John Piper: 30 Years Pastoring Bethlehem

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of John Piper’s pastoral leadership at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Jon Bloom writes the back-story on how John went from being a pre-med student to being a pastor:

Through his sophomore year in college becoming a preacher was out of the question. John loved God and he loved the Bible. But he was absolutely terrified of public speaking. As a student at Wheaton College he settled for C’s in classes that required speeches as part of the grade. So he was preparing for a career in medicine.
But God had other plans. During the summer term of 1966, the chaplain at Wheaton asked John to pray during chapel. John completely shocked himself by accepting. He vowed to God that if God helped him through this, he would never again refuse an invitation to speak for him out of fear. God answered.

If you’re not familiar with the story, check it out.