Grow

Dear Family in Christ,

First Cup is designed to assist you in the habit of daily Bible reading and prayer. The name is to remind you that as you reach for your first cup of morning coffee or tea, reach also for your Bible and prayer list. The prayers at the beginning of each week are taken from hymns, sometimes found in obscure hymnals in my library. They are intended to be read as your beginning prayer, to focus your mind on the daily readings that follow. May this spiritual discipline strengthen you as you face each day.

Blessings and love in Christ,
Sandy Sturch and Claire Averyt

 

MARCH

1          Lamentations 1; Isaiah 1; 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

2          Lamentations 2; Matthew 23; 2 Timothy 4:1-5

 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee.  Thou changest not; Thy compassions they fail not; As thou has been Thou forever will be.  Summer and winter, springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow – Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside! (Worship in Song, No. 86)

 

3          Lamentations 3:1-36; Matthew 5:39; 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Psalm 123

4          Lamentations 3:37-66; Job 30; Psalm 37

5          Genesis 19:1-29; Lamentations 4; Jeremiah 19:9; Matthew 24:1-35

6          Lamentations 5; Isaiah 49; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

7          Hebrews 1; John 1:1-14; Galatians 3:26-4:7; Psalm 103

8          Hebrews 2: Philippians 2:1-11; 2 Timothy 1:8-12

9          Hebrews 3; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; John 3:35-36

 

Jesus is coming to earth again, What if it were today? Coming in power and love to reign, What if it were today? Coming to claim His chosen bride, all the redeemed and purified, over this whole earth scattered wide. What if it were today? Faithful and true would He find us here if He should come today? Watching in gladness, not in fear, If He should come today? Signs of His coming multiply; Morning light breaks in eastern skies. Watch for the time is drawing nigh. What if it were today?  (Worship in Song, No. 189)

 

10       Hebrews 4:1-13; Exodus 20:8-11; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 4:1-8

11       Hebrews 4:14-5:10; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 6

12       Hebrews 5:11-6:6; 1 Peter 2:2; I Corinthians 3:1-4; Matthew 7:21-23, 26:47-49

13       Hebrews 6:7-20; Isaiah 5:1-7, 44, 55:10-13; Matthew 13:1-30

14       Genesis 14:17-20; Psalm 110; Hebrews 7; Romans 8:26-27

15       1 Peter 2; Revelation 1:4-6, 5:6-10, 20:4-6

16       Hebrews 8 (see Exodus 25-31); Jeremiah 31; 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Faith of our fathers! Living still in spite of dungeon, fire and sword, O how our hearts beat high with joy when-e’er we hear that glorious word: Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death. Faith of our fathers! We will love both friend and foe in all our strife, and preach thee, too, as love knows how by kindly words and virtuous life: Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death. (The Hymnbook, No. 348)

 

17       Hebrews 9:1-10; Exodus 40; Leviticus 16; Romans 3:21-26

18       Leviticus 8, 17; Hebrews 9:11-28; Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:1-17

19       Hebrews 10:1-25, 7:26-28, 9:11-14; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

20       Hebrews 10:26-39; 2 Peter 2; Matthew 12:31-32; Ephesians 4:30-32

21       Hebrews 11; Isaiah 7:9b; Revelation 6:9-11; 1 Peter 1:1-12

22       Hebrews 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 2; Galatians 6:9

23       Hebrews 12:4-13; 2 Corinthians 4-5:10; Psalm 94

 

Oh soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? Here’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free! Thro’ death into life everlasting He passed and we follow Him there. Over us sin no more hath dominion. For more than conquerors are we.  His word will not fail you, He promised; believe Him and all will be well. Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell. Turn your eyes upon Jesus; Look full in His wonderful face; And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. (Worship in Song, No. 207)

 

