After serving for 33 years as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, John Piper is retiring from the pulpit to focus his attention on writing, speaking, and providing leadership for Desiring God Ministries.

In light of his retirement from the pastorate, Bethlehem Baptist has teamed up with Desiring God Ministries and The Bethlehem Institute to produce video tribute to John Piper. This moving, 19-minute video features testimonies from various men and women who have worked alongside John Piper and have been greatly impacted by his ministry.

My wife Suzanne edited the video. She and the team at Citygate Films produced this video in its entirety, and I consider myself blessed to have such an up-close view of their work on this and many other gospel-centered film projects for Desiring God Ministries.

As I watched the video myself, I couldn’t help but reflect on the ways John Piper’s writing and preaching have profoundly impacted me. When I became a Christian in 2003 during my freshman year in college, Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life was the first book I read. I didn’t know who John Piper was back then, but a friend gave me the book and encouraged me to read it. And I did read it—in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. Piper’s radical vision of joyfully risking all make much of Christ in all of life completely revolutionized my thinking. That little book set my life on an irreversible course toward an ever-deepening sense of God’s calling on my life to make my life mean something for his glory.

It didn’t stop there. Piper has taught me, in his writing and preaching, that a deep, thoughtful, blood-earnest ferocity for the things of God is something to be sought after. He has taught me that true Christian joy has a distinct seriousness to it, and everything in life must serve the single-minded pursuit of that joy. Whether I am silent or shouting, laughing or weeping, giving or receiving, supreme happiness in God is the aim.

Piper has modeled for me a painstaking precision in reading and interpreting the Word of God. Yes, specific words are used for a reason. Sentence construction is by no means coincidental. Some Bible translations are actually better than others. These lessons were monumental for me in the formative years of my faith, and they still shape my approach to God’s Word as I now aspire to serve as a pastor myself.

To some, this may seem strange to offer such sustained praise for another human being. Indeed, some may think it doesn’t seem very Christ-exalting, but rather man-exalting. After all, isn’t John Piper simply a human instrument of God’s awesome grace. Yes! And that is precisely why I am so grateful for John Piper’s life and ministry. You see, the truth is that John Piper is just a man like me—a weak, helpless sinner who has been saved by God’s amazing mercy in Jesus Christ. And apart from Christ, John Piper’s ministry would never exist. But by God’s grace, John Piper stands as a shining example of God’s faithfulness to make his Name great in all the nations by using even those who are weakest and least significant by worldly standards.

Time and time again, John Piper has boldly proclaimed what he knows to be folly to those who are perishing, because it is wisdom and power to those who are being saved. In all my life, I can only think of a handful of men who have so boldly, consistently, graciously, and powerfully stood for gospel truth in this world. Every generation has their prophetic voices, and surely John Piper has been one for our generation.

I have never met John Piper. I hope to someday. I have a million questions for him! But even if I never meet the man face-to-face in this life, I am compelled to voice my love and appreciation for him. He has done much to point me to Christ, and I trust many others could say the same.

May God continue to bless John Piper’s ministry as he moves into a new role at Desiring God.