The Providence Podcast

A People for His Praise - 1 Peter 2:4-10Series: 1 Peter Speaker: DovSunday MorningDate: 26th April 2026Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-10

New Birth & Brotherly Love - 1 Peter 1:13-2:3Series: 1 Peter Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 19th April 2026Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-2:3

The Life of Christ Fuels Christian Endurance - 1 Peter 1:13-19Series: 1 Peter Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 12th April 2026Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-19

A Living HopeSeries: Easter Sunday Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 5th April 2026Passage: 1 Peter 1:1-9

Our Gods On DisplaySeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 22nd March 2026

Ephesians 5:22-33 Marriage & The Mission of GodSeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 15th March 2026

Ephesians 4:17-32 Tools for TransformationSeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 8th March 2026Passage: Ephesians 4:17-32

Ephesians 4:17-32 Tools for Transformation Part 1Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 1st March 2026

Ephesians 4:11 - Growing in ChristSeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 22nd February 2026

Ephesians 4:7-13 Fostering a Leadership FactorySeries: Ephesians Speaker: DovSunday MorningDate: 15th February 2026Passage: Ephesians 4:7-13

Ephesians 4:1-6 Unity in the ChurchSeries: Ephesians Speaker: Dov CohenDate: 8th February 2026Passage: Ephesians 4:1-6

Ephesians 3 - Walking in FaithSeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 1st February 2026Passage: Ephesians 3:1-21

Preaching That Pleases God, Part 2Series: What Pleases God? Speaker: Chris OswaldPodcastDate: 20th January 2026

God's Cosmic Construction ProjectSeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 18th January 2026Passage: Ephesians 2:1-3:10

Gospel UnitySeries: Ephesians Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 11th January 2026Passage: Ephesians 2:11

Introducing the Ephesians Sermon SeriesSpeaker: Chris OswaldPodcastDate: 23rd December 2025Passage: Ephesians 1:1-6:24

Outgrowing Anxiety, Part 3Series: Outgrowing Anxiety Speaker: Chris OswaldPodcastDate: 23rd December 2025Passages: Ephesians 1:1-23Colossians 1:1-24Hebrews 5:1-14Revelation 5:1-14

Outgrowing Anxiety, Part 4Series: Outgrowing Anxiety Speaker: Chris OswaldPodcastDate: 23rd December 2025

What Kind of Preaching Pleases God? Part 1Series: What Pleases God? Speaker: Chris OswaldPodcastDate: 16th December 2025

Colossians 2 - Christus Victor Does Not Need HelpSeries: The Final Adam Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 14th December 2025Passage: Colossians 2:1-23

Romans 5:12-6:4Series: The Final Adam Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 7th December 2025Passage: Romans 5:12-6:4

1 John 5Series: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 30th November 2025Passage: 1 John 5:1

1 John 5:1:5Series: 1 John Speaker: Dov CohenDate: 23rd November 2025Passage: 1 John 5:1-5-------------------Loving God's Commandments

1 John 3:11Series: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 16th November 2025Passage: 1 John 3:11

1 John 3:1-18 RevisitedSeries: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 9th November 2025Passage: 1 John 3:1-18

1 John 3:1Series: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 3rd November 2025Passage: 1 John 3:1

1 John 2:18Series: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 26th October 2025Passage: 1 John 2:18-------------------1 John 2:18

1 John 2 - Love of this WorldSeries: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 19th October 2025Passage: 1 John 2:1-29

Outgrowing Anxiety, Part 3: Fear of Man vs. Fear of GodSeries: Podcast Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 18th October 2025

1 John 2:1-5 John as an example leaderSeries: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 5th October 2025Passage: 1 John 2:1-5

Outgrowing Anxiety Part 2: Gospel Grace Turns Flaws Into FeaturesSeries: Outgrowing Anxiety Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 25th September 2025

