"Nothing But Jesus" 1 Corinthians Sermon Series

Created for https://renewalmemphis.com/. Photo by JOHN TOWNER

It took me a while to land on a visual direction for this 1 Corinthians sermon series graphic. A tricky theme to convey, I spent a bit of time pondering those three words: Nothing but Jesus. 

What do those words mean to me? Only Jesus– can be relied upon, can truly satisfy, can provide real security, can conquer death, can redeem brokeness, can bring deep peace, and can restore wholeness to our innermost beings. 

When I came upon this image, it immediately put me in the shoes (or perhaps bare feet) of Peter fearfully dipping his feet into the ocean and relying on Jesus to keep him from sinking (Matthew 14:22-33). Though this image evokes feelings of unease since there’s no boat in view or anything else to which I could hold on, my eyes then focus on the 5 letters of “Jesus” that form the most powerful word I could ever utter.

Just as he was with Peter in that story, Jesus is faithfully here with us in 2023 to sustain and protect us from the waves of life– making the humanly impossible possible. Peter needed faith to trust that Jesus indeed had him. I want to let go of the things on earth that give me a false sense of security and put my full weight on Jesus. We can trust him. He is able. He loves us and doesn’t want his children flailing in the sea– he longs for us to reach out to his loving, steadfast arms. 

This desire to focus on Jesus is important in individual hearts & minds, but in context, this letter from Paul was a reminder to keep the focus on Jesus within the church in Corinth as a whole. One of the key themes within this book of the Bible was concerning the divisions within the Corinthian church– encouraging the believers to push aside divisive one-upmanship, seek unity by building up faith of those who are weak and share the gospel of Jesus in a loving, intentional way. Distractions abound. Where is our focus?

(Wasn't planning on writing a devotional for this Dribbble shot, but thought I'd share the heart behind this!) ;)