How to Deal with Offence — by Sarah Pearce | 31 May 2026
- Peak Media
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Offence is something every person alive has experienced — and most of us are carrying more of it than we realise.
In this message, Sarah Pearce gets honest about the baited trap of offence, what's really driving it, and why the Holy Spirit is the only force strong enough to set us free from it.
Sarah unpacks the Greek root of the word offence — a baited trap — and walks us through how entitlement, misplaced identity, and past wounds are often the real engines behind the resentment we carry.
We look at biblical examples of offence handled badly and handled well, from Absalom's silence to the Syrophoenician woman's refusal to be derailed.
The invitation at the end of this message is simple and real: let the Holy Spirit in, release forgiveness, and walk out of the trap today — freer than you walked in.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome & Opening Prayer
0:43 Shoutout to New Life & Unleashed Conference
2:14 Today's Hard Word — What Are We Talking About?
3:06 When Sin Energises Us — Philippians 2:13
6:00 Introducing the Spirit of Offence
8:08 Offence vs Trauma — Know the Difference
12:04 Signs You Might Be in the Trap
14:32 What's Really Driving Offence?
19:17 Biblical Examples — Good and Bad
24:47 Getting Offended at God
29:13 How Do We Move Past It? Forgiveness
32:34 The Greater Law — Holy Spirit vs Offence
34:04 Prayer & Ministry Time
📖 BIBLE STUDY
Title: Get Out of the Trap
Key Passage: Philippians 2:13 — NIV
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Context: Sarah used this passage to show that just as God's Spirit energises us toward life and purpose, sinful patterns — including offense — can energise us toward destructive outcomes. The question isn't whether something is working in us, but what is working in us.
Discussion Questions:
Have you ever felt "energised" by something negative — anger, bitterness, a grudge? What did that feel like in your body?
Sarah identifies three things driving offense beneath unforgiveness: entitlement, misplaced identity, and past wounds. Which one do you think is hardest to be honest about, and why?
Is there someone — or even a situation with God — where you've been holding onto offense? What would it look like to take one step toward releasing that this week?
The Syrophoenician woman refused to be offended when she had every reason to be, and her breakthrough was on the other side. What might be on the other side of an offense you've been holding onto?
Application: Offense is common — it will come. What matters is what we do when it lands. This week, take one honest look at a relationship or situation that's carrying a charge, and ask yourself: is this a me issue I need to get over, or a real thing that needs a direct conversation? Then take the next right step — not to vent to a friend, but to actually resolve it.
Takeaway Thought: The trap only works if you take the bait — and the Holy Spirit is strong enough to help you put it down.
Further Reading: Philippians 2:13 · Romans 7:5 · Romans 6:14 · Luke 17:1 · Proverbs 6:16-19 · Hebrews 12:15 · Matthew 11:2-6 · Matthew 6:14-15 · Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 · 2 Samuel 13 · Ephesians 4:2-3 · Job 9:4 · 2 Peter 3:18
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