This is a well written and enjoyable read for children (and adults) from the age of 10. In beautiful and lyrical language it exposes the well-known truths of the gospel in a way that is easily understandable. I would be willing to share this with any new or young believer.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.

Knowing the King is so important. Knowing him shows you that you can't be the center of the world because he already is. That is the good thing. You weren't made to be the center of the world; you can't hold everything together. But God can. And when he is the center of the world, and the center of your story, you are free to be who you were made to be- who he made you to be.

A study for Christian teenagers desiring to know Christ as their King. Each chapter a vivid word picture of Christ has King of your life, King of your salvation, King of creation. It is meant for readers to see Christ in a different way. A king is not meek but a good king is humble. A king who is not for the popular vote but for God's glory and your joy. How do you view what a King is? What a king does? Reading this study, I reflected on how the nation of Israel viewed a king and how they rejected God as their king.

Why is the holiness of God important to those that are seeking to know God? That is the most important attribute of God to know as it is the basis of how you view God, yourself and others. The holiness of God reflects the trinity and the work of the trinity in the character of God.

The sovereignty of God is another aspect of Kingship . "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." As we pray those words, how does that look like in your life. We really don't need another way to look at God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We have all we need in the bible, however, a study likes this helps us to open our eyes to the truth of the word. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

One of the best books to read about the Holy God. Simple, understandable way of knowing the eternal, one. I loved the way the concept is described, it is soothing to read and knowledgeable. If you want to know about Holy God read this book. Recommend the book to all.

An interesting, poetic look at the tenants of the faith. Deep thinkers and lovers of literary imagery will find this a unique read.

What is the key to unlock the fountain of truth and ideas? Is there an accessible way to reveal the truths of God's Word? How can we explain difficult theological truths in simple terms, so that kids could understand? Surely, theology should not be restricted just for adults. With pictures, illustrations, and creative use of familiar symbols, author Ryan Lister gives us the metaphor of locks and keys. Making the use of keys to unlock eight fundamental theologies, Lister shows us fascinating ways to learn about the doctrines of God; humanity; sin; Christ; Holy Spirit; Salvation; Church; and the last days.

Keys are given to us. We ought to pick up these keys to open the lock and to enter into the truths God wants to reveal to all of us. For God is the "Key-keeper." Each key opens us to a particular room. The "Throne Room key" opens the door to theology, the Doctrine of God. We learn about worship in celebration and song. We move from ourselves to God, to see that the most important thing in the world is not us, but God. God wants to bless us, but we must let Him do so. Subtly, we are reminded that the king is not us, that God alone is king. The "Dust Key" reminds us that we are nothing until God came along. We are made from dust into the image of God, but we are still creatures needing God. Yet, God has made us his highest prize and desires to bless us. The "Serpent Key" is about sin and how mankind has fallen into brokenness and despair. It reminds us of Adam and Eve who fell into the deception of the serpent. Lister spends time to describe various images of pride (Tower of Babel); and the stain of sin from Genesis to depict the fallenness. Instead of worshiping God, man ends up worship other gods, even himself.


The "Tomb Key" is about the doctrine of Christ, tomb being the way Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again on the third day. These are described in three acts of Christ. I like the way Lister calls Christ as the "death killer." Indeed, that is the good news. The "Spirit Key" teaches us about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, how believers are renewed in their hearts and how we can live in the Spirit. Lister synthesizes biblical truths and narrates the doctrine in a palatable manner. The "Gavel Key" is about salvation. We get snippets of the meaning of election, atonement, regeneration, justification, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification, and glorification. The "temple key" is about Church embodied as a people of God. The marks of the church are unity; holiness; global; and one. Finally, we return to the "Throne Key" which is essentially about God's Kingdom that is to come. There is hope, anticipation, resurrection, the final judgment, and the glory of God. Lister gives us glimpses of the image of the last days from the book of Revelation.

My Thoughts
The title of this book is a precursor to what this book is about; that it will be revealing the truths of God via symbols, representations to bring abstract details into simple images. This is the intent. A noble intent indeed. The author begins well with a plan about keys, locks, and rooms of understanding. Hearts are easy to understand. We could visualize adults and kids as people. When it comes to other symbols, it takes some effort to visualize what it represents. Perhaps, the final edition of the book would contain explanations about the symbols. If not, I suggest the publisher include a legend to describe the symbols and terms used. Otherwise, readers would be left to speculate what the symbols mean. Having said that, this could also be a positive thing to help younger readers raise questions and ponder about the truths the authors are trying to convey. It should also inspire readers to go back to the Bible to find out more.

Sometimes, the simplest things could also be the most profound. As I read through the book, it requires a fair understanding of theology before one can truly comprehend more of what the author is saying. For that reason, I would not recommend this book for young believers, unless there is a mature believer willing to guide their reading. This is a good effort to try to simplify things but it should be used more as a springboard for further study or discussion.

Ryan Lister is professor of theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

Rating: 3.75 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

First sentence: His strong and wise command cut through the empty silence as he reached out of the shadows to offer an ancient key. “I am the Key Keeper. I have come to show you the Way. But before you do anything . . . Heed this warning: Those who turn this key will never be the same. It will show your deepest guilt and display your darkest shame. You’ll see who you were made to be and what you’ve really become. But only if you turn the key will you find your story isn’t done, that the way ahead is the path that leads into the throne room of the Son, this one they call the Death Killer, who gives his life to pay your ransom. “If you so choose, pick up the key. Open the lock. “If you do, you will not be alone. I will walk with you and guide you. I will meet you on the other side.” Everything changed with the turn of a key.

This book is a great introduction of the gospel for children and teens to read either on their own or with their parents. The gospel presentation is structured around the thematic concept of keys. The Throne Room Key: The Doctrine of God. The Dust Key: The Doctrine of Humanity. The Serpent Key: The Doctrine of Sin. The Tomb Key: The Doctrine of Christ. The Spirit Key: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Gavel Key: The Doctrine of Salvation. The Temple Key: The Doctrine of the Church. The Throne Key: The Doctrine of Last Things.

I earlier said 'gospel presentation' but it could also be seen as an introduction to systematic theology. If you are already a believer, the clear presentation will strengthen and inform your faith. Plenty of substance to chew on. If you are not a believer--perhaps you've been exposed here and there to the faith of others--then I think this will give you food for thought. Perhaps the Spirit will use the book to help clarify and explain the faith.

I think the intended audience is children ages eight and up. But I think adults could benefit as well from reading this one. I do think families could benefit from using this one together. Counting the introduction and conclusion there are ten chapters/sections to read.

It does directly address the reader. Not many books for adults do this--for better or worse. I liked the style of this one--especially in small doses. I would recommend this one.

Okay, as I am not fully Christian, his review might be a bit different than the rest. However, I am interested in religion to learn more about the different sorts. It was a bit different to get into the flow of the book, in the beginning, but after I while I started to get the writing style. I think it will be a great book for 13 year olds to understand Christianity in a different way.

What a stunning book. As a parent of both teens and young adults, I was very impressed with the way that this book has been written and illustrated. Telling the sometimes hard-to-hear story of our sin and God's redemption in a way that will be appealing to ears that are often not wanting/ or ready to listen to the truth, I'll be recommending this to my readers and family.

Wow! What an excellent way to teach systematic theology to older children! It's a little above my 7 year old's head, but I can't wait to read it with her when she's older! This book is very well written and also has engaging illustrations and different keys unlock different teachings about God. And through this teaching about God, we find out our place and purpose in His world. I highly recommend this imaginative and thought-provoking book!