Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church

Ancient Seeds - among the cases of extremely old seeds that sprouted include 3400-year-old beans from the tomb of Tutankhamen. The seeds were originally found when English Egyptologist Howard Carter excavated the famous king’s tomb in 1922. Among the many, very rich objects in the tomb, he found the stored bean seeds, which had been asleep underground for 3,300 years. He had them planted in the ground in rich soil, with sun, fertilizer and water, and the ancient seeds sprouted and grew into healthy plants. It is astonishing how the Lord can design these seeds to quietly store the essence of life for thousands of years and then spring into existence after being buried with a little light and water. The Bible teaches that people can find new life after being buried under the right conditions. "But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." Mark 4:8, NKJV. When I was gr

Contributed by: Doug Batchelor An Amazing Fact! To produce about one pound of honey, bees must make 25,000 trips between their hive and the flowers from which they gather the precious nectar. Furthermore, that same pound of honey contains the essence of about two million flowers! The phrase "milk and honey" is mentioned over 20 times in the Bible, not to advocate an extravagant diet, but rather to describe the rich abundance of the land of Canaan.   God used this phrase primarily to emphasize that the region of Canaan was a land lush with natural resources. To produce an abundance of milk or honey, there must be fields covered with flowers for the bees and plentiful vegetation for the goats and cattle. Describing the Promised Land as a land flowing with milk and honey was more than just a metaphor. Ancient Israel was not always the dry desert we see today.   But as a result of being conquered by a parade of empires and deforested for 3,000 years, the soil and climate

Contributed by:  Shemeka  There I was standing on the curb outside of the airport waiting for my ride.  Next to me was an older gentleman apparently doing the same thing.  We struck up a friendly conversation.   He told me that he had lost his son.   He was 9 years old and had been in a car accident and died of complications related to that.   This man was broken.   You see, he was driving the car when the accident occurred.   I couldn't even begin to imagine the grief and the guilt that he was carrying.   In the midst of his pain, he shared with me that he had some questions about God related to the death of his son. As we were standing there, it quickly became apparent to me that this was a divine appointment. But I had to act quickly because my ride would be showing up at any moment.   I knew that I didn't have time to go into a deep Bible study with him, and as awful as it sounds, I didn't even really have time to pray with him.   Thankfully, though, God h

By: Pastor Doug Batchelor When Karen and I decide that it’s time to get away and pursue some much-needed R & R, we often head for the enchanting big island of Hawaii.   Our friends Steve and Chris, who live near Kona, always open their beautiful home to us on such occasions. Steve is a building contractor by trade, but his real passion is for fishing. He owns a little fishing boat and is always happy for an excuse to use it. Though I am a fish-free vegetarian, I do love the sun and water and have often joined Steve and his brother, Joe, while they pursue their favorite diversion. As a result of numerous fishing excursions on the ocean with Steve and his friends, I have come to better understand why Jesus said that if we follow Him, He would make us fishers of men. Here are a few similarities I have noticed between fishing and soul winning. Fishing can be an addiction -- No matter how busy Steve is with multiple building projects and overdue deadlines, he always drops ev

Written by:   Pastor Jëan Ross Central to the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:7 is a call to worship God as Creator. The fact that we are created by God and in His image gives value and purpose to life. We are not the result of random chemical reactions or biological mishaps, but are sons and daughters of the Creator of the Universe. Romans 1:20 points out that creation reveals to us the love and power of God in the things that are made. Consider for a moment the marvelous design of the ear muscles of the bat.  It is well-known that bats fly by sonar. They emit high frequency sounds which the human ear cannot hear. The returning echo of those sounds places "sound-print" pictures in their minds. Using this technique, a bat can catch a tiny, fast flying insect. The higher the pitch, the smaller the surface its echo can reveal. Some sounds are so high that they can enable the little bat to detect the presence of a wire no thicker than a human hair stretched across

By: Pastor Doug Batchelor An Amazing fact!  A brooch purchased for $14 at a Bristol, Rhode Island antique shop has turned out to contain a priceless purple pearl.  Alan Golash, a Newport antiques dealer, claims the value of the rare pearl is supported by gem experts who examined it.  His partner found the 19th century ornamental pin while rummaging through a basket of costume jewelry at a former antiques shop.  Golash, who restores antique jewelry, cleaned the brooch, and discovered it was made of 18-karat gold and enamel and included three small rose-cut diamonds. Based on its construction and Victorian styling, it is believed to have been created sometime between 1850 and 1875. But most notably, the brooch features two rare pearls, both of which gem experts say are all natural, purple and produced from a type of clam known as Quahogs –which are extraordinarily rare. The larger of the two pearls is about the size of a marble. "We've never had a pearl like this before,"

  Contributed by:  Leah Overton The Senioritis party that was held at the Soderblom’s home was loads of fun! Lots of people showed up (even the people who aren't even seniors), and the mood was very warm and welcoming. To kick off the evening there was a beautiful and upbeat time of singing hymns. Then we had a potluck style meal. The food was delicious! There was lots of chatting while the meals were eaten, and the people made themselves comfortable. After the food was eaten, Mr. Tony called us back to the living room to give an introduction to the senior speakers and to close the Sabbath and say a prayer. When he was finished, the first senior came up to talk about his experience with high school and to give the soon-to-be seniors some tips. There were quite a few seniors who shared their experiences and tips with the listeners. As each one went up to share, the audience was very enthusiastic and gave them a hearty appl

Contributed by Pastor Jëan Ross Francis Jane Crosby wrote some of the most popular hymns ever written. Among them are “Blessed Assurance,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “To God Be the Glory,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” “Rescue the Perishing,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross.” For many people, the most remarkable thing about her was that she had done so in spite of her blindness. She had only been able to see for the first six weeks of her life. Born in Putnam County, New York, Crosby became ill within two months. Unfortunately, the family doctor was away, and another man—pretending to be a certified doctor—treated her by applying hot poultices to her eyes. Her illness eventually relented, but the treatment left her blind. A few months later, Crosby’s father died. Her mother was forced to find work as a maid to support the family, and Fanny was mostly raised by her Christian grandmother. Her first poem, written at age 8, echoed her l

Contributed by Shemeka Bruton We were sitting together one evening after the young adults Friday night vespers at Pastor Q's house.  We had been reading through Steps to Christ.   After the study had ended, we were just gathered together in little clusters here and there, chatting and fellowshipping together.  There were about 19 people in attendance that night.  Mrs. Q had made some very yummy chili that went well with the chilly evening.   As we were talking and enjoying each other’s company, someone mentioned that a body had been recently found down at City Hall.  It had been reported on KFBK that a homeless person had quite literally frozen to death on the streets of Sacramento.  It was a very sobering contrast to the warmth and comfort that we were at that very moment enjoying. The more we talked about it, the more we felt like we had to try and do something to help.  Right there, by God's leading, a plan was hatched.   We would get a huge box and put it in the fo