afterWord with Pastor Kent

• Unpacking the Sermon: Mary’s Profound Surrender in Luke 1:26-38

  How do we find fresh awe and curiosity in the familiar Christmas story? This episode of the afterWord podcast provides a deeper dive into the recent sermon on Luke 1:26-38, the biblical account of the Annunciation. Pastor Kent Dresdow, with Executive Pastors Matt Rehrer and Jeremy Pray, explores the profound theological and practical questions surrounding the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary.The conversation moves past the surface level, exploring Mary’s initial confusion and fear, her quick movement to submission, and the deep implications of her response, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord” (Luke 1:38). They discuss the connections between Gabriel’s words (“for nothing will be impossible with God,” Luke 1:37) and the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18. Furthermore, they consider the significance of the Holy Spirit’s “overshadowing” (Luke 1:35), linking it to the Old Testament tabernacle and the New Testament concept of indwelling.This discussion offers key insights for Christian discipleship and spiritual formation. The pastors apply Mary’s profound faith and obedience to Christian parenting, encouraging believers to wrestle with what true surrender to Christ looks like at every age. This is an essential listen for those seeking to deepen their understanding of Christ-centered living and the authority of Scripture this Advent season._Welcome to NorthCreek Church!In glad reliance on the Holy Spirit and Scripture, we exist for the glory of Christ, to make disciples who worship God, walk in love, and witness to the world.Connect With Us:Sunday Services: 9:00AM & 10:45AM Address: 2303 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598Online Resources:Main Website: https://www.northcreek.org/ NorthCreek Academy (TK-8): https://ncapschool.org/ Sermon Archive: https://northcreek.churchcenter.com/channels/19901 Church App: Download the Church Center App and search for "NorthCreek Church"

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• The Council of Nicaea and Christmas: Worshiping the Eternal Son

  What does a 4th-century church council have to do with Christmas in 2025? In this episode of afterWord, Pastor Kent Dresdow sits down with Executive Pastor Matt Rehrer to reflect on the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea—and why it still matters every time we celebrate the birth of Christ.Fresh from a pastors’ conference in Istanbul (historic Constantinople), Kent shares how walking through the Nicene Creed line by line deepened his worship of the Triune God. He explains the controversy with Arius, why the church had to answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”, and how Athanasius and others defended the full deity of Christ against the claim that “there was a time when he was not.”From there, Kent and Matt trace how Nicaea safeguards the heart of the gospel: if Jesus is not truly God and truly man, there is no real mediator, no true grace, and no secure assurance. They explore the eternal love shared between Father, Son, and Spirit; the difference between the triune God of the Bible and every other “god” or idol; and how this rich theology shapes Advent preaching from passages like Luke 1–2, John 17, and 2 Corinthians 13.Whether you’re newer to church history or hungry to go deeper into the Trinity, this conversation will help you see Christmas not just as the story of a baby in a manger, but of the eternal Son—very God of very God—come to save.Welcome to NorthCreek Church!In glad reliance on the Holy Spirit and Scripture, we exist for the glory of Christ, to make disciples who worship God, walk in love, and witness to the world.Connect With Us:Sunday Services: 9:00AM & 10:45AM Address: 2303 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598Online Resources:Main Website: https://www.northcreek.org/ NorthCreek Academy (TK-8): https://ncapschool.org/ Sermon Archive: https://northcreek.churchcenter.com/channels/19901 Church App: Download the Church Center App and search for "NorthCreek Church"

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• Thanksgiving Special: Steadfast Love in the Morning, Faithfulness by Night

