Nothing But The Blood / Give Thanks / Total Praise

Travis Cottrell builds this medley around a question with only one acceptable answer, repeated as its own refrain: "what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." The hymn's insistence on "nothing but" rules out every substitute the question might otherwise invite — effort, good behavior, self-improvement — before any of them get a chance to be offered.

The second section pulls in language from Isaiah's promise of reversal — "let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich" — applying an Old Testament pattern of restoration directly to what the blood of Christ accomplishes rather than treating the two as separate ideas. "Because of what the Lord has done for us" keeps the reversal from sounding like self-help; the strength and riches named are entirely borrowed, not earned.

The medley's final movement narrows to pure declaration — "you are the source of my strength" repeated until it dissolves into "I lift my hands in total praise" and finally just "Amen" — treating worship's natural endpoint as silence after the case has already been fully made.