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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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17 February, 2013
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Evil, Generosity, Hospitality, Salvation, Temptation
God saves us by changing our hearts, but one of the great temptations for the church is to try to turn that back into a system of exclusion and control.
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10 February, 2013
Much of reality is usually hidden to us, but we can catch glimpses that become sustaining visions.
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27 January, 2013
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Faithfulness, Generosity, Hospitality, Jesus
Scripture: 1 Corinthians
Although the Church and our nation might be stronger if they were more inclusive, the real call to inclusion is simply part of the call to faithfully reflect Christ.
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13 January, 2013
Belonging to God does not exempt us from disasters that may come, although that is often what people hope and expect, but it does mean that they will not have the last word on us.
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23 December, 2012
Like Mary, we are called to participate in God’s recreation and blessing of the world, and when we comprehend that call, we will, like Mary, explode with joy.
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16 December, 2012
John calls us beyond insurance policy religion, but Jesus calls us still further into participation in God’s radical generosity to all the world.
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9 December, 2012
God approaches us in an eager desire for communion, so our task is not to strive for communion, but simply to open ourselves to receive it.
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4 November, 2012
God wants love rather than sacrifice, but in a fallen world love that is genuine will often be sacrificial.
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21 October, 2012
In the sacraments, Jesus constantly calls us to follow him in giving up conventional notions of honour and offer ourselves for the life of the world.
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30 September, 2012
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Discipleship, Generosity, Hospitality, Humility, Jesus, Pride
Scripture: Mark
Jesus’s abolition of “us” and “them” categories is so radical that it seems almost impossible for us to comprehend and put into practice.
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2 September, 2012
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Scripture: Mark
It is human nature to think that our ways are God’s ways, and so to shun those whose ways seem alien or disgusting to us, but Jesus calls us to recognise God at work in others, however different.
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26 August, 2012
Preacher: Nathan Nettleton
Topic: Grace, Jesus, Reconciliation, Spiritual Warfare, Unity
In Christ we are one with all flesh and blood, and so our struggle is not against any other people, but against the spirits and powers and forces which would divide people and make them enemies.