  How do you cultivate real thanksgiving when life hasn’t been easy—and the holiday table holds both joy and sorrow? In this Thanksgiving Special of afterWord, Pastor Kent Dresdow sits down with Dr. Matt Rehrer to explore what Scripture calls us to when it says, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 92) and “Enter his gates with thanksgiving” (Psalm 100).Drawing from passages like Psalm 92 and Psalm 100, Kent and Matt unpack how thanksgiving is rooted in God’s character—His steadfast love in the morning and His faithfulness by night. They look at how gratitude matures over a lifetime, why older saints’ praise carries such weight, and how believers can guard against cynicism as they age.They also share practical ways to shape your Thanksgiving around worship: reading Scripture at the table, inviting every generation to reflect on God’s faithfulness, incorporating simple traditions like a “thankful tree,” and rethinking the pace of the day itself. Along the way, they reflect on the original Thanksgiving, the call to give thanks even in seasons of loss, and why this holiday naturally leads Christians to remember God’s covenant love.Whether your year has been filled with blessing, hardship, or a mix of both, this episode aims to help you enter the holiday anchored in God’s faithfulness and strengthened by a heart of expository, Christ-centered gratitude.Welcome to NorthCreek Church!In glad reliance on the Holy Spirit and Scripture, we exist for the glory of Christ, to make disciples who worship God, walk in love, and witness to the world.Connect With Us:Sunday Services: 9:00AM & 10:45AM Address: 2303 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598Online Resources:Main Website: https://www.northcreek.org/ NorthCreek Academy (TK-8): https://ncapschool.org/ Sermon Archive: https://northcreek.churchcenter.com/channels/19901 Church App: Download the Church Center App and search for "NorthCreek Church"

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• Greg Gifford (Part 2): How Habits Help Shape the Heart

  What do you do when your desires don’t line up with God’s commands? In this episode of afterWord, Pastor Kent Dresdow sits down again with Dr. Greg Gifford—author of Heart & Habits and host of the Transform podcast—to explore how the Lord uses everyday obedience to reshape the heart.Building from Philippians 2:12–13 and themes throughout Psalm 119, Kent and Greg talk through the surprising way Scripture presents the relationship between discipline and desire. Under the Spirit’s work, consistent habits—attending Lord’s Day worship, giving, practicing fellowship, opening the Scriptures—can actually move the affections toward what God loves, even when the “want to” is slow to follow.From there, the conversation widens into the cultural currents forming the next generation: declining birthrates, delayed marriage, digital isolation, expressive individualism, and the way smartphones since 2007 have altered relationships and discipleship. Greg offers a pastoral appeal for churches to disciple young men intentionally, cast a better vision of the good life in Christ, and root identity in the local church rather than politics or online tribes.The episode closes with a needed reminder about the professionalism of ministry—why pastors must stay close to their people, resist platform-driven pressures, and cultivate long-haul faithfulness.If you want to understand how habits, obedience, culture, and discipleship intersect—and how God truly transforms the heart—this conversation will serve you well.Welcome to NorthCreek Church!In glad reliance on the Holy Spirit and Scripture, we exist for the glory of Christ, to make disciples who worship God, walk in love, and witness to the world.Connect With Us:Sunday Services: 9:00AM & 10:45AM Address: 2303 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598Online Resources:Main Website: https://www.northcreek.org/ NorthCreek Academy (TK-8): https://ncapschool.org/ Sermon Archive: https://northcreek.churchcenter.com/channels/19901 Church App: Download the Church Center App and search for "NorthCreek Church"

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• Greg Gifford (Part 1): How God Transforms the Heart

  What does it look like when God truly transforms a life? In this episode of afterWord, Pastor Kent Dresdow and Executive Pastor Jeremy Pray sit down with Dr. Greg Gifford, Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Master’s University, host of the Transformed podcast, and contributor to Fortis+.Greg shares his story—from serving in the Army to teaching and writing on biblical counseling—and the surprising origins of Transformed, a project launched with Todd Friel to demonstrate how Scripture addresses real struggles with real hope. Together they explore topics like PTSD, habits of the heart, and the false promises of modern psychology.Drawing from his books Heart & Habits, Helping Veterans with PTSD, and Lies My Therapist Told Me, Greg helps believers see that true change doesn’t come from medication or self-help, but through the renewing work of God’s Spirit and Word.Whether you’re a pastor, counselor, or simply seeking biblical wisdom for life and ministry, this conversation will deepen your confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture and the transforming grace of Christ.__Welcome to NorthCreek Church! In glad reliance on the Holy Spirit and Scripture, we exist for the glory of Christ, to make disciples who worship God, walk in love, and witness to the world.Connect With Us:Sunday Services: 9:00AM & 10:45AM Address: 2303 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598Online Resources:Main Website: https://www.northcreek.org/ NorthCreek Academy (TK-8): https://ncapschool.org/ Sermon Archive: https://northcreek.churchcenter.com/channels/19901 Church App: Download the Church Center App and search for "NorthCreek Church"

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