Click here to download philippians2.zip --my Philippians 2:5-11 memory verse SET for use with Cal and Marty's Scripture Memory Game software.  It's a powerful passage that every young person should know and understand! <>< Neil

When you click the download link above, you will be asked to SAVE the philippians2.zip file. Save it to your desktop (or wherever).

After downloading (which will take 1 second max!), double click the philippians2.zip file to 'extract' (unzip) the actual text file named philippians2.txt. Save it somewhere you can easily find it, and move it to your installed Cal and Marty folder.

Lastly... Once you unzip and save philippians2.txt to your computer, all you need to do is COPY the philippians2.txt text file to the FOLDER where you have Cal and Marty installed on your harddrive. This is where all your other verse-set text files are located.  This philippians2 verse set is free and you can use it on as many copies of Cal & Marty you (legally) have.

Once copied to you computer's Cal & Marty folder, you can bring up the verse set in the game's Verse Editor and make any changes you like. I included "comments" with each verse, but did not add quiz questions to each verse. You can add those if you like.

For more info about using the verse editor and teaching with the game, view our guide.
For technical help with the program, view our cal-tech support webpage

Note: The download is a simple text file. You need to have Cal & Marty CD installed in order for the verse set to work in the game. Do not attempt to edit the text file with a wordprocessor, as some of the spacing in the file is needed by the game to know where to put things. Only edit the file using Cal & Marty's built-in verse editor.

Here are the verses I put in the Philippians 2:5-11 set: 

• Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
• who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited
• but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
• And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
• Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
• so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
• and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Teaching Philippians 2:5-11 ....Paul's understanding of the Cross

"...he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross..."

1)  There are several different interesting translations of this verse. Probably the most important variant is found in verse 6. NRSV uses the word "exploited" where other translations use the word "grasped" or "held on to."  Lots of discussion fodder there!    You will see that I have put some questions about the verses in the "comments" section of each verse used in the game.

2) Prior to doing the memory verse work, study the passage with your kids.

FIRST:  Identify and EXPLAIN key vocabulary BEFORE your class starts reading the verses together (otherwise you have to start-stop your way through the verses and this doesn't help comprehension).

SECOND:  UNPACK the verses.  Don't assume your students "get" what the verses are alluding to. "Being found in human form" is strange english, especially to kids, and they may not realize Paul is talking about Christ's birth.  Ask and EXPLAIN how Jesus was "obedient to the point of death".  They won't catch the ALLUSION to Isaiah 9 when Paul talks about God giving Jesus a name above every name. So read Isaiah 9 for the famous list of names for the Messiah (wonderful counselor...Prince of Peace).  They won't understand that "under the earth" is a dramatic way of saying "everywhere"  ....as it is a reference to numerous Old Testament descriptions of where water was stored (God separated the waters and made the dry land appear).

3)  Ideally, you would have your students do the typing of the memory verse into the Cal & Marty Scripture Memory Game verse editor. Why? Because typing is part of the memory work. Have one type while another reads and checks the spelling of the typist. It should take them about 15 minutes to put this verse set in through the editor. More if they also choose to add comments and quiz questions to each verse.

Depending on time you have and/or the age of your students, you might just do verses 5-9.

 

For younger children, you can edit/shorten the Philippians 2:5-11 verses to something like:

Think like Jesus

Become a servant

Be obedient, even to death

Confess Jesus Christ is Lord

Even non-readers can unscramble these short verse if you're there to pronounce the words for them.

 

This "short version" can also be played as a game I call "How Few Can You Do".   Read on...

CONDENSING DOWN the Philippians 2:5-11 passage is a Bible study game I call "HOW FEW CAN YOU DO?"

You can use this lesson-game idea with any long passage.

Here's how you play...
 

First, split into teams and discuss the whole passage. Go over vocab. Explain that this is Paul writing to the churches. Then, have the teams use Let's Talk CD's "Talk Now" module to create a character and type in their condensed verses --which their onscreen character will speak aloud for the class in Rounds One and Two. (They can also do it on paper or whiteboard, --but it's not as much fun!  Let's Talk is the software that speak aloud whatever the kids type, www.sundaysoftware.com/lets-talk.)
 

Round One:  Have them condense the passage IN HALF. This will give them practice for round two. 
Teacher: compare & contrast what the teams keep/eliminate. Ask the kids to debate.
 

Round Two:  See who can come up with the SHORTEST version that still makes sense and captures the essential ideas.

 

Rule: they can only use words that are found in the verses.

 

Lesson Conclusion: 

There are two possible directions you can go to condense this passage. One is "about Jesus", but the second is "about us". In other words, the passage is about JESUS humbling himself.  Or, it's about US doing things to confess Jesus as Lord.  --Thinking like Jesus, serving like Jesus, being obedient like Jesus (taking up our own cross, so to speak).
 

This technique works for all sorts of long passages and stories, and gives the teacher a lot of things to talk about with the kids.

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