‍

Jesus called fishermen from their boats and a tax collector from his booth. He chose a zealot, a skeptic, and a man who would one day betray him. These ordinary people walked with Jesus every day, and following him changed their lives forever.

Peter’s bold promises and painful failures, Thomas’s honest doubts, and John’s deep devotion all reflect the questions and struggles people bring into your church each Sunday. According to a recent Barna study, Bible reading climbed to 42% in 2025, with the biggest jumps among Millennials and Gen Z! There’s no doubt that these characters of the Bible who walked with Jesus offer us powerful stories that are still relevant to our lives today. 

That’s why we’re excited to introduce the free Jesus & His Inner Circle Graphics Media Kit, the newest addition to our Characters of the Bible collection! With customizable sermon art, verse slides, and social media templates for Jesus, all 12 disciples, John the Baptist, and Joseph, you'll have everything you need to bring their stories to your screens this season.

Sermon graphics for the 12 disciples: Meet Jesus & his inner circle

This kit joins our growing Characters of the Bible Graphics collection, alongside Foundational Figures, Kings & Rulers, Heroes & Leaders, Faithful Women, and Messengers & Prophets. This time, the focus is on Jesus and the people who walked closest to him.

You’ll find sermon and social templates for:

  • Jesus – The Son of God, at the center of every story in this kit.
  • Joseph – A righteous man who obeyed God’s call to raise Jesus as his own.
  • John the Baptist – Prepared the way for the Lord and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
  • Peter – Walked on water, denied Jesus three times, and was restored to lead the early church.
  • Andrew – Peter’s brother, who brought him to meet Jesus.
  • James the Greater – A son of Zebedee and the first of the apostles to be martyred.
  • John the Apostle – Known as "the disciple whom Jesus loved."
  • Philip – Invited his friend Nathanael to come and see Jesus.
  • Bartholomew – Often identified as Nathanael, who wondered if anything good could come from Nazareth.
  • Matthew – A tax collector who left everything to follow Jesus.
  • Thomas – Moved from doubt to one of the boldest declarations of faith in the Gospels.
  • James the Less – The son of Alphaeus and a faithful member of the Twelve.
  • Thaddeus – Also called Judas son of James, who asked Jesus a question at the Last Supper.
  • Simon the Zealot – A former zealot who followed Jesus alongside Matthew, a tax collector he once would’ve opposed.
  • Judas Iscariot – The disciple who betrayed Jesus, offering a sobering lesson on the condition of the heart.

Everything you need for a series on the disciples

Each character has a matching set of templates, so your visuals stay consistent from week one to the final Sunday of your series. Every template set includes:

  • Sermon art – Main title slides that set the tone for your message.
  • Invitational slides – Promote your series during announcements and encourage your church to invite a friend.
  • Verse slides – Display key Scripture passages on screen during your teaching.
  • Lower thirds – Add sermon titles, Scripture references, or speaker names to your live streams and recorded videos.
  • Social media images – Main art and verse graphics to promote your series on Instagram, Facebook, and more throughout the week.

With 15 characters to choose from, you can build a 12-week series on the apostles or a shorter study on a few key figures. Joseph and John the Baptist also make a great fit for an Advent sermon series as Christmas approaches.

Customize your graphics in minutes with Canva

You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create something powerful! Every template opens in Canva, a free and easy-to-use design tool. You can edit details like the pastor name and church name, and the professionally designed artwork is already done for you.

Getting started takes just a few clicks:

  1. Choose your character: Click the button for the template you want. When the Canva link opens, select "Use template."
  2. Make it yours: Click any text box to update your sermon title, pastor name, or church name.
  3. Download & share: Select "Share" in the top right corner to download. For high-quality slides, choose PNG and slide the size all the way to the right for crisp images and screens. For social, download a PNG or share directly to your channels from Canva.

Pro tip: If your church uses Subsplash, you’ll also find these images in your Dashboard library, so you can add them straight to your app, website, and media.

Help your church follow Jesus more closely

The disciples doubted, argued, failed, and still changed the world because they followed Jesus. Their stories give your congregation a picture of what following him looks like today. We hope these free graphics help you tell those stories well, so you can spend less time designing and more time preparing your message.

Download your free Jesus & His Inner Circle Graphics Media Kit and start customizing today! Don’t forget to share this resource with your team and other church leaders.

Looking for more free church graphics? Check out our growing library for sermon series, holidays, events, and more!

‍