A Personal Sermon for Cheryl

God went to extra lengths to win Cheryl Gochnauer. When she was 15, she was deeply involved with astrology and the occult. In an email she shared what Jesus used to reach her.

"One Saturday night, I spent the night with a girlfriend and the next morning, she invited me to church. The pastor was preaching on astrology and, cut to the heart, I accepted Christ that morning.

"A couple of months later, the pastor and I were sitting next to each other at a teen event. Now on fire for Jesus, I loved everything about God and was at church every time the doors were open. The pastor leaned over to me and said, 'You know, I already had a sermon prepared for that Sunday you first came to our church. But the Lord woke me up Saturday night and told me someone would be in the congregation the next morning who needed to hear about astrology.'

"I've never forgotten what it felt like to have God personally reach down and lift me from darkness. Jesus loves me, this I know."

He can do something equally effective for the ones we are praying for, too.

"I praise You, Jesus, because You are not limited to my ideas of how to speak Truth to others.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think" (Eph. 3:20 NLT).