A Hunger for God

The time of awakening was marked by a deep hunger for God by many and the study of His Word in close fellowship with others. This took form in many ways, but the most profound way in my life was at "the shack." Wayne had an old farm-hand house that he was about to tear down, but then decided to keep and make a place of study and prayer. We simply called it the shack. We would meet there to study the Scriptures together. During the farming off season we would meet for hours around a coffee pot and the Word. Even in the busiest times people would meet for an hour or two. There was nothing formal about the study. Sometimes there would only be three or four present. At other times up to ten men would gather. We simply took a book of the Bible and worked through it together and then spent much time praying together.

Neither Lynn or Wayne had any education beyond high school, but they knew the Book and the knew the Author. They were my teachers. As we studied together it was an intense time of learning for me and the most formative time of my life.

1. It was at the shack that I learned the lessons that shaped my understanding of daily Christian living. To this day my devotions and daily living revolve around four verses that came from those days: John 15:4 and abiding in Christ in a close daily walk, Ephesians 5:18 and being filled with the Spirit in a conscience surrender to His controlling presence, Colossians 3:16 and letting the Word be at home in my heart and Romans 12:1 and living every day as a living sacrifice.

2. The study at the shack formed my understanding of preaching. I was attending Arkansas State University and really had no one to teach me how to preach. In fact, when I started preaching all I had was my Bible and a four volume set of Charles Spurgeon's "Treasury of the Bible." Every week was a desperate search for something to preach. I had never even heard of expository preaching. But from our study of books of the Bible it occurred to me the best way to preach would be to systemmatically preach through books of the Bible. I became an expository preacher without knowing it.

3. It was at the shack that I first met Andrew Murray's "With Christ in the School of Prayer" and his other works, F. B. Meyers, A. B. Simpson, Watchman Nee, and other devotional writers who were important in my spiritual formation.

4. It was at the shack that I learned of the joy and power of praying with others. We saw so many things happen in answer to prayer. Pragmatism would have no lure for me.

5. I learned that growing in the Christian life was not a solo matter. It took place within the context of the church and fellowship with others who are hungry for God.

6. I learned the importance of mentoring, of pouring your life into others. It was a lesson learned from those farmers who mentored me in the ways of the Lord.