Today is John Piper’s 65th birthday. Join us in blessing a man for whom retirement from the kingdom work is not on the horizon!

Pastor John, in honor of your birthday the DG staff has compiled 65 reasons why we are thankful to God for you. (Many more were submitted!) And of course there are some similarities, but then again, some things simply bear repeating.

Heavenly Father, we really love Pastor John and are so grateful that you have made him a man who(se)

1. Really finds You, in all Your triune glory, to be his greatest treasure and points us to you.
2. Helps us see and savor Your Son, Jesus, more.
3. Relentlessly preaches Your supremacy in all things in a man-centered world.
4. Puts godliness before fame.
5. Is an example of how not to waste one’s life.
6. Is in passionate pursuit of YOU!
7. Models what it means to uphold and to submit to Your Word.
8. Loves Your Word and memorizes it.
9. Preached the “Battling Unbelief” series!
10. Stands passionately for Your truth, even when it isn't popular.
11. Has a spirit of humble authenticity, being so willing to admit his own shortcomings and asking for prayer and encouragement as he seeks Your help and guidance.
12. Enjoys the fellowship and function of the church as the body of Christ.
13. Mounts the steps to the pulpit with a Bible in the grasp of his hand.
14. Has helped us see Your sovereignty in new ways through suffering and recovery.
15. Wants to "give" to the world so that the pastors of the global south have all that they need.
16. Smiles every time he mentions his wife, Noël.
17. Really is devoted to prayer.
18. Is very generous and willing to provide so many resources at no cost.
19. Is full of faith.
20. Has influenced and encouraged so many other pastors around the world  (including my dad) to be faithful expositors of the Word.
21. Along with Noël demonstrates the importance and value of shepherding as a team and instills in young pastors that a key part of their ministry is a godly woman to serve beside them.
22. Makes us laugh when he speaks what spontaneously comes to mind, but the words come out more awkwardly or humorous than he intended!
23. Prodded me to make a leap of faith, which eventually led to this job :)!
24. Has stayed true to the faith.
25. Lives modestly and humbly.
26. Decades ago, taught me what mercy means.
27. Is gospel-centered (not works-centered) and mature in its application.
28. Has stuck through the times when they were tough and remained committed to his calling.
29. Has given us new ways to think about missions and how it relates to worship ("Missions exists because worship doesn't").
30. Shatters false dichotomies (e.g. man's pursuit of joy and pursuit of God's glory are complementary not contradictory).
31. Didn't abandon his post on November 6, 1986.
32. Always deeply challenges me regarding my own sinfulness, reminding me that my only hope is in Christ from beginning to end.
33. Has made me aware of my hunger for more of You and Your Word.
34. Continually challenges his listeners with the true cost of following the Messiah (he doesn't sugar-coat it), yet from his pastor's heart he understands that there are people who have a great emotional and mental struggle in their battle for faith.
35. Has helped me not only love theology more, but the Scriptures and the Person and Work of Jesus himself.
36. So competitively plays sports that he's so entertainingly unskilled at!
37. Clearly cares about nurturing the next generation of younger adults.
38. Has a mind and heart that defaults to biblical texts rather than confessional statements.
39. Frequently admits that he doesn't have it all figured out and that he's happily still growing and learning.
40. Has such a contagious love for the Bible.
41. Faithful preaching of the Word, taught me the gospel at age 24. I remember the night I heard the truth about Your holiness and the depravity of my sin-sick soul. Pastor John shared so earnestly and passionately about the glorious sufficiency of Jesus that I joyfully repented and embraced my precious Savior. I bless you, Lord, for the ministry of John Piper!
42. Really loves the church.
43. Is the same person behind the pulpit that he is in everyday life.
44. Has fed me a steady diet of rock-solid, God-magnifying theology.
45. Has a great taste in soda—namely, Diet Coke.
46. Has the rare combination of passion and scholarship.
47. Has a great burden for the cause of global missions, and a passion to spread it.
48. Has graciously invested so much of his personal time and finances to help the ministry of Desiring God to be established.
49. Does not let the incomprehensible mysteries of Scripture or the bitter hardships of life discourage him from pressing on toward You or calling us to do the same.
50. Is diligent and faithful in whatever he sets out to do, and he does a lot.
51. Obviously and ultimately rests his confidence, in life and ministry, in Your Word.
52. Perceives value and pursues excellence in using means to persuade people to forsake sin and trust and treasure Jesus Christ.
53. You have used to tackle issues of suffering/persecution as part of the normal Christian life while so many other leaders make Christianity about the easy life and prosperity.
54. You have used to call so many people young and old to engage in global missions.
55. Delivered the message, "Doing Missions When Dying is Gain," which changed my life.
56. Challenged me to forsake my shell collections.
57. Taught me to do my work as unto the Lord and not unto man.
58. Taught me to listen more and talk less; to not be afraid of silence.
59. Looks toward Sovereign goodness in everything—in time of blessing and in the face of tragedy.
60. Taught me to not shrink back from pointing others to deep theology in their time of need.
61. Taught me to flee to the gospel when faced with the double-edged sword of the fear of man and the love of the praise of man. You accept us in the Beloved.
62. Taught me more about what worship in spirit and truth is than any other living teacher.
63. Has kept his life more free from the love of money than anyone else I know.
64. Has helped us understand that it’s not what we dutifully will, but what we passionately want that reveals our excellence or evil.
65. Has helped us see that YOU, our glorious triune God, ARE the gospel (1 Peter 3:18)!

You like to remind us that Winston Churchill was 65 when he became Prime Minister of the UK. That’s right! May your best and most fruitful days be ahead of you. May God cause you to see more glorious kingdom victories! We are glad to be fighting the fight of faith with you!

We love you. Happy Birthday!