Over It: Breaking Free from Offense Part 1

Offense is something we all face, but holding onto it can steal our peace and joy. In today’s episode, I’m sharing powerful truths from my upcoming book, Breaking Free from Offense. We’ll talk about how to let go of hurt, find freedom in forgiveness, and live out the grace God has given us. If you’re ready to stop letting offense hold you back and start living in the freedom God promises, this episode is for you.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to FaithWorks. Real life, real truth. I'm Josh Mullins and together we'll explore

(00:11):
how biblical truths shape the way we live every day. No flood, just real talk. Real faith
and a real God who's with us in it all.
How you doing everybody? Josh Mullins here. Today we're going to talk about the topic

(00:36):
of being offended and this is going to be a series here and it's based on my upcoming
book called Over It. So we're going to get into this. So there are moments when God doesn't
just tap you on the shoulder. He shakes you and he grabs hold of your heart and makes

(00:58):
sure you feel the weight of what he's saying and this is what this book is about. And let
me tell you, I've had more than a few of those moments. Moments I call below the belt moments
with God. You know the ones where he doesn't pull any punches, where he's not worried about

(01:19):
sparing your feelings, but he speaks truth so direct, so piercing, it leaves you undone.
It cuts deep and you fill it in a way that you can feel it in your heart. You can feel
it in a way that you can't shake it. And one of those moments came from me and I'll never

(01:41):
forget. And the Lord hit me with a truth so raw that it felt like my whole spirit stopped.
He said these words that I never heard before. He says one offended Christian can populate
hell twice as fast. I've heard I've never heard anything like that before. And those
words came out of nowhere and they hit me square in the gut. And it was like God was

(02:06):
saying you need to hear this and you need to hear it now. And before I could even catch
my breath, he pressed even deeper by saying because of an offended heart, one offended
heart offense becomes the threshold of the great falling away. And that was another below
the belt moment. He was trying to get my attention and he's not playing around when he talks

(02:32):
about this. You know, offense being offended, being hurt isn't some small issue we can brush
off. It's a weapon. Something the enemy uses to drag believers away from their faith. Slowly
and silently until they don't even realize how far they've fallen. You know, I believe

(02:56):
it's the threshold of the great falling away. The very thing that Jesus warned us about
in Matthew chapter 24 verse 10 when he said, and then shall many be offended and shall
betray one another and shall hate one another. And we're seeing this so much more today within
families, friends, and yes, even the church. And I knew instantly that this wasn't just

(03:23):
a personal lesson just for me. This was a wake up call for the body of Christ. This was God
saying, pay attention. The enemy is using offense to destroy my people. The thing about
these below the belt moments with God is that they don't leave you the same. Now I just
pray that you guys have a below the belt moment that you can hear something from God that

(03:51):
affects you in such a way about this topic or any topic about leading to sin. So God
wasn't just trying to get me to listen. He was trying to get me to change. And maybe
you've been there too. Maybe you're right there now. Maybe you've had those moments
where God shakes you so hard, you know you've got no choice but to confront the truth. He's

(04:14):
placed in front of you. Now God's a pursuer. He pursues us because he loves us. So this
truth about offense, it hit me like nothing else because I realized the fence doesn't
stay small. It doesn't remain just an emotional reaction. It grows, it spreads, it takes root
in your heart and if you let it be unresolved, it becomes the gateway to bitterness, resentment

(04:40):
and eventually full blown hatred. And I know what I'm talking about. I've lived in this
offense, this hurt for so long. And here's the thing. When offense takes root, it doesn't
just affect your relationships. It infects your spirit. It clouds your judgment. It hardens
your heart. It distances you from God's grace. Now the Lord made it clear to me that offense

(05:05):
is the threshold of apostasy. That means the great falling away. This shook me. It's a
serious matter. And these offenses aren't just personal struggles. It's a spiritual
landmine. So if we let it fester, if we allow it to grow in our hearts, it becomes a doorway

(05:26):
that leads us straight out of God's will and straight in the enemy's hands. In Hebrews
chapter 12 verse 15, it warns us about this saying, looking diligently, least any man
fell of the grace of God, list any root of bitterness, springing up trouble you and thereby
many be defiled. Now bitterness doesn't just trouble you. It defiles you. It poisons your

(05:51):
heart. It doesn't stop there. It spreads like wildfire, defiling others around you. Now we
know the word defile is a bad word and it poisons you. It's, and the Greek word is
for bitterness is the pachyria, which literally means poison. It's a poison and defile means

(06:16):
poison as well. It means it corrupts you and that's what bitterness does. It's not just
an emotion. It's a spiritual toxin. And here's the kicker guys. It's a good word. It's
not just an emotion. It's a spiritual toxin. And here's the kicker guys. That poison doesn't
just stay in you. It seeps out and affects everyone you come in contact with. Your bitterness

