Covenant Over Conflict

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have a Bible and I hope that you do, open it up with me to the book of Genesis…This morning we’re be gonna be picking up where we left off last week—starting in chapter 27, verse 30, and working through chapter 28, verse 9.

Now if you’ve been with us in this series, you’ll remember that last week we watched things really begin to unravel in the family of Isaac.

In chapter 26, we saw God’s faithfulness to Isaac—how He protected him, how He provided for him, how He gave him peace…even though Isaac, much like his father Abraham, struggled with fear and compromise.

God’s covenant, we said, isn’t dependent on our consistency—it’s dependent on His character. Right? His promises don’t fail, even when we do.

But then, in chapter 27, we watched the dysfunction deepen. We saw deceit, we saw manipulation, parental favoritism, spiritual blindness, we saw division running through this family like a fault line…And yet, in the middle of all that chaos, one truth stood out: God’s plan doesn’t unravel just because His people do.

Despite all the scheming…the blessing, it still landed on the one God had chosen.

And the message of that passage was pretty clear: God’s covenant isn’t held together by human morality—it’s held together by divine mercy.

And so now, as we come to the second half of this story, the tension rises. The consequences start to hit. Esau finds out what Jacob did…Isaac begins to see more clearly what God’s doing…And Jacob? Well, Jacob, he’s about to step into the next season of his life, but not first without feeling the cost of the conflict behind him.

And so, here’s what we’re gonna see this morning: We’re gonna see what happens when conflict and covenant collide—We’re gonna see what happens when broken people try to carry out the promises of God on their own terms…And yet, despite all that, we’re gonna see something very beautiful: God’s sovereign grace still continues to work—we see it through these fractured relationships, we see it through all this broken trust, we see it through all these imperfect people.

This passage isn’t just a family drama—it’s a covenant story. It’s not just about Esau’s anger, or Rebekah’s plan, or Jacob’s escape…It’s about how God, in His mercy, keeps advancing His redemptive promise—even when His people can’t seem to get out of their own way.

And again, as I’ve been saying through this series, that’s good news for us. Because if you’ve ever been caught in the fallout of someone else’s sin—or your own sin for that matter…If you’ve ever experienced broken relationships, or if you’d tried to fix something on your own, in your own way, just to make it even worse…Then you’re gonna see this morning that God’s not finished with you. His covenant (if you belong to Him), it holds—even in the conflict.

And so, with all that in mind, let’s look at this text together.

Again, we’re reading in Genesis 27, verse 30, and continuing through chapter 28, verse 9. You can stay seated.

It says this:

Genesis 27:30–28:9 ESV

As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban (Lay-ban) my brother in Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft (ber-reft) of you both in one day?” Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram (Pa-dan-aram) to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram (Pa-dan-aram), to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean (Air-a-me-ian), the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram (Pa-dan-aram) to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram (Pa-dan-aram). So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath (May-ha-laugh) the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth (Na-buy-ya).

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes this morning, I have three points for us…Number 1, Don’t let bitterness shape your future…Number 2, Don’t let deception define you…and then finally, Number 3, Let God direct your steps.

And so, if you’re there in your Bible with me…let’s look at this first point together.

I. Don’t Let Bitterness Shape Your Future (vv. 27:30-41)

Don’t let bitterness shape your future.

Look at chapter 27, verse 30 with me again. The blessing, its just been given to Jacob. He’s barely out the door and then Esau walks in.

Verse 30:

“As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.”

Now let’s just pause right there for a moment. The timing’s so tight here, it’s almost cinematic (Send-a-matic). It’s like something out of a movie…it couldn’t have been scripted better. Jacob slips out one door…Esau walks in the other.

And remember who God is, this isn’t coincidence—it’s providence. God’s allowing the consequences of human sin to come to the surface. And look at what unfolds next…it’s heart-wrenching.

Jump down to verse 34:

“As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, ‘Bless me, even me also, O my father!’”

Now we’ve gotta be careful here. It’s very easy for us to feel a sense of sympathy for Esau. And in a way, it’s not wrong—he’s devastated…But listen—Esau’s tears aren’t the tears of repentance. They’re the tears of a man who wants the blessing of God without surrendering to the God of that blessing.

Hebrews 12:17 tells us very plainly:

“He [Esau] found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.”

