Bargains and more bargains
This past weekend was the semi-annual McCorkle's Nursery "plant sale"! A wholesale nursery within miles of my house assembles flowers, bushes, plants, and trees in a big field and sells them at a very discounted price....what bargains there are to find!Hundreds of people flock there over the three day event with their sunhats and wagons for their love of plants. It has been going on for years and my family has been attending it since the very first one. For three days we chuckle as we watch the cars and trucks come up and down the road loaded with plants..."Hey, look at that truck! Boy, they sure bought a lot"! It is what America loves...a real deal!
I have had many conversations with people I know about "finding deals". Everything from coupon clipping to consignment shopping and selling. I am not sure about everywhere but I am sure we here in the South love our deals! How about those couponers....clip some coupons and watch the pay off... your groceries total $527.34 but the cashier takes off the coupons and your total bill is now $2.69! WOW! What a deal! And what about the explosion of consignment stores!?
For decades the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores were for the poor and needy. You could donate your clothes and help someone else. The prices were rock bottom and you could find some pretty good designer clothing, books, and home goods. Then, overnight it seemed, consignment stores...paying you to sell your clothing and just about anything else, started popping up everywhere. Almost every town in every state you can find a slightly used shop and they are very creative with the marketing. Clothing , toys, books, household items, all at a discounted price and it has become so popular that now churches and organizations have HUGE three day sales. Someone else's used stuff sold in a gym or large hall and it is called an event....there is a little deal hunter in us all!
We have the big broad line closeout stores like BIG LOTS.Big Lots is the largest in America with annual sales at almost $5 billion and in nearly 1,400 stores nationwide. They sell first-quality, brand-name products at substantially lower prices. They sell closeout merchandise from manufacturers who want to reduce inventory as a result of package changes, canceled orders, product discontinuation or test market products...who wouldn't love a store that offers them incredible bargains!?
And all these fabulous deals are without even mentioning the internet...Craigslist, ebay, amazon, hotwire, slickdeals....there are so many deals to be found on the world wide web that it makes my head swim. You can look for anything..homes,.hotels, cars, airfare, and search to find the best of the best prices. Just a little click and some time searching and VIOLA!....something great for almost no effort and a big payoff ....well, it has become a way of life.
So, you agree with me:) We are a society that likes a deal...we are budget shoppers (wanting to get the most out of what we have), a discount shopper (wanting to get the most out of what is available but we want it to be special), or a deal hunter (passionate about the excitement and fun of finding a great deal). And I want to tell you about the biggest deal of your life....SALVATION! It is free for the asking and God offers this fantastic deal to anyone, to everyone...the budget shopper, the discount shopper, and the deal hunter! What a bargain and the listen to the benefits! Eternal life,unconditional love, immediate forgiveness, overflowing peace, continual mercy, abundant grace, unsurpassed strength, enveloping protection...these you won't find on the internet, Big Lots, or a consignment shop! God's deal also offers us contentment, ease in navigating the path of life, himself as a friend, a father, a comforter, a physician, a healer, and a confidant. His inventory of what he offers is life, hope, and a future hand picked especially for you!WOW!
If you haven't already said YES to this deal you can do it now...you won't have to insert an address into a GPS and have a web address. You just have to WANT to take hold for this deal, to give your heart, your life and yourself over to God. Salvation is about trusting in Jesus as your Savior, receiving the forgiveness He offers, by grace through faith, and about being made new through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit". Salvation puts us back into a one on one relationship with our maker and creator...something He wants to freely give to us all. So today, take hold today of the biggest and best bargain of your life! It will be the best deal you will ever uncover!
"Though you have not seen him, you love him;and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9
I have had many conversations with people I know about "finding deals". Everything from coupon clipping to consignment shopping and selling. I am not sure about everywhere but I am sure we here in the South love our deals! How about those couponers....clip some coupons and watch the pay off... your groceries total $527.34 but the cashier takes off the coupons and your total bill is now $2.69! WOW! What a deal! And what about the explosion of consignment stores!?
For decades the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores were for the poor and needy. You could donate your clothes and help someone else. The prices were rock bottom and you could find some pretty good designer clothing, books, and home goods. Then, overnight it seemed, consignment stores...paying you to sell your clothing and just about anything else, started popping up everywhere. Almost every town in every state you can find a slightly used shop and they are very creative with the marketing. Clothing , toys, books, household items, all at a discounted price and it has become so popular that now churches and organizations have HUGE three day sales. Someone else's used stuff sold in a gym or large hall and it is called an event....there is a little deal hunter in us all!
We have the big broad line closeout stores like BIG LOTS.Big Lots is the largest in America with annual sales at almost $5 billion and in nearly 1,400 stores nationwide. They sell first-quality, brand-name products at substantially lower prices. They sell closeout merchandise from manufacturers who want to reduce inventory as a result of package changes, canceled orders, product discontinuation or test market products...who wouldn't love a store that offers them incredible bargains!?
And all these fabulous deals are without even mentioning the internet...Craigslist, ebay, amazon, hotwire, slickdeals....there are so many deals to be found on the world wide web that it makes my head swim. You can look for anything..homes,.hotels, cars, airfare, and search to find the best of the best prices. Just a little click and some time searching and VIOLA!....something great for almost no effort and a big payoff ....well, it has become a way of life.
So, you agree with me:) We are a society that likes a deal...we are budget shoppers (wanting to get the most out of what we have), a discount shopper (wanting to get the most out of what is available but we want it to be special), or a deal hunter (passionate about the excitement and fun of finding a great deal). And I want to tell you about the biggest deal of your life....SALVATION! It is free for the asking and God offers this fantastic deal to anyone, to everyone...the budget shopper, the discount shopper, and the deal hunter! What a bargain and the listen to the benefits! Eternal life,unconditional love, immediate forgiveness, overflowing peace, continual mercy, abundant grace, unsurpassed strength, enveloping protection...these you won't find on the internet, Big Lots, or a consignment shop! God's deal also offers us contentment, ease in navigating the path of life, himself as a friend, a father, a comforter, a physician, a healer, and a confidant. His inventory of what he offers is life, hope, and a future hand picked especially for you!WOW!
If you haven't already said YES to this deal you can do it now...you won't have to insert an address into a GPS and have a web address. You just have to WANT to take hold for this deal, to give your heart, your life and yourself over to God. Salvation is about trusting in Jesus as your Savior, receiving the forgiveness He offers, by grace through faith, and about being made new through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit". Salvation puts us back into a one on one relationship with our maker and creator...something He wants to freely give to us all. So today, take hold today of the biggest and best bargain of your life! It will be the best deal you will ever uncover!
"Though you have not seen him, you love him;and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9
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