(06:43):
doesn't just poison your heart. It poisons your family, your friends, your church. It
spreads and defiles. Now I know for a fact that me living in an offense calls an offense
and others because I made sure my offenders were exploited and crucified before everybody
that I came in contact with. Now it does. It spreads and it defiles and it multiplies. Just

(07:08):
a seed produces after some kind. Bitterness will produce after its own kind. Hatred will
produce after its own kind. When God brought that to my attention, it felt like he wasn't
just addressing some issue in my heart. He was exposing a spiritual epidemic. This isn't
just about being hurt or holding a grudge. This is about a trap that the enemy is using

(07:31):
to lead people straight into spiritual destruction. So the more I meditated on what God was
showing me, the clearer it became. We're living in a time where offense is becoming a
spiritual cancer, eating away from the physical body. And that's when I realized that I was
spiritual cancer, eating away at the body of Christ from the inside out. And this is startling.

(07:55):
So this wasn't just about me. It was about us. It's about the church. We're supposed to
be a reflection of Christ showing the world his love, his grace, his mercy. But if we're
carrying offense in our hearts, we're no better than the world. We're defiling ourselves and
our lives, all while claiming to walk in the grace of God. But let me tell you something

(08:21):
here. Grace and offense cannot coexist. Say it again. Grace and offense cannot coexist.
They can't. And to reiterate Hebrews 12, 15, list any man fell of the grace of God. That's
the real danger here. We don't lose grace because we're not good enough. That's not how

(08:43):
it is. Romans 11, 6 reminds us, and if by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise,
grace is no more grace. You don't earn grace, but when we allow offense and bitterness to
take over, we turn our backs on the grace so freely God offers, choosing instead to cling
to our hurts. Now, it's not that God's grace runs out. It's that our offense blocks us

(09:08):
from receiving it. In Galatians 5, chapter 5, verse 4 says, we fall from grace when we
put our trust in works instead of Christ. When we put our faith in our own ability to hold
on to a bitterness, we're missing the point of grace altogether. And let me tell you, when
bitterness hits you, it's exhausting. It drains you spiritually. It blocks your joy. It cuts

(09:31):
you off from peace. God intended for you. And I'm not just talking theory here with
me. There were many below the belt moments with God, times where he'd pull back the curtain
and show me just how far I let offense creep into my heart. And every time it was like
he was saying, you can't stay here. You can't hold on to this. It's killing you. God loves

(09:56):
us too much to leave us stuck in our offense. That's why he shakes us. That's why he grabs
our hearts and says enough offense. Feels justified at first, doesn't it? It really does. You
can feel like you've had, you have the right to hold on, hold on to it. After all, you
were wrong, but holding on to offense is like drinking poison and expecting the other person

(10:20):
to die. It doesn't work that way. That bitterness, you're nursing. It's only hurting you and
everyone around you. The Bible is clear about this bitterness, the files. It spreads like
wildfire and it won't stop until it consumes everything. But here's the good news. There's
a way out. Jesus didn't just come to save us from sin. He came to set us free from the

(10:44):
chains of offense, bitterness, resentment that are holding us captive, but you've got to
make it a choice. You've got to be willing to lay it down. Now, the reason why I call
this book over it is because we can't get over it on our own, but we can get over it
with God. And there was a time years ago that I never thought I could ever forgive those

(11:09):
that hurt me. If somebody told me to get over it, it would just increase the offense. It
would just make me matter. So the Holy Spirit was tugging at my heart and I know he's
tugging at your heart. He's convicting you, whispering to you, this isn't something you
can afford to ignore. That bitterness, that offense, it's time to let it go. The enemy

(11:35):
wants you stuck, but God wants you free. He's shaking you because he loves you too much
to let you stay where you are. This is your below the belt moment. So I just challenge
you, will you listen? Will you not be the root that spreads bitterness and hatred and
anger and unforgiveness? Will you rise up and be who God called you to be? Will you do

(12:03):
that? Now, we're going to get into another segment here tomorrow and we're going to build
on this thing. And I want you to meditate on this. I want you to meditate on these
scriptures. I want you to know that because God freely gave you grace, we need to freely

(12:31):
give others grace. Let's stop bitterness. Let's stop offense. Let's stop hatred. Let's
stop it. Let it stop with us. So I want you to please like, share, comment, follow this
because this book will be coming out here within, I'd say, probably in a few more months.

(12:56):
We're going to get it done. We're going to get it out there because this is really weighing
on my heart because I see so many people falling. And we're going to get, as you follow
with me in these lessons, you're going to see why it's so near and dear to my heart.
So God bless you and we'll see you the next video.

(13:17):
Thanks for joining me today on Faith Works, Real Life, Real Truth. I hope you found something
that speaks to you and helps you live out your faith and boldly. If you enjoyed this
video, don't forget to follow, like, share, and podcast with others. Until next time,
God bless you and keep living out your faith.