Guardrails
Why Can't We Be Friends
January 26, 2020 • Dr. Carlo Serrano • Proverbs 13:20
What makes friendship so great is the same thing that makes it so dangerous. With friends, we drop our guards. We’re most open to influence from others when we’re with people who accept us the way real friends do. Acceptance leads to influence. And it can work for us—or against us. Some of the most addictive behaviors imaginable are those that people began as pastimes with friends. Our friends greatly influence the direction and quality of our lives. In fact, they can actually determine the direction and the quality of our lives. Think about it: how much have your friends impacted who you are? Friendships are valuable. But because friendships can also be dangerous, we need guardrails.
The Heart of the Matter
January 19, 2020 • Dr. Carlo Serrano • Matthew 15:1–20, Philippians 4:7, Proverbs 4:23
The point of guardrails is to light up our consciences before we hurt ourselves or other people. They prompt us to feel uneasy before it’s too late. Solomon, the second king of Israel and considered in ancient times the wisest person who ever lived, wrote this in the Old Testament book of Proverbs: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).
Doing It My Way
January 12, 2020 • Chris Edmondson • Genesis 2:24–25, James 1:14–15, 1 Corinthians 6:18–20, 1 Corinthians 7:1–3, Matthew 5:27–28
Guardrails keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. We need personal guardrails so we don’t stray into areas of life that can harm us or the people we love. If there’s one area in which personal guardrails are most needed but also most resisted, it’s in our relationships. THE BIG IDEA: Sex God’s way has NO shame.
Money Matters
January 5, 2020 • Chris Edmondson • Mark 10:42–45, Matthew 6:24–33
Guardrails keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. We need personal guardrails so we don’t stray into areas of life that can harm us or the people we love. When it comes to our finances, it’s easy to cross the line into the danger zone. That’s why it’s essential to establish guardrails against greed.
Direct and Protect
December 29, 2019 • Chris Edmondson • Ephesians 5:15–18
They're everywhere, but they don't get much attention—until somebody hits one. And then, more often than not, it is a lifesaver. The damage done by hitting a guardrail is minor when compared to what you would have hit had it not been there. Guardrails are designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. They minimize damage by keeping us in the safety zone. But the highway isn’t the only place we need guardrails.