233. Shane Willard "Digging Deeper Wells"

In this powerful message from Shane Willard, originally shared at the CIM Network Conference hosted by Hill City Church, we explore one of the most challenging and freeing questions for the Church today: Are we building fences to keep people out, or digging wells to draw people in?

Using the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, Shane unpacks what it means to move from a fence-based to a well-based faith - where inclusion, love, and transformation take priority over exclusion and rule-keeping. This teaching will stretch your perspective, challenge old paradigms, and inspire you to reimagine what it means to be a follower of Jesus in today’s world.

00:00 - Intro & Podcast Update
01:14 - Why We’re Sharing Shane Willard’s Sermons
02:54 - Shane’s Opening & Vision for the Weekend
06:48 - Two Framing Stories
10:46 - From Fences to Wells
11:13 - Acts 8 and the Eunuch's Question
17:05 - Fence-Based vs. Well-Based Paradigms
23:03 - The Unexpected Fruit in Ethiopia
23:47 - 10 Contrasts Between Fence & Well-Based Churches
27:06 - Hiddenness vs. Honesty in Church Culture
28:09 - Measuring Distance vs. Direction
31:24 - The Atheist Door Greeter Story
33:04 - Legal Transaction vs. Way of Life
36:12 - Heaven Now, Not Just Someday
37:01 - God for Me vs. God for the World
39:06 - From ‘Saved’ to ‘Thirsty’
40:09 - What Makes a Thirsty Culture?
41:47 - Jesus Redefines Access at the Temple
43:30 - Wrestling With Application
47:56 - Are We Digging Wells or Building Fences?
49:06 - Final Blessing & Challenge