Comments on: 30 Years Ago Today: How God Called John Piper to Become a Pastor

By: MR

MR — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:45:58 +0000

Many, many times I have thanked God for John Piper, his call to ministry, and God’s Word spoken through him. Although I live in a different city and am a member of a different church, God has used his ministry to transform me dramatically.

The first time I heard him speak in person 11 years ago I literally cried throughout the message, which was on “God’s Passion for His Glory”. I was a Christian, living a comfortable, safe, respectable, but somewhat ineffective life. I knew I wanted what Piper had. I read Desiring God over and over until I “got” it in my heart.

Now my life looks completely different. I am not in pastoral ministry, but my money, time, energy, and heart are devoted to reflecting God’s glory and sharing the Good News among very emotionally needy people: homosexuals. There is much rejoicing in heaven over one of these sinners who repents !

I pray that the ripple effect of Piper’s ministry will become a great wave that affects this whole generation and goes on into eternity!

By: Justin Taylor looks back at Piper’s call to pastoral ministry « Letters from Mississippi

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:31:29 +0000

[...] 23, 2009 in Uncategorized Here [...]

By: …thirty years of bad hair that nobody cares about « (resonance of reforming)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:10:59 +0000

[...] in me surged as I read this. Have a look, you might just find that your response is quite the same: 30 Years Ago Today: How God Called John Piper to Become a Pastor. Tags: Bad Hair, Desiring God, Good Theology, John Piper, Justin Taylor, Pastoral Ministry, The [...]

By: Theology and Ministry Links « Chris Kidd – applied youth ministry

Theology and Ministry Links « Chris Kidd – applied youth ministry — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:32:28 +0000

[...] How God called John Piper to be a pastor [...]

By: Sunday Shorts (10/18) « Blogging Theologically

Sunday Shorts (10/18) « Blogging Theologically — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:06:31 +0000

[...] How God Called John Piper to Become a Pastor [...]

By: From the Academia to the Church: John Piper’s Call to the Pastoral Ministry « Christ, My Righteousness

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:59:07 +0000

[...] important article recounts John Piper’s call to the ministry, as he was still a professor of New Testament at [...]

By: Tiim White

Tiim White — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:17:14 +0000

Thank you for sharing Piper’s call to the ministry. I linked to your post to support the view that the call to the ministry of pastoring does not negate a call to ministry for all believers to serve as some in the Missioal movement are saying.

By: God’s Call to The Ministry Verses God’s Call to Ministry « DRTIMWHITE.COM

God’s Call to The Ministry Verses God’s Call to Ministry « DRTIMWHITE.COM — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:59:02 +0000

[...] Justin Taylor tells how God called John Piper to the ministry that puts a well-known personal face on this lesson. His post is entitled: 30 Years Ago Today: How God Called John Piper to Become a Pastor. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Stop Looking for VolunteersConfirmations Of God’s Call To Ministryâ€œHeâ€™s Eating Our Appetizersâ€The Mother Of All Heists [...]

By: How Piper Became a Pastor and a Thank you to Mine « Humanitas Remedium

How Piper Became a Pastor and a Thank you to Mine « Humanitas Remedium — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:01:22 +0000

[...] 16, 2009 at 9:01 pm Great article over at Between Two Worlds about how John piper became a pastor. Click here to read. I would also like to thank my Pastor Scott Maxwell for becoming a pastor and for doing the hard [...]

By: Janette

Janette — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:09:48 +0000

Several year’s after my brother’s murder, someone recommended I read John Piper’s books. I wrestled with the concept of God’s sovereignty and goodness for weeks as I read – many sleepless nights. I love the prediction Dr. Piper made when speaking of this same struggle that many besides me have faced when wrestling with the sovereignty of God: “The possibility at least exists that out of the upheavals will come a new era of calm and confidence.” One chapter from “The Pleasures of God” titled “The Pleasure of God in Doing Good to All Who Hope in Him”, forever changed my view of God as it wove scripture together illuminating the truth of who God is-that He is sovereign over every circumstance and desires to do us good in every circumstance. The two verses he shares at the beginning, Zephaniah 3:17 and Psalm 147:10-11 have remained precious promises that keep my heart anchored to God’s sovereign goodness. I’ll never forget the impact of reading George Mueller’s testimony and the “funeral sermon” he gave at his wife’s funeral, then what He said to his daughter afterward, “God Himself has done it; we are satisfied in Him.” And then John Piper’s words and the Word of God that followed. “God never stops doing good to His covenant people. And when the enemy is temporarily given the upper hand, we can say, straight into the muzzle of the gun, ‘You mean evil against me, but God means it for good’ (Genesis 50:20.) Since God is sovereign and has promised not to turn away from doing good to his covenant people, we can know beyond all doubt, in tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword, that we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us (Romans 8:35-37).” The imagery, the truth, the power of the Word . . . God broke through. Many books that I had read up until that point had either comprimised God’s goodness or His sovereignty in dealing with the issue of suffering. Years later when I read the opening words Dr. Piper wrote in “The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God”, I smiled as I looked back at my own journey: “Who has lived long in the world of woe without weeping, . . . ? But O, the folly of trying to lighten the ship of suffering by throwing God’s governance overboard. The very thing the tilting ship needs in the storm is the ballast of God’s good sovereignty, not the unburdening of deep and precious truth. What makes the crush of calamity sufferable is not that God shares our shock, but that his bitter providences are laden with the bounty of love.” Amen.
Thank you, God, for John Piper – for making him such an incredible reflector of Your glory!