The Classical View of Biblical SufficiencySeries: Podcast Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 23rd September 2025-------------------Classical Biblical Sufficiency Article referenced: https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/by-good-and-necessary-consequence-2019-06/Manuscript:I wanted to quickly differentiate between the classical (and proper) definition of biblical sufficiency and some of the less refined versions of this doctrine floating around.The Westminster Confession of Faith Article 1.6 provides protestants with the classic definition:"The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. " - Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6This definition is excellent because it provides three important clarifications, at least two of which are typically lacking in more modern and general definitions of biblical sufficiency:In addition to scripture, there are principles derived from scripture that are to be held as part of God’s counsel. The WCF refers to these principles as things deduced from scripture that are “both good and necessary” implications. You can read more about this idea in this excellent article from Tabletalk Magazine.The use of scripture depends on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As the WCF puts it, “Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word.” When the confession speaks of the “saving understanding” of the revealed word, both salvation and sanctification are included.Finally, let’s consider the biggest distinction between carefully defined classical sufficiency and some of the other definitions that while well-meaning, are less thought out. The confession concludes, “there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.”As you can see, this is an important detail. The true laws of nature (often discovered via observational science) are never to be understood as a competitor to God’s revealed word. This important wrinkle in the confession’s doctrine forces us to contend with a couple of problems:Scientists who malign God’s natural law.Like all human endeavors, the sciences are filled with individuals who hate all of God’s laws (including natural law). In an ideal marketplace setting, scientists who hate natural law would quickly be out of businesses. For the basic definition of science requires the recognition of and submission to a fixed order of nature that is to be discovered via scientific efforts. Unfortunately, we live in a corrupted world that will, from time to time, incentivize and subsidize erroneous science. Again, my definition of erroneous science would begin with the rejection of natural law.A good example of this kind of thing would be all of the confusion surrounding gender. In a more ideal world, any scientist that denies the existence of two genders, each with observable distinctions and roles, would be immediately rejected as a bad scientist. But there is currently enough corrupt funding within the scientific community that keeps disqualified people employed.Scientists who misidentify God's natural laws.In addition to the real problem of disqualified scientists (those who reject natural law), we have another problem. Since we are fallen human beings, we will, even with the best intentions, make mistakes. The scientific world is full of false conclusions which stem not so much from hostility to God’s law, but rather plain old human error. The scientific data surrounding the role of cholesterol in heart disease is one example. In that case, classic confusions over causality and correlation combined with interests from drug companies created a momentum to misapply real scientific findings.The truth is that sin creates all sorts of potential misunderstandings of real data. Take for instance the data regarding suicidal ideation amongst people with gender dysphoria. For a number of years, this legitimate data was used to argue for “transitioning” children. Certain sinful presuppositions kept scientists from seeing that by definition, a child with gender dysphoria is extremely high in character trait neuroticism and is therefore far more likely to experience suicidal ideations.Scientists who misapply their findings.The classical protestant position on epistemology states that the Holy Spirit is needed to illuminate both of God’s books to various degrees. So in addition to needing the Holy Spirit to produce a saving and sanctifying understanding of the scriptures, the Holy Spirit is needed to properly apprehend and apply certain truths we discover in the natural world.It is one thing to discover real data in the natural world, and it is another to possess the wisdom necessary to know how to apply it properly.Going back to our example with gender, a scientist might correctly discern the differences and notice that the average woman has about a third of the upper body strength of the average man. This correct finding might lead to the incorrect determination that rape is encoded in the laws of nature (there are scientists who hold this position). One of the more common examples has to do with male monogamy. In some sense, there is a great deal of observable science that indicates men are not built for monogamy. In both of these examples, scientific failure emerges from a kind of materialistic interpretation of data that disregards the clear teaching of scripture.Key Takeaways:The classical position on scriptural sufficiency includes a godly use of natural law.The main problem with so-called integrationism is not so much the use of external data as it is the three problems outlined above.The Puritans are the best example of a healthy integration of both natural and special revelation. In the average Puritan sermon or book, you will find true shepherding of souls that stands resolutely on the unique authority of the scriptures while also utilizing basic principles that support human flourishing as found in the light of nature.It would be common for instance to see a Puritan prescribe “getting fresh air and sunlight” as a means of grace. This is very similar to what we see modeled in 1 Timothy 5:23 where Paul tells Timothy to “take a little wine for your stomach.”Antidotes to harmful integrationism:A reverential respect for the majesty of God’s word. Every counselor must embrace the essential gratitude and honor for the bible as displayed in Psalm 119. The majority of integrationist errors stem from a dismissive attitude toward God’s glorious scriptures.A clear understanding of God’s word. The average integrationist, while well-meaning, is often tragically limited in the amount of bible they know and understand. This ignorance often manifests itself in an under-reliance on scriptures that God has provided on particular topics. Too often, we find integrationists making assumptions that the scriptures do not speak to a particular issue when they do. The consequence is a neglect of God’s best prescription for a problem and the issuance of something far less powerful and effective.A carefulness regarding the binding of consciences. The Westminster Confession stipulates that some principles are to be held as authoritative for the Christian so long as they are both good and necessary outworkings of the scriptures themselves. One example would be the so-called love languages. In a marriage counseling situation, we could conceive of a counselor repeatedly instructing a husband to love his wife according to her love language and then, if he resists, using biblical language to shame him for his failure. The problem here is that the counselor is taking a principle that is arguably derived from natural observation, and prescribing those principles as the only way to obey God’s command to love your wife.Antidotes to harmful sufficiency:The main problem we will run into as we understand and apply the important doctrine of biblical sufficiency is that we will fail to follow the wise and nuanced definitions set up for us in classical documents like the WCF. This is often manifest in an attitudinal hostility toward natural law.As is often the case with lay-level teaching, you will find that in an effort to warn against sinful integrationism, an overly rigid explanation of biblical sufficiency emerges that is not in keeping with the longstanding and carefully defined position as staked out by the WCF and other confessions. This is understandable because in many ways, the doctrine of sufficiency (like many of the church’s doctrines) was articulated in reaction to something. Initially, the doctrine was outlined as a reaction to Roman Catholicism. More recently, the doctrine has been presented as a reaction to significant sin and corruption within the psychological community. And of course, whenever we see reaction, we should expect to see some overreaction. Such is the way of man!But to be fair to the hard line sufficiency people, psychology is essentially a secularized version of Roman Catholicism. The therapist takes the role of priest. He has “secret wisdom” unavailable to the average person.The deeper issues at play:While outside the scope of this paper, it might help the reader to understand that much of this discussion is tangled up with a longstanding disagreement in the church regarding epistemology. The two sides of this debate are presuppositionalists vs. classical or Thomistic thinkers. Both sides have legitimate perspectives. The presuppositionalist believes that all human perception of truth is ultimately dependent on the Holy Spirit. They believe that man’s nature is so corrupted by sin that science itself becomes untenable without spiritual sight provided by the Spirit. The Thomistic side (named after Thomas Aquinas) argues that man’s falleness is not so total as to prevent him from reasoning out certain basic concepts communicated through nature.It is my opinion that when pressed to their most extreme applications, both approaches fail to adequately explain the totality of biblical data on the subject. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.Presuppositionalism can tend to fuel an overly rigid doctrine of biblical sufficiency. Thomism can tend to fuel an under appreciation of the necessity of the scriptures.

