1. WHAT IS AN OFFENCE?
We need to start with an understanding of what an offence is. Once we know what offences are, we can understand the influence they have in our lives. Here are several definitions:
1. Offence is a state of being angry, hurt or displeased. 
2. Wounded, especially ones feelings.
3. Offence occurs when we become outraged at something or when we are insulted.
4. Offence is the act of stumbling! (Miriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
Definition number 4 is the one that should interest us. The moment we allow an offence into our lives we set ourselves up to stumble and fall.  It is for this very reason that we need to be so aware of picking up offences, so that we can avoid stumbling.

2. OFFENCES ARE PART OF LIFE
Offences are part of life. We can be offended by our friends, family, colleagues, church, work and even God. There is hardly a day that passes in life when we are not confronted with the possibility of picking up an offence. We speak about ‘picking up�?an offence. This indicates that often we actually take on an offence. It is a deliberate action that often takes place moments after we are affronted, hurt or challenged. We must learn to recognize offences and deal with them before they get a hold on us and become a stumbling block in our lives. Offences are the bait of satan. The devil uses the offences of life to bait us so that we will fall into the snare and be destroyed.

3. OFFENCES CAUSE DAMAGE
Offences have a way of infiltrating our lives and bring destruction as a result. This damage can effect us in many ways:
1. Hurt & Bitterness.
2. Sickness & Weakness
3. Breakdown in relationships.
4. Hatred, Revenge & violence.

4. THE DOWNWARD CYCLE
The process that begins with offence is a downward spiral. Offence that is not dealt with will lead downward to something worse. What started as a simple offence can end with disastrous results. Offence can lead to hurt, hurt can lead to bitterness, bitterness can lead to hatred and hatred can lead to murder. It may not go the whole way, but all along the way there is damage. The answer is not to get into the downward spiral to start with. We can do this as we deal with offences before they deal with us.

5. EXAMPLES FROM THE BIBLE
There are two examples I would like to highlight. The first is Zacharias. (Luke 1) He was a High Priest in the Temple. He and his wife Elizabeth had wanted children and prayed and asked God for a child. Many years passed and they did not have any children. One day as Zacharias was ministering in the Temple the angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that his wife Elizabeth would have a child. However, Zacharias was offended and his offence can be seen in his response. He reacted and said: ‘How can this be?�?He went further to tell the angel that this was not possible as his wife was old.
Luke 1:18 Zacharias said to the angel, “But this is impossible! I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.�?/EM>
The angel responded and said that because of his unbelief, he would be dumb until the child was born. For four months he could not speak, until the child (John the Baptist) was born. Zacharias was offended because God had not answered their prayer.
The second is John the Baptist. John fulfilled a great role. He was the forerunner of Christ and even baptized Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus continues His ministry and John ends up in jail. Perhaps he had anticipated something different, but here he sits in jail. He begins to question Jesus and sends a message to Jesus to ask Him if He is in fact the Christ. Jesus responds and says: “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.�?/EM> (Luke 7:23)

6. FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
It is interesting to see that both Zechariah and his son John the Baptist were offended. Like father like son. The circumstances were different but the similarity between the two was that both become offended. When we become offended it rubs off on those around us. If we allow offences to take root in our lives we can be sure that our children will also readily pick up offences. As a result the scourge of offences can be passed from one generation to the next. It is time to break the chain of offences that effect generation after generation.