Brant Hansen - Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better

PRAISE FOR UNOFFENDABLE

With his characteristic recipe of subversive humor and radical grace, Brant effectively calls all-too-easily-offended followers of Jesus to a far less grumpy witness and a whole lot less toxic faith. A good antidote to the dis-graced faith we have become all too accustomed to.

Alan Hirsch

Award-winning author of ReJesus, The Shaping of Things to Come, and Untamed

In Unoffendable, Brant Hansen has produced a small stick of dynamite to throw into every crowd of complaining and contentious Christians who have lost sight of what Scripture teaches about the glory of overlooking an offense. A much needed book for the times.

Frank Viola

Author of Gods Favorite Place on Earth and From Eternity to Here

Im truly excited about Unoffendablenot just for the greater church that often seems stuck on the Technicolor sins, but for my own heart. Brants wisdom and stories are beckoning for me to choose wonder, gratitude, and hope over the entitlement and judgment that is so tempting to sit in.

Charlie Lowell

Jars of Clay and cofounder of Blood:Water

If you choose to read this book, you are choosing to enter the danger zone. If you choose to embrace the core message of this book, you will be freed to love in dangerous ways. And if you are serious about becoming more like Jesus, truly, then devour this book ASAP and then shout FREEDOM! from the top of your lungs.

Dale Brantner

President/CEO, CURE International

This book hurts so good.

Its bold kindness hit me like a gospel bomb. If you like feeling better than other people, you will not like this book.

Mike Donehey

Tenth Avenue North

For years many of us have begged Brant Hansen to write a book. Finally, he has. Unoffendable was worth the wait. With humor and wisdom, Brant pushes us to follow hard after Jesus and doesnt let us off the hook with easy followerism. He calls us to drink from and serve others from the fountain of grace.

Lance Ford

Author of UnLeader and Revangelical

This book is an important and timely read for everyone, rich or poor, black or white, red or blue, young or old, male or female, gay or straight, Christian or not. It is enjoyable, easy to read, and challenges our very souls with the love of Jesus on every page.

Neil Cole

International speaker, church starter, and author of Organic Church and Primal Fire

On the radio, Brant is one of the most engaging thinkers and communicators in the country. Im so glad to see his style translates in book form in Unoffendable. Its fresh, joyful, freeing, andin the very best wayit challenges us to the core.

John Frost

Radio consultant, Goodratings Strategic Services

Brant Hansen clearly hit it out of the park with Unoffendable. This book will help many, many people stop finding offense and free them to live the lives they are meant to live! This book is truly a gift.

Bill Yeargin

President/CEO, CorrectCraft Holding Company

2015 Brant Hansen

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scriptures marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

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ISBN 978-0-529-12386-2 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hansen, Brant.

Unoffendable : how just one change can make all of life better / Brant Hansen.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-529-12385-5 (trade paper)

1. AngerReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Choice (Psychology)Religious aspectsChristianity. 3. ForgivenessReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.

BV4627.A5H36 2015

234'.5dc23

2014035483

15 16 17 18 19 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

To all those who want grace for themselves but struggle to extend it to others.

Wait: thats everybody.

CONTENTS

Anger is the most fundamental problem in human life.

Dallas Willard

O kay. So this may sound like the dumbest thing youve ever read, but here goes:

You can choose to be unoffendable.

I actually heard a guy say this at a business meeting. That is striking to me for a few reasons: (1) Id never, ever thought about that before; (2) I remember something from a business meeting; and (3) I was actually invited to a business meeting.

I remember the guy saying its a choice we can make, to just choose not to be offended.

Sure. Right, man. Choose to be unoffendable. Justyou knowchoose, as if its really just up to us.

I found this offensive.

By the way, I just looked up the definition of offended, and all the dictionaries say something about anger and resentment. When Im writing about the word here, then, thats what I mean.

Theres another definition, about having your senses affronted, or offended, but thats not the definition were dealing with here. We just made some homemade barbecue sauce the other day, and we unanimously and immediately agreed, right then and there, that it was highly offensive. That happens.

Its the taking of offense, and the very presumption that Im somehow entitled to be angry with someone, that Im talking about. Surely theres got to be a place for righteous anger against someone, right? Surely there are times we are justified in our anger...