In other words, Esau wanted the benefits, but not the brokenness that leads to real change. He wasn’t grieved by his sin—he was grieved by his loss.

John Calvin, writing on this passage, he said this: “Esau’s sorrow wasn’t for having offended God, but because he had been deprived of his rights. His grief arose from self-interest, not godly repentance.”

Listen—that’s the seed of bitterness, right?

Bitterness starts not just when we experience pain—but when we refuse to trust God with our pain.

Verse 41 tells us everything we need to know:

“Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and he said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’”

He’s not just hurt—Esau’s hardened. Instead of turning to God in his grief, Esau turns inward in resentment. And from that place of wounded pride, he plans revenge.

Bitterness leads to hardness.

And listen, here’s where I wanna be honest for just a moment, and maybe some of you can relate to this.

I’ve wrestled with bitterness myself. You guys have heard me share this before, but my mom, she abandoned me when I was 17 years old. And guys, that kind of wound, that kind of hurt, it doesn’t just disappear…Even in my adult life, I’ve struggled to forgive her.

And here’s what I’ve learned about bitterness through my own experiences with it—bitterness doesn’t just hurt the person you’re mad at. It spills over into every other area of your life.

My bitterness, it’s impacted my kids, how they relate to their grandma. Ever since they were born, there’s been a barrier, a tension that shouldn’t be there…and no matter how I frame it, my bitterness, its created a weight on their relationship they don’t deserve.

And even beyond family, my bitterness, its affected how I trust others. It’s like a wall went up, and trusting people—even good, loving people—it becomes hard for me. The pain makes me more guarded, more suspicious, less willing to be vulnerable with others. It’s impacted how I make decisions, even all these years later.

That bitterness isn’t just a burden on her—it’s a burden on me and its a burden on those I love most.

And again, if I’m being honest, it’s easy to sit in that bitterness, to justify it, to replay the hurt over and over again in my head. But this story, Esau’s story, it reminds me—and hopefully, it reminds you—that bitterness is a slow poison. It might feel justified. It might feel protective. But in reality, it only deepens the wound. It steals your joy and it steals your future.

Bitterness, its like trying to drive forward while staring in the rearview mirror. You’ll keep crashing into the very future God’s trying to lead you toward—because all you can see is what’s behind you.

So here’s what we need to reflect on this morning, the question we’ve gotta ask ourselves: Where am I allowing bitterness to shape my story? Where have I held onto anger so long that it’s hardened into hate? Where have I said with my mouth that I trust God, but with my heart I’m still plotting my own revenge?

Maybe it’s a family member who’s betrayed you, like my situation…or Esau’s… Maybe it’s a friend who’s ghosted you… Maybe it’s someone in the church’s who disappointed you, or hurt you, or let you down…

Can I plead with you? Don’t let that root grow or manifest in your life.

God’s covenant with you, its so much bigger than your conflict. But you have to release your grip on bitterness to walk in the blessing.

Thomas Watson, he wrote: “Bitterness of spirit dries up the springs of godliness. Forgive, [so] that you may flourish.”

That’s what Esau missed. And some of us are missing it too. We’re so focused on being right that we’ve stopped being righteous. We want the last word more than we want God’s Word.

But the good news this morning is this:

Even in the aftermath of sin—even in the pain of betrayal—God’s still advancing His plan. He’s still writing His story. And if we’ll trust Him with our pain, He can turn even our bitterness into blessing.

Don’t let bitterness shape your future…instead turn to Him, trust Him to determine how to use your brokenness.

II. Don’t Let Deception Define You (vv. 27:42-28:5)

Point number 2, don’t let deception define you.

If you’re following along in your Bible, let’s pick back up in verse 42.

It says:

“But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, ‘Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.’”

Now let’s just pause right there. What started as a plan to “secure the blessing,” it’s turned into a plan to escape with his life.

Listen, isn’t that what sin does? It always promises security—but it leads to fear. It promises control—but it leaves chaos in its wake.

Rebekah's plan “worked” in the short term—Jacob got the blessing—but now the whole family’s broken. Jacob has to flee. Rebekah, she’ll never see Jacob again. And Isaac, he’s just now starting to really see what’s going on.

And what’s important to recognize here is this: Jacob is God’s chosen, yes. But in this moment, Jacob, he’s also defined by deception. His name literally means “heel-grabber” or “cheater,” “liar.” And so, now…he’s living up to that name, right? Up until this point, that’s exactly who Jacob’s been. He lied to his father. He manipulated his brother. And now he’s on the run from the consequences of those lies. Even Esau recognized that…He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?”

But hear me—this isn’t where Jacob’s story ends.

In fact, what we’re about to see in the next few verses is a shift—not just in geography, but in identity. Jacob’s gonna go from deceiver to disciple. But this road, it starts with brokenness.

Look with me at chapter 28, verses 1 through 4 again:

“Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram…’”

Now stop right there. Something significant just happened.

Isaac calls Jacob. Isaac blesses Jacob. Isaac sends Jacob—not just away, but with purpose, with direction, with covenantal intent.

And pay attention here, this isn’t the stolen blessing of chapter 27 that we read about, that caused this mess to begin with—this is the affirmed blessing of chapter 28. Isaac’s no longer reluctantly reacting—he’s actively recognizing what God’s doing at this point in the story.

And even though Jacob’s track record is full of deceit, even though he hasn’t earned the blessing, God’s still moving forward with Jacob.

Why?

Because as I’ve been saying, God’s covenant isn’t based on your past—it’s based on God’s promise. God doesn’t define you by the worst thing you’ve ever done—He defines you by the work He did in Christ and by the work He’s doing in and through you now.

Jacob’s being sent away not to escape his mistakes, he’s being sent away so that he can grow. He’s about to begin a season of refining. And for some of us, that’s exactly what God’s doing in our lives right now.

Maybe we’ve come out of a season of deception—maybe self-deception, or maybe we were just caught in someone else’s manipulation. And now we’re in a season of displacement. We feel like we’re in between what we were and who we’re supposed to become.

But listen—that in-between space, its oftentimes where God does His deepest work.

Maybe you feel like Jacob—on the run, confused, carrying the weight of your mistakes. But here’s the good news: God hasn’t given up on you. He still calls you. He still speaks purpose over you. He still blesses you with covenant promises—not because you deserve it, but because that’s who He is.

Isaac says in verse 3:

“God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He give the blessing of Abraham to you…”

That’s massive, right?

That means the plan hasn’t changed. The deception didn’t derail the destiny…Yes, there’s consequences. And yes, there’s pain. But again, don’t miss this…there’s still a promise.

And maybe that’s what some of you here need to be reminded of this morning:

Your past doesn’t get the final word. Your name doesn’t have to be your identity. You don’t have to be defined by what you’ve done or what you’ve walked through—you can be transformed by what God’s done in Christ and what He’s doing now in you.

Listen for me, statistically, I’m not supposed to be standing here preaching to you today.

My parents went through a very nasty, very public divorce. There was deception. There was brokenness. There was hurt I didn’t fully understand as a kid. And statistically, that kind of background, its supposed to shape your future. It’s supposed to follow you into adulthood. It’s supposed to define your marriage, and your mindset, and your ministry.

But listen to me, God had other plans.

My parents' sin didn’t get to write my ending. Their brokenness wasn’t the blueprint for my life…Why? Because, God stepped in.

And maybe that’s where you find yourself today—you’ve inherited pain that wasn’t your fault. You’ve been shaped by someone else’s failure. Or maybe your own deception, your own mess…maybe those things have made you feel like your story’s stuck.

Some of us, we’ve been wearing names like “Failure,” or “Fake,” or “Liar,” or “Addict,” or “Cheater,” or “Disappointment”…but hear me—those names, they’re not permanent.

You’re not defined by what’s behind you.

If you belong to Jesus, you’re defined by what’s been declared over you in Ephesians chapter 1:

You’re chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (v. 4)

You’re holy and blameless before Him (v. 4)

In love, you were predestined for adoption as a son or daughter (v. 5)

You’ve been redeemed through His blood (v. 7)

You’ve been forgiven of your trespasses (v. 7)

You’ve been given an inheritance (v. 11)

You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (v. 13)

I could keep going but that’s who you are in Christ.

You’re not the sum of your failures. You’re not the result of someone else’s dysfunction. You’re not the identity spoken over you by the world.

As a follower of Jesus…If you’d placed your trust and faith in Him…You’re His.

And so here’s the reflection question for us:

Where have you let deception define you? Where have you believed that what you’ve done or what you’ve experienced disqualifies you from where God wants to take you?

Because here’s the truth: If you’re in Christ, your story doesn’t end in the mess. It ends in mercy.

Because Jacob’s story—and mine, and maybe yours—proves that God’s mercy runs deeper than our mess.

So don’t let deception define you.

Instead, let grace reframe your identity and let God redirect your steps. Don’t stay stuck in guilt. Let God lead you forward.

III. Let God Direct Your Steps (vv. 28:6-9)

Which leads us into our final point…Let God direct your steps.

And so, we’ve seen what bitterness does when it goes unchecked. We’ve seen how deception can shape your identity—if you let it. But now, we’re gonna see something else—something important. We’re gonna see a choice.

Look again at verses 6 through 9 with me:

“Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram (Pa-dan-aram) to take a wife from there…So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath (May-ha-laugh)…”

So what’s happening here?

Esau, he’s watching all this unfold. He sees that Jacob—his deceiving younger brother—He sees Jacob’s still being blessed. He sees that Jacob’s been sent away by Isaac with very clear instructions. And for the first time in a long time, he sees something clear: obedience matters.

But what’s Esau do with this new realization?

He tries to fix it in his own way.

He goes to Ishmael—another outsider to the covenant promise—and he adds another wife to the ones he already has…so three wives now. But why? Because he’s trying to earn favor. He’s trying to course-correct without course-submitting. He’s reacting—he’s not repenting.

He sees what obedience looks like, but he doesn’t surrender his steps to God. He still moves on his own terms.

I mean, isn’t that something we can all relate to?

How many of us, after realizing we’ve messed up…how many of us have tried to fix things with a bunch of stuff that seems good? Or we’ve scrambled to clean up our image? Or we make moves that looks right…but deep down, we’re still refusing to surrender?

Esau wasn’t asking, “God, where are You leading?” He was saying, “Look, I can do that too! I can get back in Dad’s good graces. Watch me.”

But God doesn’t honor performance. He honors surrender.

Let me say that again: God doesn’t honor performance. Your performance on your own, its tainted…its influenced by your heart condition. The Bible’s very clear…all have sinned…all fall short of God’s glory. And so, any performance we do to earn some kind of favor…its always gonna fall short. God doesn’t honor performance. He honors surrender.

And that’s what separates Jacob and Esau at this point in the story.

Jacob—yes, he’s broken. Yes, he’s a liar. But Jacob, he’s beginning to walk in the direction of surrender. His steps are directed—he’s being sent.

But Esau? He’s still striving by his own effort.

Jacob’s moving under God’s command. Esau’s reacting to man’s disappointment.

And that’s the difference between trying to control your future and letting God direct it.

And so, here’s the reflection for us this morning:

Are you trying to fix your life…or are you learning to follow God as He gives you purpose in life?

There’s a difference.

One leads to more frustration—because it’s you trying to patch up what only God can redeem.

The other leads to freedom—because it’s you trusting God enough to let Him lead.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to take the next faithful step. You don’t have to know exactly where the road leads—You just have to trust and follow the one Who’s leading you.

Charles Spurgeon once said: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord… not the leaps and the jumps, but the steps. Little by little, he leads us, and each step is guided by His wisdom and grace.”

That’s an encouraging statement, right? It means you don’t have to take a massive leap of faith all at once—you just need to take a small faithful step, trusting that God’s directing even that.

That’s what faith looks like.

Psalm 37:23 says: “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

And so listen, maybe today, God’s inviting you to stop striving and to start following.

Maybe it means forgiving someone you’ve been bitter toward.

Maybe it means confessing a sin that you’ve hidden.

Maybe it means surrendering control in an area you’ve been clinging to.

Or maybe it means taking a step of obedience—even if it’s costly, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Let God direct your steps. Because when you walk with Him—even through the fallout of failure, even through the fog of confusion—He leads you not just toward healing, but toward His purpose for your life.

Closing

And so, as we step back and take everything in we’ve seen this morning—from Esau’s bitterness, to Jacob’s deception, to the sovereign hand of God guiding every step—how should we respond?

For believers, the call’s very simple but also serious:

We have to stop running. Stop running from the pain. Stop running from your past. Stop running from the places where God’s asking you to trust Him.

Some of us are still holding on to bitterness, justifying it instead of surrendering it. Some of us are still defined by old names—names like “cheater,” or “addict,” “liar,” “failure”—even though Jesus, He’s already written a new name over you. Some of us are still trying to direct our own steps, still clinging to control, still operating out of fear or pride instead of faith.

