Podcast Summary: "God’s Perfect Timing | Part 2"

Podcast: Live Big with Derek Grier
Host: Dr. Derek Grier
Date: December 15, 2025

Overview of the Episode

In this passionate and practical teaching, Dr. Derek Grier explores how believers can trust God’s perfect timing, especially during life’s most difficult trials. Drawing from Apostle Paul’s writings, personal stories, and Scripture, Dr. Grier teaches about God’s unending mercy, the power of comfort in tribulation, and the importance of trusting God—even when all hope seems lost. The episode weaves theological depth with relatable encouragement, empowering listeners to endure storms and discover God’s greater purpose.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Beginning with Praise and God’s Character

• Opening with Eulogy and Praise (00:12)
  Paul starts his letter with “Blessed be” (eulogy in Greek), reminding believers to speak well of God even in hardship:

  "We can still speak well of God, even in troubling and difficult times... our God will never fail." (00:25)

• God as Source of Mercy and Comfort (01:20)
  • All mercy originates from God (as if He holds the trademark).
  • First time in Scripture the Father is referred to as the "Paraclete," highlighting Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all focused on helping and comforting.

2. The Ministry of Comfort—Purpose in Tribulation

• Comfort Is Not Just for Us (03:30)
  • Our trials enable us to comfort others.
  • Dr. Grier draws the “airplane mask” analogy:

    "God can only help me—well, I can only help you if I let God help me first." (04:15)

• Collective Suffering and Empathy (05:40)
  • Just like one body suffers when one part suffers, we must support one another regardless of our background.
  • Recalled collective trials (9/11, COVID, Great Recession) and God’s ongoing deliverance.

3. Transparency and Honesty in Trials

• Paul’s Vulnerability (07:20)
  • Paul, with all his authority and spiritual resume, admits deep struggle:

    "I don't want y' all to be ignorant brethren about our trouble... We were burdened beyond measure and above our natural strength." (09:40)

• Suffering Beyond Strength (10:25)
  • Even Paul, a giant of faith, was “burdened beyond measure,” like a sinking ship or a crushed can.

4. The Purpose of the Storm—Learning to Trust God

• Transformation through Suffering (13:50)

  • Personal story: As a college student and later as a pastor, Dr. Grier lost almost everything.
  • Key insight:

    "The person who goes into the storm is not the same person that comes out of the storm. And that's what the storm is all about." (15:05, repeated for emphasis)

• The Sentence of Death—Utter Hopelessness (16:10)

  • When even the inside voice says it’s over, that’s “a whole other ball game.”
  • Every trial is a call to deeper reliance on God, not ourselves.

5. God’s Purpose and Resurrection Power

• Depending on God Alone (18:20)

  • Sometimes God allows us to reach the end of ourselves, so our faith is no longer in our own strength:

    “All that happened that we should not trust in ourselves... If you never get in over your head, you'll never discover how tall, how big God is.” (19:45)

  • Biblical reference: “But in God who raises the dead.” (21:10)

• Resurrection Over Healing (21:30)
  Jesus said, “You wanted healing, I wanted resurrection.”

  "There's something you want, but God has something better in mind." (21:45)

6. God’s Faithfulness: Past, Present, and Future

• God’s Deliverance is Timeless (25:25)
  • Referencing 2 Corinthians: “Who delivered us (past), does deliver us (present), and will still deliver us (future).”

  "Anything we put under God's control is never out of control. God's got you." (27:30)

7. The Power and Necessity of Prayer

• Prayer as Sustaining Strength (28:45)
  • Even Paul needed the prayers of others:

    "What wings are to a bird, sails are to a ship. Prayer is to the soul. If we're weak in prayer, we end up weak everywhere." (29:12)

• Prayer Brings Answer and Builds Community (30:35)
  • Dr. Grier highlights that God answers prayer, not because we’re good, but because He’s good.

8. Personal Testimonies of God’s Faithfulness

• God Hears When We Call (32:10)
  • Grier’s personal moments of miraculous provision and healing, despite grim circumstances:

    "When my babies were sick he heard me, when I could not pay the rent he heard me... when friends walked away, he heard me." (33:30)

9. Final Encouragement and Declaration

• God’s Protection and Faithfulness (35:40)
  • Bold declarations using Psalm 91 imagery.

    "As for me and my house, it shall not come near me. God upholds me and I live under the shelter of his shadow. And under his wings I will trust." (36:40)

  • Encouragement to give God a hallelujah because He’s for you and will take care of every need.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Facing Trouble:

  "If an apostle... felt so burdened by his situation, why are we so surprised that from time to time we feel burdened?" (11:00)

• On Prayer:

  "The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer. It's unoffered prayer." (31:10)

• On God’s Sufficiency:

  "God doesn't answer prayer because we're good. He answers prayer because he's good." (30:50)

• On God’s Timeliness:

  "He's a faithful God. An on time God and there's no circumstance in your life bigger than Him." (37:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Praise and God’s Nature: 00:12–03:15
• Purpose in Tribulation: 03:30–06:00
• Paul’s Vulnerability: 07:20–10:50
• Learning in the Storm: 13:20–16:40
• Testing to Depend on God: 18:20–21:50
• Resurrection Power: 21:10–25:00
• Deliverance (Past, Present, Future): 25:25–28:10
• Necessity of Prayer: 28:45–31:30
• Personal Testimonies: 32:10–35:00
• Final Encouragement: 35:40–end

Conclusion

This episode anchors listeners in the unwavering faithfulness and sufficiency of God—even when life is overwhelming. Dr. Grier blends scriptural exegesis, personal testimony, and down-to-earth encouragement to demonstrate that God’s timing is always perfect, and His comfort is both personal and powerful. The call is clear: move from self-reliance to God-reliance, pray boldly, and expect God to show up—because He always does.