By: Jolee Kretsinger

Jolee Kretsinger — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:19:16 +0000

As I scrolled down reading your blog and came upon this photo/entry, my 8 year old daughter was by me. I said to her, do you know who this is? She replied, “Pastor John wearing a wig?”

By: Dan Rifenbark

Dan Rifenbark — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:22:42 +0000

As I contemplate my future service to Christ and His church, this post has given me pause. Dear God, do what You will. Amen

By: Friday Top Blogs « A Word of Grace

Friday Top Blogs « A Word of Grace — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:32:15 +0000

[...] 30 Years Ago Today: How God Called John Piper to Be a Pastor by Justin Taylor Tags: Friday Top Blogs Comments (0) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment Trackback [...]

By: JF

JF — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:39:04 +0000

Thanks for the wonderful post on John Piper! An insipring testimony for young pastors.

By: Gunner

Gunner — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:26:37 +0000

Thank you for putting this together and sharing it, Justin. I’m so thankful that God gifts and gives men to shepherd and teach His church. He has used Pastor Piper very powerfully in my life.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:12:53 +0000

That’s a cool story about how John Piper was called! Thanks for sharing. John Piper’s teaching has been an encouragement to me……and his hair gave me a great laugh!

By: Feeding on Christ » Blog Archive » Why John Piper is So Interesting

Feeding on Christ » Blog Archive » Why John Piper is So Interesting — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:10:42 +0000

[...] recently posted a fairly lengthy account of the calling and ministry of John Piper. You can read it here. I find his biography to be one of the most fascinating and encouraging of any living ministry on [...]

By: Tandy Vaughn

Tandy Vaughn — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:10:35 +0000

I give thanks to God for calling John Piper into the ministry. I love his books and his sermons. Weren’t the 1970s great!? I had a coat and hair just like that – both are now gone.

By: Thomas Weaver

Thomas Weaver — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:08:53 +0000

John Piper was my seminary. When I came to Christ, I listened to his sermons sometimes twice a day. Constantly would I be brought to tears as Dr. Piper showed me a Jesus I had never known and built in me an awe for the Holy.
I’m a pastor today because of my love and need for Jesus. Thank you Dr. Piper.

By: Israel

Israel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:51:11 +0000

I must say that the excerpt of his father’s letter was brilliant. It really made me think more about what pastors have to face daily. But like it was mentioned in the letter, “If the Lord has called you, these things will not deter nor dismay you.”

Thanks for sharing.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:57:38 +0000

Praising God for John Piper, his faithfulness, and his bad hair. :)

I blogged about JT’s post here:

http://bloodletting.blogspot.com/2009/10/thirty-years-of-bad-hair-that-nobody.html

By: Russ Davis

Russ Davis — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:21:36 +0000

Thank God for John Piper. Now if only he’d correct his soteriology and baptize babies, ha, ha! Just kidding, sort of. It’s ironic that his various attempts to defend believers’ baptism by immersion resulted in showing me that the ancient position of infant baptism by sprinkling is the true Scriptural one, though in my love of Christ’s Church I’m more than eager to find a via media.

By: John Piper’s arrival at Bethlehem – 30 years later. « iCharlie

John Piper’s arrival at Bethlehem – 30 years later. « iCharlie — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:08:55 +0000

[...] Piper’s arrival at Bethlehem – 30 years later. http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/10/14/30-years-ago-today-how-god-called-john-p... Published [...]

By: Kathy Griffith

Kathy Griffith — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:27:07 +0000

This December my husband and I will mark our 30th year in ministry. John Piper and his able staff are an encouragement to us most every day. Thank you, Mr. Taylor, for writing this, and thank you, Pastor and Noel Piper for allowing us to see how you live and how you think. The help you have been to this associate pastor’s wife has been immeasurable.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:11:13 +0000

Where did all the hair come from???

: )