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Review| Guardrails: Avoiding Regrets in Your Life

Looking for new studies to add to your approved list of small group resources?  I think you’re going to want to take a look at Guardrails: Avoiding Regrets in Your Life.  From the same curriculum series that introduced Taking Responsibility for Your Life, this is going to be a very popular study.

New from Zondervan, Guardrails features sermon clips from one of Andy Stanley’s most popular message series.   After an introductory session explaining the guardrails metaphor (guardrails are a system designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limits areas”…another in a long line of very memorable and transportable concepts), this six session, DVD-driven study covers a very challenging list of issues:

  • Your friendships
  • Your finances
  • Your marriage

One of the real advantages of this study is Stanley’s very compelling communication style.  There are very few speakers that are more engaging.  At the same time, Guardrails covers a set of very practical, real-life topics that will be relevant to everyone.

Another advantage of this study is a well-written participant guide.  Each session features a very good set of questions that will prompt a potentially powerful discussion.  Especially for groups where some trust has already developed, there is the potential for life-altering changes to develop.

Finally, there is a very thorough (20 page) Leader’s Guide included in every participant guide that will provide good guidance for the leader’s in your small group structure.  Including the Leader’s Guide in the participant guide makes it much more likely that groups will take turns leading the discussion.

Honestly, I think the topic is my favorite feature of this study.  I’m always looking for topics that can be done with friends and neighbors.  I have to say that although this topic seems too confrontational, it really is right on target and will make sense to friends and neighbors long before they ever attend your church.

If you’re looking for a study that is both challenging and application oriented, I highly recommend Guardrails.