Valley Gospel Chapel is offering a study on guardrails. "Guardrails" was created by Pastor Andy Stanley of Northpoint church in Atlanta. "Guardrails" is a six-part DVD series on how and why we need healthy guardrails/boundaries.

Brief history of North Point Community Church according to their website:

"In Nov. 1995, Andy Stanley stood in front of a gathering of believers at a North Atlanta convention center and cast the vision for a new church. He said, ‘Atlanta does not need another church. What Atlanta does need is a safe environment where the un-churched can come and hear the life-changing truth that Jesus Christ cares for them and died for their sin.’ So began North Point Community Church."

Out of that small beginning North Point grew through unique outreaches, to what it is today a congregation of 20,000.

According to Pastor Blake Booth, Valley Gospel Chapel (VGC) also has a vision for the Anza Valley to be a part of the solution. To help bring a change, from a culture that devastates; addictions to drugs and alcohol, the rise in teen pregnancy, divorce, violence, and fatherless children, a culture that is repeated in families throughout generations. To a culture of new life; health and happiness, to be a church where all are welcome, a safe place to change and grow.

That is why VGC is reaching out to the community at large and offering this series.

"Is your life out of control? Is it time for a change of direction? Maybe you need some guardrails along the edges of your life? Starting Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. for women and Saturday, Feb. 2, at 8 a.m. for men, VGC will be starting the six-part series by Pastor Andy Stanley of North Point Church on guardrails, only six lessons to freedom.

"We all need to create boundaries in our lives to keep us safe and functional. Every area of life: financial, personal, relational, need controls so we do not go off a cliff. Whether you are an addict, a parent, a student, or just someone who realizes parts of your life are out of control and now is the time to do something, this study is for you. Open to all in our community, at a very small cost of $5. Will you make the decision to take control of your life and destiny? Why wait any longer, another day, another year? Why not start making changes today? Hope to see you there at our VGC campus!" said Kyle Booth, VGC leader.

Guardrails six-part overview:

Part 1: Direct and Protect

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[ Murrieta Volkswagen ] into a violent marriage. Nobody plans to ruin his or her finances. Nobody plans to struggle with an addiction. What steps do you take to make sure these things don’t happen? Set up guardrails. You can tell yourself that you’ll "be careful." Well, setting up guardrails is how you are careful.

Part 2: Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Friendships are powerful things. They’re great, but dangerous. You drop your guard with your friends. You become less careful. And as a result, you’re easily influenced, drawn toward the acceptance you find. Because of this vulnerability, it would be smart to develop some guardrails. It’s not an easy thing – but it might end up saving you from future pain.

Part 3: Flee Baby Flee!

If there is one area in your life that absolutely needs some guardrails, this is probably it. It’s the area that is the most difficult to recover from. It’s the most needed yet most resisted area of all. Fortunately, the Bible is pretty clear on how we should approach it: flee.

Part 4: Me and the Mrs.

Do guardrails really work? Andy and Sandra Stanley share several of the guardrails they’ve built into their lives. Those guardrails may not be models for everyone, but they’ve worked for them. Whether you agree with them or not, the bigger lesson is the need to be intentional about setting up guardrails. You’ll thank yourself for doing so someday.

Part 5: The Consumption Assumption

Contrary to popular opinion, God does not want something from you, he wants something for you. And nowhere is that more true than with your finances. Then why are we so insistent on separating our faith and our finances? What kinds of guardrails need to go up in order to protect us from financial disaster?

Part 6: Once And For All

We live with an internal conflict between our values, what we know is right and our desire for immediate fulfillment. In areas like finances, relationships, and careers, a guardrail can feel like a barrier to something that seems good now. So why bother having guardrails if they just add to the tension? In this message, Andy presents a story from the life of Daniel, persuading us to establish guardrails now…once and for all.

If you would like more information on this study or would like to sign up ahead of time, call Valley Gospel Chapel at (951)763-4622. Visit

www.Valleygospelchapel.org, there you can learn about VGC and hear Pastor Blake Booth’s Sunday teachings.

You can read more about North Point and Pastor Andy Stanley by going to www.northpoint.org/site/page/history.