Sermon
When Family Members Manipulate
Cross Church
Speaker: Nick Floyd
January 25, 2026 · 29 min
Summary
Genesis 25:19-34 reveals how favoritism and division within Isaac and Rebecca's family create the conditions for manipulation and dysfunction. The sermon traces how parental favoritism toward different sons leads to sibling conflict, and shows how Esau's impulse-driven choices and Jacob's manipulative exploitation of vulnerability both stem from broken family dynamics. Listeners learn that dysfunction originates from favoritism, division, and manipulation—but that God can redeem even fractured families.
Highlights
Manipulation within a family is often birthed out of favoritism.
Every time we let impulse drive us, it eventually drives us into brokenness.
God is not honored when we do the right thing in the wrong way.