Church Update and Philippines Trip ReviewSeries: Podcast Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 23rd September 2025

Outgrowing Anxiety Part 1: Saying Goodbye to Plastic PrayerSeries: Outgrowing Anxiety Speaker: Chris OswaldSeminarDate: 23rd September 2025Passage: Philippians 4:6-7

1 John - IntroductionSeries: 1 John Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 21st September 2025

Psalm 121 - Undaunted Courage for the Year AheadSeries: Psalms Speaker: Dov CohenDate: 7th September 2025Passage: Psalm 121:1-8

Psalm 147 Inner Health Made AudibleSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 31st August 2025

Psalm 141 Seven Habits of Highly Successful SufferersSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 24th August 2025-------------------Seven Habits of Highly Successful Sufferers

Psalm 103 Developing a Godly PersonalitySeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 17th August 2025Passage: Psalm 103:1-22

Psalm 103 Understanding God's PersonalitySeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldDate: 10th August 2025

How to Get a Good Night's SleepSeries: Psalms Speaker: Dov CohenSunday MorningDate: 3rd August 2025Passage: Psalm 4:1-8

Reverence & RewardSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 27th July 2025Passage: Psalm 128:1-6

Science & The ScripturesSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 20th July 2025Passage: Psalm 19:1-14

Asaph's OdysseySeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 13th July 2025Passage: Psalm 73:1-28

Political Power, Purity Spirals, and the Perfections of ChristSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 6th July 2025Passage: Psalm 72:1-20

The Steadfast Love of GodSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 29th June 2025

Spiritual Warfare and the Psalms, Part 2Series: Psalms Sunday MorningDate: 22nd June 2025Passage: Psalm 110:1-7

Spiritual Warfare in the PsalmsSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 15th June 2025Passage: Psalm 91:1-16

