John Piper was asked to write about a Passion conference memory for the Passion Twenty Ten website. Here’s what he wrote:

Speaking at the first OneDay (2000) was a stressful and moving experience.

On the one hand, the wind threatened to blow my notes away, and I was distracted by having to hold them down.

But on the other hand, I felt carried along, even in my weakness, like a father speaking to tens of thousands of people young enough to be my children.

It was a kind of turning point for me from twenty years of being a younger pastor rallying comrades in the Great Cause, to being a kind of Stand-In Father and Distant Mentor to thousands of hungry minds.

Things have never quite been the same since then. It was and is a great honor and joy to be touched by (His) Passion.

Read or listen to Piper’s message from OneDay 2000, called “Boasting Only in the Cross.”

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Twin Cities, and works as executive pastoral assistant to John Piper. He and his wife Megan have twin sons (Carson and Coleman) and live in Minneapolis. David is co-editor (with John Piper) of Thinking, Loving, Doing, most recently, and Finish the Mission, forthcoming. Yep, he plays rec softball and went yard in his last game.