Do I Need Boundaries?

Jim Newheiser, MA, DMin, is Director of the Christian Counseling program and Professor of Christian Counseling and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC. He is the executive director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBCD), a fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), and a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC). He is the author of several books, including Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage, Money, Debt, and Finances, and the minibooks How to Love Difficult Parents and Financial Crisis. Jim and his wife, Caroline, have three grown children.

“In his biblical, practical, and penetrating style, Jim Newheiser unpacks the cultural baggage around boundaries, sorts it out with God’s truth, and then calls us to operate within scriptural categories bearing more resilient results. Any Christian who needs to draw clear lines in hard places will be grateful they were guided by this book!”Dave Harvey, President, Great Commission Collective; author of The Clay Pot Conspiracy“This book is long overdue and much needed. With theological precision and exegetical expertise, Dr. Jim Newheiser draws on decades of counseling experience to clearly address what the Bible really says about creating boundaries in personal relationships. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants biblical boundaries.”John D. Street Jr., Distinguished Lecturer and Research Fellow in Biblical Counseling, The Master’s University & Seminary; president, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC)“Do I Need Boundaries? is an engaging and timely book, answering many questions you might have about the topic from God’s perspective. Sadly, many families have been unnecessarily separated and heartbroken over the unbiblical ‘lines in the sand’ that many counselors have encouraged their counselees to draw with their loved ones. Dr. Newheiser differentiates between what is biblical and what is not. He explains clearly how we should think about this issue and how to respond. He also includes several case studies with thought-provoking questions. I highly recommend this resource!”Martha Peace, Author of The Excellent Wife; biblical counselor“Relationships are wonderful, important, and complex. This is why the Bible spends so much space describing them and explaining how to navigate the challenges they pose. In Do I Need Boundaries?, my dear friend Jim Newheiser serves as a reliable guide to all of us who need to grow in biblical wisdom about these wonderfully complicated things we call relationships. As you read, you will encounter the teaching of a man who is marked by biblical wisdom and a desire to help you. You need to read this helpful little book.”Heath Lambert, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida“Jim Newheiser offers a wise, biblically balanced contribution to the discussion of boundaries in Christian circles and the counseling world. He affirms appropriate scriptural limits while challenging the contemporary self-centered misuse of the concept. Most especially, Dr. Newheiser calls believers to sacrificial love—even when such Christlike love means going beyond what culture or comfort deems reasonable.”Keith A. Evans, Associate Professor of Christian Counseling, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte“Most of us can share a story of challenging family dynamics. I have a relative I love and we disagree completely about one topic. So when we visit, we have agreed to place that subject out of bounds. Jim Newheiser has written an excellent book that helps us set those boundaries biblically in all kinds of situations. I highly recommend this book for you, and those you love.”Charles D. Hodges Jr., Family Physician; instructor/counselor, Faith Biblical Counseling; editor of The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference