Five Bags of Gold: A Modern Parable of Wealth, Responsibility, and Eternal Investment
Book Description:
What are you doing with the gifts God has placed in your hands? Your time. Your skills. Your influence. Your resources. Are you investing in what truly matters?
Inspired by Jesus’ Parable of the Talents Five Bags of Gold: A Modern Parable Of Wealth, Responsibility, and Eternal Investment is a powerful book that challenges believers to live with purpose, invest in what truly matters, and steward their God-given gifts for eternal impact. Written by global health leader and educator Dr. Nicholas Comninellis, Five Bags of Gold draws from Scripture and real-world stories from Angola, Shanghai, and beyond—showing how ordinary people can make extraordinary investments for God’s Kingdom.
Contents:
Preface
Part One: What Do You Treasure?
1. Treasure Received
2. Treasure Desired
Part Two: What Account Will You Give for Use of Your Treasure?
3. Treasure Account
4. Treasure Chest
Part Three: What Will You Do Right Now with Your Treasure?
5. Treasure Map
6. Treasure Investment Plan
7. Treasure Investment Power
8. Treasure Investment via Spiritual Gifts
9. Treasure Investment via Role Models
10. Treasure in Heaven
Endorsements:
"As a follower of Christ, how will you faithfully bless others with the talents and resources God has entrusted to you? Dr. Nicholas has masterfully highlighted our Biblically based calling to care for those most in need. Ultimately, we will all give account of whether we elected (or not) to respond to this God-given directive. Through personal testimony and scripture, Five Bags of Gold profoundly motivates the reader to reflect on one’s life, and compels us to selflessly serve the forlorn and forgotten."
Lance Plyler, MD — Chief Medical Officer, Samaritan’s Purse
"I found this book to be well written, a very easy read, and also very thought provoking. Given the unprecedented political, social, and economic turmoil of the day, Five Bags of Gold, is not only timely but a much-needed reminder of how one should live. Why it is important to be of service to others over self, to treat others as we wish to be treated, and why there is a need to prioritize time for faith. The author continues to motivate and excite others to engage in humanitarian work. The growth of INMED is a shining example of the power of mentorship. The questions asked in the final portion of the book are wonderful opportunities for the reader to apply many of lessons discussed throughout the book to their lives and proceed to identify how they too can be of service."
Tracy Branch — Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
"Often neglected in planning our lives is the concept of accountability – that one day we’ll give a report for our actions. Equally neglected is the value of servanthood – that the highest lifestyle is one of steady investment into the welfare of humanity. Dr. Comninellis has been one of my heroes in medical mission! Anything he writes is based on a lifetime of serving people with limited access to healthcare. Five Bags of Gold illuminates these virtues through real time accounts of lives well lived."
Gary Morsch — Founder of Heart to Heart Int’l and Global Care Force
"This book is a powerful testament to lives lived—and still being lived—in humble obedience to Christ’s call to serve “the least of these.” Matthew 25:40. With unwavering love, profound compassion, and relentless dedication, Dr. Nicholas brings the Gospel to life—not through words alone, but through selfless action. His journey and the journeys of others across nations, reaching the sick and vulnerable, reflects the true heart of a servant of God. Every page radiates a spiritual richness that reminds us that our greatest treasure lies not in what we keep, but in what we give. Dr. Nicholas’s book also inspires me to develop and live by Treasure Investment Plan rooted in this principle."
Dr. Lawand Aqrawy — Associate Protection Officer at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Additional Information:
Cover: Paperback
Number of Pages: 152
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2025