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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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15 December, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Scripture: Matthew
The coming kingdom culture confronts the world’s violence by redemptively suffering and absorbing it, not by reciprocating it with even greater violence.
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8 December, 2019
The imminent arrival of God’s messiah asks each of us to take up the identity of witnesses who open the way for God to be known.
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1 December, 2019
We can face the unknown future with confidence because we know that the one who holds the future loves us and can be trusted.
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24 November, 2019
The culture of God’s beloved Son is born at the cross and takes root amidst a hostile world, spreading forgiveness and hospitality.
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17 November, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Apocalypse, Discipleship, Evil, Jesus, judgement, peace, Sacrifice
Global chaos marked by war, terror and injustice is growing inevitably, and as followers of Jesus we stand in witness against it, knowing that God is with us to the end.
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10 November, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Culture, Discipleship, Faithfulness, Love, Marriage, sex
Scripture: 1 Corinthians, Genesis, Luke
The biblical pictures of marriage reflect our struggle to live our way into the vulnerable intimacy and relational fruitfulness that God wants for us and with us.
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3 November, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Conversion, Grace, Hospitality, Humility, Jesus, Love, Salvation
Scripture: Luke
Christ’s gratuitous forgiveness and acceptance always manage to scandalise us, but it is our willingness to embrace them that saves us.
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27 October, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Jesus, judgement, Law, Repentance
Scripture: Luke
God delights to welcome everyone, and is not interested in who is better or worse, but we imagine God to be an elitist who mirrors our tendency to pick and choose and only accept the best.
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20 October, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Authority, Bible, Discernment, Faithfulness, Law, Love
Scripture: 1 & 2 Timothy, Jeremiah
Reading scripture with God’s people keeps us honest as we seek to interpret and live by God’s law written on our hearts.
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13 October, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Faithfulness, Fullness of Life, Hope, Incarnation, Jesus, Politics
Scripture: Jeremiah
When God calls us to invest in the places we live, it is a call to active agents of positive change, not compliant patriots.
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29 September, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Apocalypse, Depression, Fear, Grief, Healing, Jesus, Resurrection, Suffering
Scripture: 1 & 2 Timothy, Jeremiah
There are plenty of reasons to despair of the future, but Jeremiah and Jesus show us a pathway of hope that overcomes despair.
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22 September, 2019
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Apocalypse, Depression, Faithfulness, Fear, Grief, Hope, Jesus, Suffering
Scripture: Jeremiah
Facing an epidemic of depression and despair, Jesus calls us to follow on a tear-stained path of prophetic faithfulness.
