“I’ve had a 33-year close relationship with a man I’ve never met.” – The Story Behind the Calvary Road Study Guide

Author of the Calvary Road Study Guide, Stephen McCary Shares his story.

I’ve had a 33-year close relationship with a man I’ve never met. Let me explain.

In the mid-1980s, as a 35-year-old struggling to find joy in the Christian life, my pastor recommended to me The Calvary Road by Roy Hession. It seemed to be perfect timing for this former workaholic who had become a “churchaholic” after salvation. I was so grateful for God’s intervention in my life, and for the restoration of my family, that I wanted to do everything for the Lord. I became a Sunday school teacher, a deacon, a member of the evangelism team . . . you name it, I was willing.

But like an animal caught in quicksand, the more I worked for Jesus the deeper I sank into the fruitlessness of SELF. God met me through the pages of The Calvary Road. I began to realize the difference between obedience and surrender. An obedient heart will not necessarily produce a surrendered heart; it often produces a prideful heart. But, a surrendered heart will most often lead to an obedient heart.

The key element in my understanding came from Roy Hession’s teachings regarding surrender, humility, and transparency. I learned that walking in the light (see 1 John 1:7) appears in the mundane, everyday walk of life. What rest I experienced! This rest was not complacency, but genuine rest in God’s leading me to that which He directed me to do. It was not cultural expectations from man or from church, but a sensitivity to the voice of God through His word. Oh, I didn’t get it overnight, but I was on the road—the Calvary road.

Over the next fifteen years, my copy of the book was so worn and marked up that it was like a personal journal, containing truths I had learned and convictions I had experienced. It became my go-to book when discipling other men. Evidently, and unbeknownst to me, many at our church saw me as an ambassador for Mr. Hession, a man I will only meet one day in heaven. In 1999, a fellow pastor asked me to teach The Calvary Road in a twelve-week format at our church. Upon completion, a ministry assistant suggested that I send the weekly homework to CLC for their consideration as a companion study guide to The Calvary Road.

CLC Publications published the first edition of The Calvary Road Study Guide in 2000, the fiftieth anniversary of the first printing of Mr. Hession’s classic! What an honor to have my name associated with such a life-changing book and with such a humble man of God, Roy Hession. I can’t wait to meet him!

About the Calvary Road Study Guide: This study guide by Rev. Stephen McCary is designed to be a chapter-by-chapter open discussion of the biblical truths taught in the 2016 updated edition of Roy Hession’s classic volume on the crucified life, The Calvary Road. Stimulating questions, Scripture readings, and fill-in-the-blank exercises will help you drive the message of The Calvary Road deep into your heart and life. To order your copy please visit https://www.clcpublications.com/shop/the-calvary-road-study-guide/

About the Author: Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Steve McCary was married to Pamela Meyer McCary for forty-five years before her death in 2015. They have two children and four grandchildren. At age thirty Steve surrendered his life to Christ; and, at age forty, he was called to shepherd a local church. He retired in 2017, after twenty-seven years. Today he provides part-time counseling and is an executive coach with WeAlign, LLC. In October 2016, Steve married Gwen Owens McCary, longtime family acquaintance and mother of three. They enjoy spending time with their family and ministering together in the community. To learn more please visit https://www.clcpublications.com/authors/8230/

The Calvary Road: Do you long for revival and power in your life? Learn how Jesus can fill you with His spirit through brokenness, repentance and confession in this updated version of Hession’s classic, The Calvary Road. In the course of eleven chapters, Hession emphasizes the need for personal revival in life with Christ. https://www.clcpublications.com/shop/calvary-road-2016/

About CLC Publications: CLC Publications (formerly Christian Literature Crusade) is the English language publishing house for CLC Ministries International. Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, CLC has published books for the Deeper Christian Life for over 50 years. Our focus has been to publish books by trusted authors with a clear and timeless message.  As a part of CLC International, our books are sold and distributed in countries all over the world including but not limited to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, the West Indies, and the Philippines. We are committed to being a significant part of fulfilling CLC’s international purpose of making evangelical Christian literature available to all nations so that people may come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ. To learn more please visit: https://www.clcpublications.com/about/