This week we started a new course, Tearing Down the Fences of Offenses. We all run into offenses at times – it’s part of life. But it’s how we handle them that makes all the difference. We’ll be talking about that in this  short 3-week mini course and I’ll be following it with a longer course, Living in God’s Presence. If you are local to Charleston, I’d love to have you join me in person but if you’re not, please follow along via streaming! You can purchase the license to stream both courses here.

Now, back to offenses. You may think that you aren’t easily offended or you don’t encounter offenses, but I want to share with you a few sources of offense that I mentioned in my teaching —

Sources of Offense

• Pre-supposed thinking of way God should be and act (pride)
• “Who does he think he is?” syndrome (jealousy)
• Confounding the so called wise
• Self righteous indignation
• Confrontation of truth
• Self- centeredness

Do any of these ring a bell with you? Well, you may be thinking, so what? Well, the spiritual principle of offenses that we have to remember is that if we do not deal with an offense, it will produce more sin such as bitterness, anger, and resentment. Yikes! 

I also shared some principles to remember when you have been the object of wrong doing. Here is some food for thought — 

• You cannot out give God
• God’s double portion
• God turns things around for good– always

I want to leave you with a short story and life application. We have a small cabin in the country and found that when we weren’t there, mice would show up. You see, if you’re not inhabiting the space, the mice will show up. Here’s the life application – if we’re not inhabiting our space, our lives, with “God space” – the mice (offenses) will come in and take over. So I encourage you today to make space for God so that His presence can help you deal with the offenses when they do come.