Pastor Rick's Daily Hope on Oneplace.com
Pastor Rick's Daily Hope on Oneplace.com

How To Keep Your Tank Filled Instead of Running on Empty—Part One

October 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

How To Keep Your Tank Filled Instead of Running on Empty—Part One

Pastor Rick Warren opens with a simple survey: how many people have ever run out of gas? Most hands go up. Then he asks a more revealing question: how low do you let your tank get before you refill? The people who wait until they're "five miles past empty" are the ones who need to stay for this message. This analogy, he explains, maps directly onto spiritual and emotional exhaustion. Before offering solutions for staying full, he spends the message identifying ten reasons people run on empty—and he asks listeners to circle which ones apply to their own lives.

The Ten Reasons You Run Out of Gas

The first reason is not starting out with a full tank. If you begin each day already depleted, you will spend most of it running on fumes. The second is being too busy to stop and refuel—a condition many people recognize in their emotional, relational, and spiritual lives.

Number three is ignoring the owner's manual and pushing yourself further than you were created to go. Warren points directly to the Sabbath commandment: "Every seventh day is for worship, rest, and relaxation." He says bluntly, "You're not superman, you're not superwoman. You have limits." Ignoring that built-in rhythm guarantees you will run on empty.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:02) **Introduction and Series Setup** - Pastor Rick Warren introduces the series "Strategies for Stressful Times" and the message "How to Keep Your Tank Filled Instead of Running on Empty."
  • 2 (02:10) **Thesis: Identifying the Ten Reasons We Run on Empty** - Before offering solutions, Rick lists ten reasons people run out of gas spiritually and emotionally, asking listeners to circle which apply to them.
  • 3 (02:58) **Reason 1: Not Starting Out with a Full Tank** - The first cause of emptiness is failing to begin each day spiritually and emotionally filled.
  • 4 (03:15) **Reason 2: Being Too Busy to Stop and Refuel** - The second reason is a lifestyle of constant activity that prevents necessary pauses for replenishment.
  • 5 (03:33) **Reason 3: Ignoring the Owner's Manual and Pushing Beyond Limits** - The third reason is ignoring God's design for human limitations, specifically the command to rest.
  • 6 (04:31) **Reason 4: Being Unaware of Hidden Leaks That Drain You** - The fourth cause is unrecognized energy drains from relationships, responsibilities, and emotional experiences.
  • 7 (05:31) **Reason 5: Being in a Hurry** - The fifth reason is the fast pace of life, which burns through emotional and spiritual energy faster.

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Guests on this episode

Rick Warren

Show Notes

We all face stressful seasons in life, times when we feel like we’re treading water and barely getting by. Thankfully, God’s Word gives us new strength to keep going, to trust God when it doesn’t make sense, and to handle stress even in the most difficult of times. In this series, Pastor Rick explains how to make it across the finish line when you’re feeling tired and worn out.When Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 CEV), what kind of rest is he talking about? In this message, Pastor Rick helps you discover what real rest looks like—rest for your soul that goes much deeper than physical rest—and why it can only be found in Jesus.What does Jesus say when we come to him with an emptiness in our lives? How does he respond when we tell him that we have nothing to give? Join Pastor Rick as he reminds you that God will never scold you or turn you away; he will always say, “Come to me.”
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Pastor Rick's Daily Hope on Oneplace.com

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