Podcast Summary: Live Big with Derek Grier — “God's Perfect Timing” (December 8, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode of "Live Big," Dr. Derek Grier explores the theme of “God’s Perfect Timing” through a deep dive into John 11—the story of Lazarus. With engaging storytelling, practical wisdom, and biblical insight, Dr. Grier teaches listeners how to navigate life’s delays, disappointments, and impossible situations, emphasizing that God’s timing, though often mysterious or even painful, is always purposeful and redemptive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Humanity of Suffering and Faith (00:16–05:32)

• Dr. Grier opens with John 11, underscoring Lazarus as a “historical man with factual problems” (00:16) and relating sickness and suffering to all believers.
• Dr. Grier reminds listeners that loving God does not exempt us from pain:

  “Loving God does not exempt us from pain. But if we continue to look to Him, it will get us through it.” (05:02)

• He highlights the true meaning of “Lord”—as supreme authority—and notes that making Christ Lord means our problems become His responsibility (05:32).

2. Worship, Surrender, and Reputation (02:24–05:32)

• He reflects on the faith and reputation of Mary and Martha, noting Mary’s extravagant worship:

  “She was willing to lay down her honor, even her self-respect, at the feet of Jesus.” (04:12)

• Dr. Grier warns against caring more about people’s opinions than God's:

  “Whenever I care too much about what people think, I end up caring less about what God thinks.” (04:12)

3. Understanding Delays in God’s Plan (07:05–10:47)

• The episode delves into the sisters’ expectation that Jesus would act immediately and their confusion when He did not.
• Jesus’ delay is revealed as intentional:

  “When Jesus heard he was sick, he rushed. No, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.” (10:31)

• Dr. Grier addresses the pain of feeling abandoned by God during crises and underscores that delays are purposeful:

  “Sometimes things don’t go as planned because God is working on you—not only your situation.” (15:08)

4. Expanding Faith Through Adversity (14:08–17:38)

• Faith is not denial but trust. Dr. Grier emphasizes that God’s delays are about growing our faith muscle—patience, perseverance, and character (14:08–15:46):

  “If you always understand everything God’s doing in your life, I don’t believe you.”

• He stresses God’s purpose: to take us beyond knowing Him as healer to knowing Him as “the resurrection and the life”:

  “They knew Him as a healer, but Jesus wanted to introduce Himself as the resurrection and the life. That’s a whole different category of faith.” (16:04)

5. The Necessity of the Impossible (18:27–19:55)

• Dr. Grier teaches that sometimes God waits until the situation is “impossible enough”:

  “Sometimes God waits because it’s not impossible enough yet. … So, he intentionally waited until it was too late to show us it’s never too late for God.” (18:27, 18:56)

• He draws parallels to other biblical stories (Abraham, Daniel) where God’s intervention came at the brink of impossibility (28:17–29:36).

6. Raw Prayer, Emotion, and Honesty with God (21:05–23:54)

• Grier encourages bringing honest pain and anger to God:

  “He’s not intimidated by me. … You show me the real you, I’ll show you the real God.” (21:11)

• He explores Jesus’ “groaning” (anger/grief) before Lazarus’ tomb and the importance of engaging God in our darkest places.

7. Taking Action in Faith (25:12–26:11)

• Jesus commands, “Take away the stone,” illustrating the frequent need to obey before seeing results (25:23):

  “Jesus often requires us to act before we see the results.”

• Dr. Grier challenges listeners to confront their “stinky,” dead situations and not resign to their fate (26:11, 26:24).

8. A Personalized Miracle & God’s Timing (27:17–31:41)

• The miracle is personal:

  “If Jesus did not call Lazarus by name, all the righteous dead would have started walking out of that tomb. … This was a miracle with Lazarus’ name on it.” (27:17, 27:46)

• He emphasizes that “your miracle might not look like everyone else’s miracle.”
• God’s timing is highlighted in stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Daniel—all required waiting until it looked hopeless (28:17–29:36).

9. The Aftermath: God’s Power to Free Completely (31:05–31:41)

• Even after resurrection, Lazarus is still bound—requiring a further command:

  “When God calls you out, you can be free. There is a miracle with just your name on it.” (31:13)

10. Conclusion: Trust in God’s Wise Timing (31:41–32:41)

• Dr. Grier closes by encouraging listeners to walk with Jesus into their “cave”—their place of loss.

  “If you just bring Jesus to that place and let God do what only God can do, He has a miracle with your [name] on it.” (31:48)

• He urges continual trust in God despite not seeing the full picture:

  “Trust him. Trust him. Trust him.” (32:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Lordship:

  “When Christ is Lord, your problems become His problems.” (05:32)

• On Honest Prayer:

  “No matter how bad it hurts, how mad you get, bring it to Jesus.” (21:43)

• On Faith and Facts:

  “Faith is not denying the facts, but it’s trusting God despite them.” (13:52)

• On Impossible Situations:

  “Sometimes God waits because it’s not impossible enough yet.” (18:27)

• On Personalized Miracles:

  “Your miracle might not look like everybody else’s miracle.” (28:08)

• On Growth Through Trouble:

  “He’s trying to build something in you, not just fix your situation.” (15:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:16 — Introduction to John 11 and the context of Lazarus’ suffering
• 02:24–04:12 — The significance of Mary and Martha’s reputation and female discipleship
• 05:32 — Importance of surrendering problems to Jesus
• 07:05–10:47 — Jesus’ delay and the pain of waiting for God’s intervention
• 14:08–15:46 — How God's delays build patience, perseverance, and character
• 16:04 — Jesus reveals Himself as “resurrection and the life”
• 18:27 — The necessity of “impossible” situations for God’s glory
• 21:11–21:43 — Bringing raw emotion and complaint to Jesus
• 23:21–24:00 — Jesus' compassion and solidarity with suffering
• 25:12–26:24 — Taking bold action by removing the stone
• 27:17–28:08 — The miracle is specific to Lazarus; lessons on personalized faith journeys
• 28:17–29:42 — Biblical patterns of waiting for God's timing
• 31:13–31:41 — God not only resurrects but also sets completely free
• 32:35–32:41 — Final exhortation: Trust God’s timing

Final Takeaway

Dr. Derek Grier masterfully leads listeners through the biblical story of Lazarus to illustrate that God's timing is often different from ours—but always for a greater purpose. By trusting Him even in delayed or seemingly impossible circumstances, believers can experience not only solutions to problems, but also deep personal growth and a revelation of God’s glory greater than they ever imagined.

This summary captures the heart and key teachings of this transformative episode, making it accessible even if you haven't tuned in.