In a preaching class in college, my professor shared a list of “Twenty questions to ask when the well is dry.” He walked us through each one with a bit of explanation about how we might use them to develop a sermon when it wasn’t coming quickly.

One of the older students had a computer, which was rare at that time, and he typed up the list of twenty questions. Then, he submitted them to the teacher, who made copies for each student. I took mine to the library and paid for a reduced copy. Finally, I trimmed it nicely and glued it into the last page of my leather Bible. That way, I would have those questions whenever I struggled to write a sermon.

These questions proved incredibly helpful for the first few years of my ministry. “Who do I identify with in this passage and why?” and “How will people feel if I expose the entire text?” helped me insert a point of view and feelings into every sermon.

Long about year five, I stopped looking at the list of questions. This was not because they were not helpful anymore; the well was not running dry. With every passing year that I read the Bible, dove into theology books, and listened to others preach and teach, I slowly filled my reservoir of information. Then, I spent time with people in my congregation. Christians struggling in their work, family, and spiritual life while walking through dark valleys of hurt and loss. These filled my tank with emotional connections about humanity.

Slowly, the well was full of rich Biblical knowledge coupled with an emotional sensitivity that allowed sermons to flow from the depth of my being rather than from a written page.

One metaphor for the Christian life is the empty vessel. We come to Jesus and empty ourselves of the sin, shame, and worldview we once held. Then, we begin the process of filling ourselves with the things of God. Our love of the Lord and the love of our neighbor take over our souls, and the well fills with living water.

As a believer, whenever you feel like the well is dry, keep trying to pour in the things of God. Don’t give up. Even a little bit flowing in every single day or week is helpful. Then, one day, the well will have enough resources that you will never feel dry again.