1. HOOK:

• What do you do when you wake up in the morning?
• Song (younger class):
  This is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face,
  This is the way we wash our face,
  So early in the morning.

  This is the way we clean our hands, clean our hands, clean our hands,
  This is the way we clean our hands,
  So early in the morning.

  This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth,
  This is the way we brush our teeth
  So early in the morning.

  This is the way we comb our hair, comb our hair, comb our hair,
  This is the way we comb our hair,
  So early in the morning.

• Why do we do that? To make ourselves clean.
• What is one important thing we need to clean ourselves up? Water!
• Water is very important. It cleans us up inside (drinking) and outside (washing/bathing).
• Today we’re going to look at the Water Gate and what it reminds us about Jesus.

2. STORY: Gospel in the Gates – Water Gate (Nehemiah 3:15)

• Recap
  • We’re following the adventures of Nehemiah as he and the people of Israel work together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
  • There were 10 gates mentioned in the rebuilding of the walls. We looked at what these gates were used for and how they remind us of Jesus and His finished work on the Cross!
  • So far, we’ve covered the: <refer kids to slides or the posters on the wall during review>
    • Sheep Gate: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
    • Fish Gate: Jesus died and resurrected after 3 days (just as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish for 3 days).
    • Old Gate: Jesus makes us New Creations
    • Valley Gate: Jesus is always with us, even in the valleys
    • Rubbish Gate: All our good is rubbish compared to knowing Jesus (Jesus + nothing = everything!)
    • Fountain Gate: Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit
• Today, we are looking at the 7^th gate — the Water Gate
• Nehemiah 3:26 ²⁶ Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east
• Like the Fountain Gate, the Water Gate was close to the source of the city’s water supply (Gibeon spring).
• It opened up to where Solomon’s Temple was.
• The Water Gate was also where the Law of Moses was read by Ezra to the Israelites after the wall had been completed. (Neh 8:1)
  • Neh 8:1  Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.

3. LESSON:

What does the Water Gate remind us of? Jesus washes us clean with His word.

• Just as we use water to clean ourselves up physically, Jesus cleans us with His word.

• Imagine: Boys, one day you will grow up and get married. What happens if your bride turns up in the church looking very dirty and messy, as if she came out of a pig sty? That would be quite horrible, right? Girls, would you like to look like this on your wedding day?
• Well when Jesus came to look for us, He found us looking very dirty and grubby and smelly.
• Still He loved us soooo much that He gave His own life for us and rescued us from the dump that we were in.
• But Jesus didn’t rescue us and leave us in the same dirty, grubby and smelly condition.
• No. He took us, washed us, cleaned us up, dressed us in the finest garments, presenting us as a beautiful, perfect bride.
• Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
• The Bible tells us about Jesus and what He has done for us — He was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world; He died and rose again after 3 days; He made us New Creations; He is always with us; He is all we need; He gave us the Holy Spirit; and He washes us clean … <help kids associate with the different gates>
• The more we listen to the word about Christ and His finished work on the cross, we are being washed clean — our faith grows (Romans 10:17), our minds are renewed and our lives are transformed (Romans 12:2).
• Water gate reminds us that Jesus washed us clean — we are changed from dirty, smelly and grubby to become beautiful and perfect!

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:

• Memory Verse: Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word …
  <optional for additional challenge> and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
  (younger kids: “Jesus loved me and washed me clean with His word.”)
• Poster: The Water Gate

Water painting for toddlers using crayon/wax