Sermon
Dysfunctional Communication
Cross Church
Speaker: Nick Floyd
March 16, 2026 · 39 min
Summary
Jacob and his father-in-law Laban exhibit eight patterns of dysfunctional communication—deception, silence, gossip, hidden intentions, blame-shifting, lying, uncontrolled anger, and avoidance of reconciliation—that damage relationships. The pastor teaches that these patterns stem from hearts unchanged by Christ, and followers of Jesus are called to the opposite: honesty, vulnerability, direct confrontation in love, clarity, ownership, truthfulness, gentleness, and genuine reconciliation.
Highlights
Trust takes a long time to build up and a very short time to lose.
When honesty is delayed, anger often erupts.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks—what is inside will eventually come out.