Life Pointe Community Church
Guardrails
Daily Reflections
Week One
Guardrails
Week One,
Day One
Ephesians 5:15-17
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Guardrails protect us from danger. Anytime we get behind the wheel of a car, ride our bike or walk on a
trail, we notice these guardrails. These boundaries are there to keep us from heading to places we don’t
want to go. They alert us to danger on the other side. But, here’s the thing. Boundaries aren’t only
necessary in our every day experiences. They are critical in our spiritual life where we pursue integrity
and reflecting God’s character.
Personal boundaries are important because no matter whom you are what you struggle with, one fact
remains true: your greatest regret relationally, morally, or ethically–could have been or can be avoided.
Avoiding these regrets has almost everything to do with having personal boundaries.
Often our natural tendency is to push ourselves to the limit. We get as close to the line as possible. From
our limited perspective, boundaries of any type appear restrictive. We want to live our lives without
restraint. What we don’t realize is the regret that lies on the other side.
Personal boundaries free us to live a life without worry of a moral fender bender or worse yet, a complete
wreck. No one has ever said they’ve regretted setting up personal boundaries. But people can tell you
story after story about the chaos that was caused due to the lack of guardrails in their lives.
We must establish boundaries and a standard of behavior that influences both our actions and words. We
need to pay attention to the way we walk. Each one of us has areas in our life that left to our own devices
we’d get in trouble by giving up control of our heart and mind to something or someone else.
We must construct guardrails in these places. A personal boundary like a warning sign going of “Danger,
go the other way, don’t go any further!”
Chances are good you already know where you need to plant a guardrail. Setting boundaries is a way to
preserve yourself for God’s plans for your life. You have no idea what God has in store for your future.
You could miss it if you don’t set up healthy personal boundaries.
Notes:
Adapted from a Port City Community Church e-devotion.
Guardrails
Adapted from a Port City Community Church e-devotion.
Guardrails
Week One,
Day Two
Jeremiah 29:11
‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’
You know that God has a plan for you as it relates to your money, your marriage, your job. For
others of you his plan relates to your dating relationships, your friendships or even how you
spend your time.
We all know what’s on the other side of the guardrail. We know what can happen to our
marriages if we cross the guardrail of marriage. Some guardrails are easy to understand what’s
on the other side. We can easily see that to go beyond that boundary would create a lot of
damage pretty quickly.
On the other hand, unless we put up a guardrail, some areas of our life we may not see the danger
until it’s too late.
Take friendships for example. We’ve all had those friends that try to take us in a direction we
really don’t want to go. Every time you are with them a little warning sign going off in your
head?
So, are guardrails important? Yes, absolutely.
God has great plans for your life; Plans for your future that you can’t even imagine. Without
those guardrails you could very easily be stuck in the fog and not see his plan for your life.
1.
2.
3.
Notes:
Thank God for the plans he has for your life;
Thank him for giving you hope and a future with Him; and
Ask Him to help you establish the right guardrails.
Week One,
Day Three
Guardrails
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and
perfect will.”
Lots of news reports illustrate the sin in our world.
Society often isn’t interested in pleasing God or even in hearing what He has to say.
While much of society rejects God, we must remember that God’s remedy remains. The Bible
reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
He doesn’t change, but calls us to live a changed life.
How do we change?
Consider what Romans 12:2 says. It says, Don’t be like everyone else. Don’t conform to the
standards set by today’s society. Live by a different set of standards. Build some guardrails in
your life. Here are a few things you can do:
1.
Step away from the ways of this world.

2.
Renew your mind.

3.
We become desensitized to God’s ways when we focus on the world.
Read God’s Word. It is our guide to life.
Put into practice what you read in His Word.