Seeing & Savoring Christ in the PsalmsSeries: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 8th June 2025-------------------Luke 24:44-47, “Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”So wherever we are in the bible, our main purpose is to see and savor Christ.The severity of pain you experience in your next trial will really come down to how precious Jesus is to you.It would be much better for you if you treasured him before the next trial.ADVENTAseity (complete self-sufficiency, no needs) Descent (incarnation) Virtue (his perfect obedience and moral excellence) Execution (cross) New Life (resurrection) Throne (rule and reign)A = Aseity God is independent of all things. He is perfectly self-sufficient, not depending on anything outside himself for anything, and is therefore the eternal, foundational being, the source of life and sustenance for all other beings. He is self-existent, having life in and of himself (Exodus 3:14; John 5:26), and he existed before all things, and through him alone all things exist (Psalm 90:2; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11). He is the source of everything (Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 45:5–7; 54:16; John 5:26; 1 Corinthians 8:6) and he depends on nothing; all things depend on him (Romans 11:36). He needs nothing, being all-sufficient (Job 22:2–3; Acts 17:25).John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”John - All things were made through him Hebrews - He upholds the universe by the word of his power. Colossians 1:15-16 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.Aseity in the Psalms“Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting” (Psalm 93:2)“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2)“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain” (Psalm 102:25-26)Psalm 33:4-6, “For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”D = DescentThe next letter in our acronym is D for Descent (Incarnation). And it usually connected in the NT to his Aseity. This great God who needed nothing and is over everything took on flesh and walked among us.John says, “the word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Hebrews says, “God made him a little lower than the angels.” Philippians 2:6-7 says, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.Descent in the Psalms““The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage’” Psalm 2:7-8“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,” – Psalm 8:3-6Hebrews 10 tells us that the phrase, “I have come to do your will, O God” from Psalm 40:7-8 is actually Jesus speaking to the Father.The whole creation, in all its excellency, cannot contribute one mite unto the satisfaction or blessedness of God. He has it all in infinite perfection from himself and in his own nature.How magnificent is the humility of the Son of God in taking on the role of mediator! The divine nature is so perfect and infinitely distant from all creation, and God is so completely self-sufficient in His eternal joy—lacking nothing and needing no addition—that any attention He gives to His creatures is an act of humble condescension from His supreme position. What heart can grasp, or words describe, the glory of the Son’s condescension, when He freely took on our human nature, making it His own, to serve as our mediator and represent us before God? – John Owen (Chris’ Paraphrase)As Thomas Watson said, “it would be more fitting for God to make all of the angels into worms, than for him to become like a man.”V = VirtuePhilippians 2:5-8Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient… to the point of death, even death on a cross.Virtue in the PsalmsPsalm 15, “Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly” (1-2)Psalm 24:3-4, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”Only Jesus can say Psalm 119:22, “I have kept your testimonies.”E = ExecutionExecution in the PsalmsWhen you read Psalm 3, “O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” — see Christ first and foremost.When you read Psalm 6 – “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.” (6-7), think first and foremost of Christ.The Great Exchange: How to see Christ in the Psalmist’s sinPsalm 51, “my sin is ever before me.”2 Corinthians 5:21, “He who knew no sin became sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”Or Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”“We need righteousness to be acceptable to God. But we don’t have it. What we have is sin. So, God has what we need and don’t deserve — righteousness; and we have what God hates and rejects — sin. What is God’s answer to this situation? His answer is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died in our place and bore our condemnation. “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he [God] condemned sin in the flesh” Whose flesh bore the condemnation? His. Whose sins were being condemned? Ours. This is the great exchange. – John PiperN = New LifeNew Life in the PsalmsPsalm 3:5-6 – “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”The classic resurrection line in the Psalms is Psalm 16:10, “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” In the book of Acts, Peter explains to the people that this is a reference to Christ.Psalm 30:1-3, “I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”Psalm 30:5, “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”T = ThroneThrone in the PsalmsPsalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make all your enemies your footstool.”Psalm 72:1-11Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!Psalm 2:6-8, “I have set my King on Zion… Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage” (vv. 6, 8).How to Handle Zion and other Jewish referencesThink of it this way. When the woman at the well asks Jesus, which mountain will we worship God on? This mountain here in Samaria or the one in Jerusalem? Remember what Jesus says, “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” and then he goes on to say, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:21, 23)When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. – Psalm 126:1May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! – Psalm 129:5Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! – Psalm 149:2So there you have what some theologians call the Christological ArcHe who needed nothing and is above everything, acted out of pure love by becoming a man, living a perfectly righteous life, died as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. His righteousness was so perfect that death could not hold him and so on the third day he was raised. After appearing to many witnesses, he ascended into heaven where he right now rules with perfect authority over the nations. Bringing an end to all his enemies while simultaneously protecting and prospering his people.

Seeing Christ in the Psalms, Part 1Series: Psalms Speaker: Chris OswaldSunday MorningDate: 1st June 2025Passage: Psalm 1:1-6