The US Review of Books (USRB) commended Bob Leland’s “Gold Nuggets and Other Gems from the Mine of Scripture” because “with Leland’s book as a companion, anyone who reads or studies the Bible will find a deeper understanding”

“Gold Nuggets and Other Gems from the Mine of Scripture” by Bob Leland is highly praised by Sherry Galetka of the US Review of Books. More than a compendium of the Bible, this book is filled with questions about scripture within both the Old and New Testaments and provides answers that may leave one more curious than ever about how many of these dramatic events unfolded.
Bob Leland grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, the oldest of five children. He attended Northern Illinois University (B.A. in Secondary English Education), Columbia Bible College (M.A. in Biblical Education), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (D.Min.).
He and his wife, Amber, a registered nurse, spent 31 years in Irian Jaya (Papua), Indonesia (1971-2002), serving 8 years in the Citak Tribe on the south coast, 2 1/2 years as houseparents at TEAM’s hostel for missionary children attending the international school in Sentani, 1 1/2 years as office manager (Bob) and bookkeeper (Amber) at TEAM’s field office in Manokwari, and 19 years teaching at the Erikson-Tritt Theological College in Sowi, near Manokwari. They also served for nine months at the Asian Cross-Cultural Training Institute in Singapore (1996), where they taught Asian missionary trainees how to live and work cross-culturally.
Bob has published twice in Indonesia: Memancarkan Citra-Nya (Reflecting His Image) and Leksikon Analitis Bahasa Yunani yang Direvisi (The Revised Analytical Greek Lexicon by Harold K. Moulton), which he translated from English into Indonesian.
Bob and Amber currently live in Presque Isle, Maine, where they are deeply involved in local church ministry and outreach and have been teaching extension courses for the New England Bible College and Seminary located in Bangor, Maine.
“Gold Nuggets and Other Gems from the Mine of Scripture” is a devotional resource intended for use every day of the year, with an additional devotion for use during a leap year. Gold Nuggets is an extraction of the rich resources and revelation available in God’s Word. The Bible, like a gold mine, contains precious gems that are useful for building strong, successful, and prosperous lives.
In “Gold Nuggets and Other Gems from the Mine of Scripture”, these precious gems from God’s Word are mined, polished, and provided for daily spiritual nourishment. The author hopes that through the reading of Gold Nuggets, faith will mature and lives will be changed for God’s glory. So, let us begin the exploration of God’s gold mine, and may our lives be enriched with God’s treasure.
Here’s an excerpt from the US Review of Books that highlights:
“Leland has painstakingly calculated, in dollars, the staggering amount of gold it took to build a temple. He has estimated Solomon’s total wealth, including an outline of where it was spent and the values of many items. With Leland’s book as a companion, anyone who reads or studies the Bible will find a deeper understanding regarding the drama that continuously unfolds. Leland explains much of the history by correlating chapters from both the Old and New Testaments and expounds upon the way different books of the Bible build on each other. Sunday school teachers will appreciate the appendix, filled with quotes from notable authors, while the bibliography provides a source for those who wish to compare and contrast these works. After reading the author’s book, one can consider, with more understanding, how faith guides the true meaning of love. Leland applies his knowledge and research to many biblical dilemmas in which the curious will delight.”