Communication with the Creator: Staying Connected for Confidence & Clarity

Daniel Hammonds speaking on Sunday, June 29th

Let me start with a little experiment we did together during service. I asked everyone to take out their phones and look something up: What number president was James Madison? (By the way, it’s the fourth—if you’re curious!) That was easy, right? Then I asked everyone to put their phones on airplane mode. Suddenly, when I asked how many U.S. presidents have been left-handed, it wasn’t so easy. Without that connection—without access to data or wifi—getting the answer felt impossible.

And that’s what communication with God is like in our lives. When we’re connected, when we’re plugged in through prayer and His Word, we can tackle challenges with confidence. We have clarity about where to go for help and how to move forward. But when we lose that connection—when we stop communicating—we invite confusion, frustration, and insecurity.

Communication creates confidence and clarity.

A Personal Lesson in Staying Connected

This year, teaching has been harder than ever. I’ve faced things I never thought I would—including being seriously threatened by a student for the first time in my career. That moment brought a storm of emotions: fear, shame, confusion. I kept asking myself, What did I do to bring this on?

But here’s what made all the difference: that constant, daily communication I’ve kept with God. My third-period time with Him—those moments I carve out to pray and read scripture—anchored me. When the threat came, I prayed hard, right there in the moment. I reached out to my friends to pray with me. And because of that connection with God and my community, confidence and clarity followed. I was confident in the love and support around me. I was clear about the next steps, both physically and spiritually.

It wasn’t easy. I had to choose the “hard” of pausing everything to pray. I had to choose the “hard” of getting vulnerable with friends. But that was so much better than the alternative—facing it all alone.

We Choose Our Hard

Let’s be honest: life is full of hard choices.

• It’s hard to stop what we’re doing and pray.

• It’s hard to slow down and really listen to what God says in scripture.

• It’s hard to pick up the phone and be real with a friend.

But you know what’s harder? Trying to handle life’s battles without God’s love and guidance.

Jesus taught us the power of communication. Ask, seek, knock, He said in Matthew 7:7-8. And here’s the beautiful part: we get to choose how much we communicate with God! Unlike wifi, prayer is always available. Unlike data plans, His Word never runs out.

So why do we sometimes walk around like our spiritual phone is on airplane mode? We ignore the connection God offers, and then we wonder why we’re confused or struggling.

Jesus Modeled Communication

Before going to the cross, Jesus could have focused on anything. But what did He do? He chose communication. He opened up to His friends about how He felt—“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Then He opened His heart to God in prayer. And after hours of crying out to His Father, He had the confidence to face the cross and the clarity to see God’s greater plan.

Jesus showed us that communication with God isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. His sacrifice gave us permanent, unlimited access. His cross is our wifi everlasting.

The Challenge: What Will You Choose?

As you reflect today—especially as we take communion—ask yourself:

• What “hard” will I choose when it comes to communication?

• Will I let God and my friends in? Or will I try to go it alone?

Let’s not waste the incredible connection we’ve been given. Let’s choose daily, intentional communication with our Creator—because communication creates confidence and clarity for the path ahead.

Watch the full sermon here: