Is This All That You Have Bishop Claude Richard Alexander, Jr August 30, 2026

About this sermon

There is a moment in 1 Samuel 16 that is easy to read past without fully feeling its weight. Jesse and his sons have been personally invited to a sacrifice, called out by God Himself for a specific and extraordinary purpose. Jesse presents all of his sons, except one and when the other sons are not chosen, Samuel turns to Jesse and asks a question that should stop every one of us in our tracks: “Are these all the sons you have?” It is tempting to read this story and wonder how Jesse could have made such an obvious mistake. But the truth is that most of us make the same mistake regularly, just in less dramatic settings. We miss God not always by what we bring, but by what we withhold.