Dr. John Oakes is giving a class at a Jubilee Conference in Queretaro, Mexico July 31 and Aug 1.  The notes in English, as well as the Power Point in both English and Spanish are here.  I will upload the audio after teaching the class. Answering Calvinism Notes    Answering Calvinism PPT      Respondiendo […]

Question: I came across this biblical argument for the papacy and was wondering if you have heard it before and if you had any thoughts on it. As I’m sure you know, the typical passage that is often cited in support of the papacy by Roman Catholics is Matthew 16:17-19. However, in more more recent […]

Dr. John Oakes is now leading a church planting in Merced, California.  His lessons and sermons will be posted here.  There is another, earlier article, with many sermons and lessons from 2022 to 2025.  Here is the link:  Earlier Merced Sermons       More  recent sermons are below! 7/26  Ruth II Hesed Covenant Love Notes  […]

Question: According to the famous Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, God did not invent the concept of priesthood and sacrifices; instead, he transferred an existing, deeply ingrained custom to His own name, i.e. The Israelites grew up surrounded by Egyptian paganism, where temples, priests, and animal sacrifices were the only known way to worship a deity. […]

Question: As you know, one of the hot topics these days is cryptocurrency. For example, Dave Ramsey has recently, said he advises against it. Yet, many popular church contribution-giving platforms are using it (somewhat covertly). For me personally, my conscience prevents me from being a part of it. (On a deeper level, it gets into […]

Question: I have a friend who is having a hard time reconciling their belief in evolution with Christianity–particularly with God creating the world in 6 days and that Adam and Eve were the first humans to exist. What books can I recommend them to read that will help them navigate this argument? Answer: Let me […]

Dr. John Oakes gave a series of sermons from 2 Peter March and April, 2026 for the Merced Christian Church.  The notes, PPTs and audio are here! 2 Peter I The Knowledge of Christ Notes    2 Peter I PPT    2 Peter I Audio    2 Peter II Confidence In God’s Word Notes    […]

Dr. John Oakes is giving a series of lectures for campus and other interns June 12-13 in Irvine, California.  The notes, power point and audio will be available here.    Daniel Notes    Daniel Class PPT      Daniel Audio I    Daniel Audio II    Daniel Audio III    Daniel Audio IV You May Also […]

Dr. John Oakes gave a series of classes Winter, 2026 at the University of California, Merced.  Dr. Oakes covered topics in which Christianity interacts with modern culture.  Topics include Bioethics, Gender Issues, War and Peace, Christianity and Race, Christianity and Politics, Abortion and more.  Some, but not all, of these topics are not directly addressed […]