As I speak with people about the effect Piper has had on the world, I hear a lot of reactions from people; almost as if their internal lawyer is drafting a defense against their own Christian apathy:
"Piper just got the luck of the draw. If he were in my town, he would struggle too."
"He has people on his staff who are fully behind him. I can't get consensus."
"He started from scratch, I'm working through years of tradition."
"Passion for Christ alone can't get us results; we need methodology as well."
These excuses don't hold any water.
The truth, it seems, is much simpler than some would have us believe. I am tired of reading books about how to structure a church staff, how to program a youth ministry, or how to get people to fall in love with God. Piper was able to accomplish all of these things by passionately pursuing God with everything he had.
This is the type of man I'd like to be.
