that enlightens them or uplifts them morally, spiritually or intellectually.

The Bible says, “All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”

Ask yourself, “Does what I am considering doing cause me, my family, my friends and my community to survive or to thrive in their souls?” If it doesn’t, it failed the edifi cation test. The Test of Example in I Corinthians 8.

Could what I am doing cause others to stumble? Does what I am doing give people an accurate sample of a thriving person in their soul? Remember, what you do affects others positively or negatively.

There you go.

Christians, we don’t need to shoot Bible bullets at people. Just give them you, being you, with Christ all over you, living by the Four E strategy. You will improve your life’s batting average by applying the Four E’s strategy to every life situation you fi nd yourselves in.

Ed Delph is Phoenix native who lives in the North Valley. Since 1980, he has pastored three churches in the Valley. He is a noted author of 10 books, weekly columnist in several local and worldwide newspapers, teacher, business owner and speaker. He has been to or ministered in over 100 countries. He is president of a worldwide ministry, NationStrategy.

To learn more about Pastor Ed Delph, the Church-Community Connection and Nation strategy, call 623-376-6757, e-mail nationstrategy@cs.com or visit nationstrategy.com.

10250 N. 59th Ave. 623-937-9216

Sunday Services:

Bible Study ....................................... 9:15 am Morning Worship ............................ 10:30 am Discipleship Training ........................ 4:45 pm Evening Worship .............................. 6:00 pm

Wednesdays:

TeamKid, Youth Worship

Bible Study & Prayer........................6:00 pm

Harpists to hit the stage at Bellevue Heights Church

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor

HarpSynergy will be featured in concert at Bellevue Heights Church at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1.

The public is invited to the free concert. A free-will offering will be received. The concert is part of the church’s “Summer Sundae Sunday.”

The 12 or more harpists on stage at any HarpSynergy concert are students of harp virtuoso Dr. Heidi Hernandez. They range in age from 7 to 75.

Hernandez teaches from a private studio in Phoenix and via Skype to students in a large surrounding area. In concerts, they perform a variety of classical and popular selections.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Hernandez earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Arizona. While there, she was named the university’s outstanding teaching assistant.

She has performed as a harpist internationally and participated in many prestigious harp contests in America and abroad. She has been a member of the Phoenix Symphony for more than 17 years.

Following the Aug. 1 concert, attendees can enjoy free ice cream sundaes in Franklin Hall on the Bellevue Heights campus at 9440 W. Hutton Drive in Sun City. Masks are not required.

For more information, call 623-9778308 or visit bhcsuncity.com, where the concert will be available or online viewing.

Dr. Mark Mucklow, Pastor www.fsbcg.org

Shepherd of the Desert

Lutheran Church - ELCA

11025 N. 111th Ave., Sun City/Youngtown • Worship Saturday 4pm,

Sunday 9:30am • Holy Communion both services • Pancake Breakfast 8-10am

Last Saturday Every Month

Drive-Thru Only • In-Person Bible Study

Wed 6pm

Handicap Bus - Call for pickup

(24hrs in Advance) 623 340-8232 Pastor Phil Gustofson, Interim Pastor

623-933-1359 shepherdofthedesertelca.org 16000 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City AZ 85351 Tel: 623-974-3611 IN-PERSON WORSHIP SUNDAY - 10 AM

Music Begins 9:50 AM Live-Streamed at www.scfaith.org SUNDAY, JULY 25

Revs. Sheryl and Mike Campbell “Home Is Where...” Special Guest, Daniel Prunaru Reagan, Bass-Baritone “An inclusive, welcoming, caring community, serving Jesus Christ”

Harvest CHurCH

8340 W. Northern Ave. Glendale, AZ 85305

Information 623.334.9482 Dr. Ron G. Rockwell – Pastor Sunday: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

Nursery Provided Wednesday: Family Night 7:00 p.m. www.hcaz.org

101 Freeway91st ave.

Harvest CHurCH 8340 W. Northern

Northern Ave.

Glendale Ave.

83rd Ave.

10935 W. Olive Ave. Peoria 85345 Phone (623) 972-8479 office@westolive.com www.westolive.com Sunday Bible Study 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Classes for all ages - 7:00 p.m. Everyone Is Welcome!