What do you do when life shatters around you? 

When everything you built - your family, your future, your faith - feels like it’s slipping through your fingers?

Bryan Elliott knows suffering intimately. 

A tragic accident left his brother in a vegetative state. 

Addiction nearly destroyed his daughters. 

A brutal murder stole one of them forever. 

His businesses collapsed. 

His marriages unraveled. 

His world should have crushed him.

But it didn’t.

Instead, Bryan woke up the morning after his daughter's murder with something that made no sense: peace. 

Not numbness. 

Not denial. 

Actual, undeniable peace. 

And then, something even crazier - joy.

How?

This episode of Life After Ministry goes deep into the mystery of suffering, not as something to survive, but as something that transforms. 

Bryan doesn’t just talk about enduring pain - he talks about what it means to co-suffer with Christ, to find God in the darkest pit, and to come out on the other side more alive than ever. 

If you’ve ever walked through a season where God felt absent - where the wilderness stretched on too long and the heartbreak felt too heavy - this is the episode you need to hear.

Because maybe, just maybe, your suffering isn’t the end of the story. Maybe it’s the beginning of something bigger than you ever expected.

Key Takeaways

• Why suffering is not just something to endure, but something God uses to transform us.


• The kingdom principle of co-suffering with Christ and how it leads to co-glorification.


• How to recognize God’s presence in the darkest seasons, even when He feels silent.


• Why suffering is an accelerant in spiritual growth and how it prepares us for what’s next.


• The role of grief, loss, and pain in shaping our faith and revealing God’s goodness.


• How Bryan’s story of unimaginable suffering led to an unshakable trust in God’s sovereignty.

Chapter Markers

00:10 | Welcome & Bryan’s background

01:15 | A tragic accident that unraveled his family

07:31 | When life keeps taking - divorce, addiction, business collapse

16:23 | The moment Bryan’s daughter was murdered

17:06 | Waking up with peace - and why it didn’t make sense

20:54 | Why suffering is an accelerant, not an obstacle

26:22 | What we’re missing about suffering as believers

33:42 | Encouragement for those walking through suffering

40:51 | How to move forward and trust God in the process

 

If you’re walking through a season of suffering, you don’t have to navigate it alone. 

We’re giving away 14 copies of Bryan’s book, As In Heaven, for free. Be one of the first 14 people to email talk@pastoraltransitions.com, and we’ll send you a copy.

Want more resources on navigating life after ministry? Visit PastoralTransitions.com for guides, support, and practical help to walk through this season with clarity and hope.

To dive deeper into Bryan's ministry and find more resources on healing, restoration, and kingdom living, visit M46Ministries.com.

This is one of the most raw, gut-honest conversations we’ve ever had. Listen now, and let it reshape how you see suffering.