Breaking Verses Down
Breaking Verses Down came from a season of adversity in my own life—a time when I realized I needed more than simply knowing what the Bible said. I needed a clearer, deeper, and more personal understanding of God's Word and what it meant for my life.
I'm Jason McKenzie. Over the years, I've had the privilege of serving in ministry as a youth pastor and associate pastor, and today I serve as a member of the church council at Gateway Foursquare Church in Campbell River, British Columbia.
But if you're expecting a formal Bible lecture, you've probably come to the wrong place.
I believe we can take God's Word seriously without taking ourselves too seriously. Breaking Verses Down combines a genuine love for Scripture with personal stories, honest conversation, practical application, and a healthy dose of humour along the way.
Through my own seasons of adversity, I've discovered that Scripture isn't simply something to study—it's something that speaks into our struggles, questions, decisions, relationships, and everyday lives. When we slow down and seek a clearer and more personal understanding of God's Word, something changes. We don't just know more about God—we begin to know Him more deeply. And that can make our relationship with Him far richer and more rewarding.
That's the heart behind Breaking Verses Down.
This isn't about having every answer or making the Bible more complicated than it needs to be. It's about opening God's Word together, breaking it down in a relatable way, having a few laughs along the journey, and discovering the incredible depth, hope, wisdom, and truth contained within it.
My hope is that you don't finish an episode simply knowing more about a Bible verse. I hope you're encouraged to open God's Word for yourself, understand it more personally, draw closer to Jesus, and discover just how rewarding a deeper relationship with God can be.
So grab your Bible, grab a coffee, and join me as we break down God's Word—one verse at a time
Breaking Verses Down
Psalm 88
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If you are into a dark and morbid read, Psalm 88 is the one for you. Heman the Ezrahite shares some of the deepest and darkest thoughts in his mind in this Psalm. And yet, as he grieves you can see the faith that he still had in a God that doesn't seem to be responding to him. This is a faith building episode and we hope the break down of it blesses you.
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[b] A maskil[c] of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 Lord, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[d]
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction[e]?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
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