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baptist church
baptist church
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
At Open Icon Baptist Church, we value great preaching — preaching that engages deeply, humbly and honestly with Jesus, the Bible, and the pain and joy of living in the real world. And since going permanently online, we have been able to welcome great preachers from all over the world without having to wait for them to visit our shores. Click here to meet the inspirational preachers depicted in the gallery above, none of whom have preached for us!
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Pastor
Nathan Nettleton
Nathan Nettleton has served as pastor of this congregation since 1994. He was ordained as a Baptist pastor that same year and completed an honours degree in theology at Whitley College in 1995, followed by a Master of Theology in Liturgical Studies from the University of Divinity in 2001. In our church, he carries particular responsibilities for the preaching, teaching, and ordering of worship and prayer, and for pastoral care. He also writes liturgical resources for a global audience through LaughingBird.net, and serves as a board member of Open Baptists. Nathan is married to Margie, and they have an adult daughter, Acacia, and two dogs.
Sermons by Nathan Nettleton
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22 May, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Scripture: Revelation
Much traditional morality is based on the idea of separation into binary categories, good and bad, but the Bible also points a path towards a liberating non-binary future in God.
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8 May, 2022
We come to be followers of Jesus, not when we believe certain facts about him, but when we hear his voice and follow what it says (even if we don’t know where the voice comes from).
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16 April, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Baptism, Crucifixion, Discipleship, Evil, Grace, Jesus, Justice, Oppresion, Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus opens a path and calls us to follow into a life that is no longer dominated by the crucifying powers that destroy some of us and dehumanise others.
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3 April, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Discernment, Discipleship, Spiritual Disciplines
Scripture: Isaiah, Philippians
When God is doing new things, our familiar signposts are no longer helpful, and our capacity to follow is dependent on our living relationship with Jesus.
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27 March, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Salvation
Scripture: 2 Corinthians, Luke
In Christ, God has made an agreement with us, offering us everything and demanding nothing, but if we offer nothing we will be at risk of squandering it all.
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20 March, 2022
Christian spirituality is full of yearning and hungering and reaching for a God who can never quite be satisfyingly grasped.
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20 February, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Fullness of Life, Generosity, Jesus, Love, Worship
Scripture: Luke
God’s generosity provides the context for our worship and the model for our living, especially when we are faced with hostility.
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13 February, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Crucifixion, Forgiveness, Fullness of Life, Grace, Jesus, Liberation, Mercy, Resurrection, Salvation
Scripture: 1 Corinthians, Luke
All that matters about God, about sin and forgiveness, and about living with integrity and freedom, flows from the human encounter with the crucified and risen Jesus.
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6 February, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Grace, Gratitude, Jesus, Repentance, Sin
Scripture: 1 Corinthians, Isaiah, Luke
A close encounter with God in Christ can make us paralysingly aware of our own sin and failure, but the experience of grace can transform that into a solidarity and gratitude that empowers us.
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30 January, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Faithfulness, Formation, Hospitality, Love, Spiritual Disciplines
Scripture: 1 Corinthians, Luke
The only measure of our progress in Christian faith is our love for others, including those we are least inclined to love.
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23 January, 2022
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Scripture: 1 Corinthians
In God’s vision for humanity, every person and the role they play is valued and cared for. When society fails to live up to this, the Church is called to go against the flow and courageously champion and model it.
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9 January, 2022
The promise of baptism with fire may surprisingly lead us to a loving suffering messiah.