24mn

Hebrews 12:14-17; Ephesians 4:17-5:20

25       Hebrews 12:18-29 (see Exodus 19-20); Philippians 3:7-4:1; 2 Peter 3:10-18

26       Hebrews 13:1-6; Romans 12:9-21; 1 Corinthians 5:1-12, 6:9-11; Matthew 6:24

27       Hebrews 13:7-25; 1 Thessalonians 4-5

28       Genesis 1-2:3; John 1:1-18; Revelation 1:8, 22:12-13

29       Isaiah 40; John 1:19-34; 1 John 5:11-13

30       John 1:35-51; Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 9:23-27; Luke 14:25-35

 

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His son to win; His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin. Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade;  to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;  nor could the scroll contain the whole if stretched from sky to sky. (Frederick M. Lehman, 1917)

 

31       John 2; Isaiah 56:1-57:2

APRIL

1          John 3, 5:24; 1 John 5:1-12

2          John 4:1-42; Luke 19:10; Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 25; 1 John 1:8-10

3          John 4:43-5:15; Psalm 103

4          John 5:16-47; Romans 10

5          John 6; Isaiah 55

6          John 7, 3:31-36

 

            Come gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove, with light and comfort from above; be Thou our Guardian, Thou our Guide o’er every thought and step preside. To us the light of truth display, and make us know and choose Thy way. Plant holy fear in every heart that we from God may ne’er depart. Lead us to holiness, the road which we must take to dwell with God; lead us to Christ, the Living Way, nor let us from His pastures stray. (Simone Browne, Hymn writer 1680-1732)

 

7          John 8; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:10-18

8          John 9; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

9          Isaiah 40:10-11; John 10; Psalm 23

10       John 11; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

11       Isaiah 6:1-10; John 12

12       John 13:1-17; Galatians 5:13-15; Ephesians 6:5-8; 1 Peter 4:10; 5:2

13       John 13:18-38; Proverbs 16:18; 11:2; Titus 1:10-16

 

Beneath the cross of Jesus, I fain would take my stand. The shadow of a mighty Rock within a weary land; A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way, from the burning of the noonday heat, and the burden of the day. Upon the cross of Jesus, mine eyes at times can see the very dying form of One who suffered there for me. And from my stricken heart with tears, two wonders I confess—the wonders of redeeming love and my own unworthiness. (The Hymnbook, No. 190)

 

14       John 14; Romans 8:1-17

15       John 15-16:4; 1 John 3

16       John 16:5-33; Romans 8:28-39

17       John 17; 1 John 4

18       John 18:1-27; Matthew 10:17-42

19       John 18:28-19:42

20       John 20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

 

Face to face with Christ, my Savior, face to face what will it be, when with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ, who died for me? What rejoicing in His presence, when are banished grief and pain; when the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain. Face to face oh, blissful moment! Face to face to see and know; face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so. Face to face I shall behold Him, far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory, I shall see him by and by. (The Baptist Hymnal, No. 212)

 

21       John 21; Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1

22       Joel 2:28-32; Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 7:37-39; Acts 2; Romans 8:5-17

23       Acts 3; Romans 1:16-32; Revelation 3:14-22

24       Acts 4:1-22; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 18:19-20; Mark 9:35-41; John 14:1-14

25       Psalm 2; Acts 4:23-31; Romans 8:26-28; Psalm 4, 17:6-7; Ephesians 6:18-20

26       Acts 4:32-37, 2:44-45; Deuteronomy 15:1-18; Proverbs 3:27-28; Psalm 145

27       Acts 5:1-11; Proverbs 25:14; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Ecclesiastes 5-6: Psalm 15

 

O Breath of life, come sweeping through us; Revive thy Church with life and power. O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us, and fit thy Church to meet this hour. O Wind of God, come bend us, break us, till humbly we confess our need. Then in thy tenderness remake us, revive, restore; for this we plead. O Breath of love, come breathe within us, renewing thought and will and heart: Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us, revive thy Church in every part. (The Church Hymnary, No. 339)

 

28       Acts 5:12-42; Psalm 40; Romans 8:31-39

29       Acts 6:1-8:3; Mark 8:34-38; Revelation 6:9-11; 14:13

30       1 Kings 16:23-33; John 4:1-42; Acts 8:4-25; Matthew 10:7-8