Moonee Ponds Baptist Church
Moonee Ponds, Victoria 3040
61393262499

• Education: Diploma of Applied Chemistry Bachelor Applied Science Bachelor of Theology Master of Ministry
• Experience: Been preaching for more than 50 years. Preached mainly in Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist & Uniting Church. I am one of Leon Morris' students. I am now retired from work but never from preaching! Have also been an Assistant Minister.
• Comment to those looking at my sermons: Hope you get some good ideas but make sure that you don't become a clone of me (or anyone else). Soak up the ideas of others but be yourself (under the Holy Spirit's leading) and seek to be the unique individual preacher that you are (just as you are a unique individual child of God)! Been a Christian for almost sixty years and the older I get the more that I appreciate the wonder of God's Grace!
• Sermon or series that made a difference: People found my sermon series (one sermon per chapter & one on the whole book) on the Book of James helpful. I think the biggest difference in that James series was the difference it made to and in me - something of a turning point in my life!
• One of my favorite illustrations: Finally, the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, Succeeded in getting their ‘flying machine’ off the ground, And into the air at Kitty Hawk, in December 1903. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper, And showed him the message, glancing at it, he said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news, For the first time in human history man had flown! Daily Bread, December 23, 1991
• Family: Eileen is my wife, she is a fantastic wife, I love her so, and, she is brutally honest (in the absolute nicest of ways) in her feedback about my sermons - which I really appreciate! Jane is my daughter, she is a wonderful Christian girl and a great writer of mystery/romance books! Oliver the oldest of my twin sons (by 10 minutes) is now a Presbyterian minister. Evan is my youngest son, he leads the youth group at his church and in every day life is an analyst in a large multinational. Now have a beautiful granddaughter (born 2019) and a new grandson now..
• What my parents think of my sermons: My now deceased (gone home to glory!) mum and dad, think that they are great - but what else would you expect from Christian parents about their son the preacher (even when some of those same sermons are sooo weak!!)!!
• What my spouse (really) thinks of my sermons: She does not like me re-preaching sermons! She once helped me re-work a sermon through four revisions until I finally got it right! Eileen has the knack of being able to sit in the shoes of the typical average heart Christian and she represents them as she give me the feedback. And I take her comments very seriously indeed. God has been good to me in giving me such a great wife and friend.
• Best advice given to me about preaching: Keep striving for for a faithful, simple exposition and heart application. Never be boring or become a 'heard one sermon heard a hundred' type of preacher!
• Books that have had an impact: Have read all of Leon Morris commentaries and greatly enjoyed every single one (and they are influential in my sermon preparation). Found J. I. Packer's Knowing God to be very helpful.
• Hobbies: Fencing, listening to music (I'm an audiophile), gardening, and, preparing sermons!!
• If I could Preach one more time, I would say...: The same sorts of things I have been saying all along but hopefully say them better!!
• Something funny that happened while preaching: My wife, daughter and I went to a particular church where I was to preach. I was separated from my wife and daughter on the way in. The church leaders were all over me like I was a long lost brother. Was preaching on James, especially how they pandered to some people and treated others like dirt! People were all over me like a rash. But when my wife and daughter went in no one spoke to them or was remotely friendly to them. They sat down in an almost empty church and a guy came up to them and told them they were sitting in his seat but they did not have to move. Then stood beside them waiting for them to move (which they didn't). After the service when my wife and daughter stood with the visiting preacher, suddenly people were speaking to my wife and daughter! When they found out that Eileen was the current president of the PWMU and Jane was an author with a lot of books to her credit, well, they were all over them like a rash also!! If James were writing today he would have that exact congregation in mind! We still laugh about that story, especially when we talk about the Book of James!
• What I want on my tombstone: It's not about Bruce, It's all about Jesus.