Boundaries

Mark Estepp - 2/23/2025

Distant. Divided. Dysfunctional. Devour. Devastation. 

Honor is due.

Love is the greatest commandment.

Forgiveness is a given.

Trust can be eroded or earned.

Proverbs 25:28

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

Boundaries are beneficial.

Boundaries help prevent the bad, and promote the good. 

Two types of people you don’t want to become in regards to boundaries:

1. Those whose walls are broken.

2. Those who build walls with no gates. 

Two reasons you need boundaries to prevent the bad:

1. Your Heart

Jeremiah 17:9a

The heart is deceitful above all things

2. The Foolishness of People 

Proverbs 10:23

A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

Proverbs 13:16

All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.

Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

Proverbs 18:2

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

Proverbs 28:26 

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

Two reasons you need boundaries to promote the good:

1. Your Healing

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

2. The Wisdom of People

How should I set boundaries in relationships?  

Ask yourself these questions to help you set boundaries:

Identity - Who am I?  

Responsibility - What am I responsible for?

Specificity 

What boundaries should I set when I consider my past experiences?

What boundaries should I set when I consider my present circumstances?

What boundaries should I set when I consider my future hopes? 

Set the boundary.

Communicate the boundary.

Be consistent with the boundary.