Live it as if your life depended on it because it does! God demands and expects
obedience. Obedience is the guardrail that protects us from damages of sin.
Notes:
Adapted from Linda Hull’s Words of Encouragement.
Guardrails
Week One,
Day Four
Psalms 25:4-5
“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you
are God my savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
“Dad, what are those long ropes on the side of the road?” Asked seven-year-old Jeremy as they
drove down the highway.
“Those are called guardrails,” Dad replied. “Sometimes guardrails are made of wide metal
bands, and sometimes they are heavy wire ropes.”
“Guardrails,” Jeremy asked. “What are those for?”
“They are to make sure people on the highway, stay on the road,” Dad replied.
“Why would they want to leave the road?” asked Jeremy.
“Well, they wouldn’t want to leave the road,” said dad, “but sometimes people have accidents.
When things like that happen, they could swerve off the highway. Then those guardrails would
catch the car before it would roll down the hill at the side of the road. The guardrails keep them
from much more serious damage.”
“Have they ever saved anybody on this road?” asked Jeremy.
“I’m sure they have,” said Dad.
“Wow,” Jeremy said. “I guess they are really important.”
“Yes they are,” agreed Dad. After a moment, he added thoughtfully, “You know, those
guardrails protect us on this highway, and when we use God’s Word, it acts as guardrails to
protect us on life’s highway.”
What do you mean?”
“By life’s highway, I mean the way we live our lives. When we have questions or doubts about
what is right, the Bible can guide us and show us the right thing to do,” explained Dad. “As we
obey God’s Word, it keeps us from straying from the way God wants us to go. It keeps us from
trouble and helps us through difficult situations.”
“Just like the guardrails,” agreed Jeremy. “Guardrails are good!”
Notes:
Adapted for the One Year Book of Devotions for Boys 2.
Guardrails
Week One,
Day Five
Romans 2:15
“They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also
bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending
them.)”
Acts 24:16
“So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
As a child I made choices based on what I wanted. They were not always the best choices. But I
didn’t always have someone to tell me that my actions have consequences. I didn’t really hear
the warning signs of making a poor choice. I didn’t really understand until I accepted Christ into
my life.
Once I became a Christian I found it hard to make decisions based purely on what I or others
wanted. When my non-Christian friends decided to skip school one day, I felt this odd nagging
feeling that it was wrong. I had never had that feeling before. I did my best to ignore it.
So, I chose poorly. I went along with my friends.
Later that month, I told my youth pastor what I had done. I was a shocked at his reaction. He
scolded me! He explained that that feeling was the Holy Spirit inside of me. Sometimes the
Holy Spirit acts as our conscience. He explained the Holy Spirit lives in us to guide us and help
us make right decisions.
The Holy Spirit is like a warning light on a car. If the light goes on, you don’t ignore it. It’s the
same with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit warns us when we are heading straight for a
guardrail. A collision with a guardrail ensues if we don’t correct our course!
Notes:
Guardrails
Week One,
Day Six
I Thessalonians 5: 12-18
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who
care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because
of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those
who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with
everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is
good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
We have talked about guardrails this week.
Guardrails are things we don’t pay much attention to until we hit one. Chances are if you hit a
guardrail, it saved you from even more painful consequences. What if we need to build a
guardrail somewhere in our life? What if we are struggling staying within the guardrails that we
already have?
Today’s verse can offer us some comfort. Our church has an important ministry to its members:
Life Groups. The purpose of Life Groups is to not only grow in God’s Word, but to create
lasting Christian friendships.
Our Life Groups support you. Life Groups pray for you. Life Groups are also there to help you
get back on track. If you need help to establish some guardrails or just need someone to talk to
when you hit one, your Life Group is there for you! Don’t be surprised if someone in your Life
Group holds you accountable when you hit a guardrail. It happened to me. And I couldn’t be
more thankful for that Life Group member!
Our Life Groups demonstrate everything in the verses above. If you are not in a Life Group and
need help to set up some guardrails – now is the time. Contact our minister of Life Groups, Kelli
Webb, at kwebb@lpcommunity.org. She will help you find the perfect group.
Talk to your Life Group about the guardrails you need to establish. Our Christian journey is
easier when we have friends beside us.
On Sunday, we will begin to dig a little deeper into our guardrails study. We will to talk about
friendships. Every day next week we will look at what the Bible has to say about friendships.
Notes: