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Footnotes and Witness

Footnotes and Witness

Written by: Deborah J McKenzie
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Have you ever wondered if you are good enough to read the Bible? Does it feel like you aren't qualified? I grew up in church so I thought I knew how to read it; I didn't! With a few footnotes, I want to share the resources and tips that opened the Bible for me. The word finally started to feel like that "living" word I always hear about. If you follow Christ, you have the Holy Spirit and that means you are qualified to read God's word. If you want to be, this is a great place to dip your toes in the water and see what this whole Jesus thing is all about. I believe that when you read about God's true character, from His own words, you won't be able to stop telling people about how your life is saved and changed. Jesus wants us to tell our story because it is HIS story. See Jesus rightly in the Bible, and see Him in your story.

© 2026 Footnotes and Witness Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • 721 Mark chapter 16

    721 Mark chapter 16
    Jan 7 2026

    Here is the end of the book of Mark. Depending on your translation, there may be a large footnote in your bible about this chapter. It originally had a very abrupt ending. While that may not have been satisfying to us, it posed a challenge to the reader. As the reader, what would you do next?

    I also asked you to take note of a couple questions as you reflect back on your time in the book of Mark:

    1. Would other people describe you as a servant? yes or no
      1. How do you feel about that?
      2. Do you want to change that?
    2. Do you think of Jesus Christ as a servant? why or why not
      1. How do you describe Jesus?
    3. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

    Resources:

    Ending of Mark commentaries:

    https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/the-strange-ending-of-the-gospel-of-mark-and-why-it-makes-all-the-difference/

    https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/what-do-you-do-with-the-end-of-marks-gospel/

    https://youtu.be/HGHqu9-DtXk?si=abk2BecFKqLxQlFj

    my website: https://www.deborahjmckenzie.com/
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    34 mins
  • 720 Chapter 15

    720 Chapter 15
    May 16 2025

    Mark chapter 15- The death of Jesus Christ. It has been quite a journey to get here. You may notice that this episode is formatted a little differently. It ends rather abruptly for instance. It is in an effort to highlight the spiritual practice that I get from a Good Friday Service and indeed most of Holy Week (the week prior to Easter). Easter is amazing, don't get me wrong but we really need the week that comes before it. The meaning and weight of Easter comes from the severity of sin and the enormity of the sacrificed that was required. It would certainly do us well to slow down, meditate on the meaning of the events in this chapter.


    Resources:

    the Bible ReCap (chronological reading resource and podcast): https://www.thebiblerecap.com/

    My God My God Why Have You Forsaken Me - Psalm 22

    https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/psa/22/1/s_500001


    My Website: https://www.deborahjmckenzie.com/
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    36 mins
  • 719 Mark Chapter 14 part 2

    719 Mark Chapter 14 part 2
    Apr 13 2025

    Jesus gets arrested and endures the trials of the religious leaders. Peter denies Jesus 3 times in a courtyard to strangers. The perfect humanity in Jesus shows one reaction to fear and the imperfect humanity in Peter shows another. We have this opportunity to hold the mirror to ourselves. What is our reaction in the day to day?


    My website: https://www.deborahjmckenzie.com/
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    37 mins
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