Guys, this passage, it shows us that God doesn’t give up on broken people. He doesn't throw away deceivers. He doesn’t abandon the bitter-hearted. He doesn't cancel His covenant when His people stumble.

Instead, He meets us right where we are—in our mess—and He calls us to Himself.

And so, as someone who follows Jesus, if God’s calling you to forgive… obey. If He’s calling you to confess sin… obey. If He’s asking you to trust Him with your future… obey.

Even if the road ahead feels uncertain, you can walk it with confidence—because His sovereign grace never fails.

Let God direct your steps.

But listen, if you’re here this morning, or you’re watching online, and you wouldn’t call yourself a Christian—or maybe you’ve just been living like God’s distant and you’re not sure where you stand with Him—I wanna talk to you for just a moment.

Because the story we just walked through isn’t just about a messed-up family—it’s about the human family. And it’s about you.

Let me explain it this way, using four truths—the bad news, the worse news, the good news, the best news.

1. The Bad News:

We’ve all sinned.

Just like Jacob and Esau, every one of us has made a mess of our lives. We’ve deceived, we’ve hated, we’ve manipulated, we’ve lied—we’ve lived like we’re in charge. Again, Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

That’s the bad news.

We’re all guilty before a holy God. No one gets a pass.

And the punishment for that, its death. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…” That’s bad news!

2. The Worse News:

There’s nothing you can do to fix this problem on your own.

Like Esau trying to fix things by marrying a new wife… or like Jacob trying to grab a blessing through trickery… we oftentimes try to clean ourselves up.

We try religion. We try good works. We try to be “better.”

But the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6, “All our righteous acts, [they’re] like filthy rags.” You can’t earn your way to God. You can’t undo your sin. You can’t fix your soul.

That’s the worse news—you can’t save yourself.

3. The Good News:

Jesus came to do what you couldn’t.

God didn’t leave us in our mess. He stepped into it.

Jesus—the sinless Son of God—He lived the life we should’ve lived and then He died the death we all deserve.

He took the penalty for our deceit. He bore the weight of our bitterness. He suffered for our rebellion.

And then—three days later—He rose again, breaking the power of sin and death forever.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

That’s the good news—Jesus came to rescue us.

4. And Then The Best News:

You can be forgiven and made new—right now.

You don’t have to clean yourself up. You don’t have to earn it. You just have to come with empty hands and a surrendered heart.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Right now—today—you can leave your old name behind. You can walk out of the identity of your past, and you can walk into a new identity in Christ: forgiven, adopted, redeemed, secure.

That’s the best news—Jesus didn’t just die to save you; He rose again to give you new life. And all of it, its all a free gift.

Listen, when someone gives you a gift…who pays for it? The giver, right? And if He gives you a gift and then says you have to pay for it later, that’s not a gift…Or if He gives it and then comes back later and says you gotta give it back, that’s also not a gift.

Salvation, it was purchased for you by the God of Creation, with His own life…And because of the high pay He’s paid to secure you, He’s not gonna forsake you once you’ve received His gift of salvation.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So what do you do if that’s you?

If you’ve never trusted in Jesus, don’t wait. Turn from your sin. Turn from your self-reliance. Turn from trying to fix everything yourself…And trust in Christ Jesus. Call on His name. Surrender your life to the One who gave His life for you.

And listen, if you want help doing that this morning, I’m gonna be in the back, you can come talk to me—any of our leaders here—any of us would love to talk with you, pray with you, walk with you through this.

But no matter who you are this morning, respond to the Word of God with trust and obedience.

Would you bow your head and close eyes with me?

Jacob’s story was messy. Esau’s story was tragic.

But listen to me, God’s story? God’s story, it’s redemptive.

And that’s the story He’s still writing in the lives of real people, even today.

And so, whether you’re bitter, whether you’re broken, if you’re just barely hanging on—remember this:

Your failure isn’t final. Your past, its not permanent. Your messiness doesn’t disqualify you from God’s mercy.

Because the cross of Jesus Christ speaks a better word.

So let go of bitterness. Let go of deception. And let God direct your steps.

The covenant still holds—because Jesus still saves.

And so, come…You take this time to respond and then I’ll close us in just a moment.

[Prayer}