July and August 2010                                                              Download the Adobe Acrobat version

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

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise…Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee…Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King––always, only, for my King.  [The Hymnbook, No. 310]

JULY
1 Philippians 1:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 13; Galatians 5:16-26; Colossians 3:1-17
2 Philippians 1:12-30; Mark 8:34-38; Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:8-12
3 Philippians 2:1-11; Galatians 5:19-21; James 3:13-16; 1 Peter 3:15-17; 5:1-6

 Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee…Take my will and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.  Take my love; my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.  Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee––ever, only, all for Thee.  Amen.  [The Hymnbook, No. 310]

4 Philippians 2:12-30; Exodus 16:6-8; Numbers 16:25-45; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
5 Philippians 3:1-4:1; Isaiah 43:18-19; 1 Corinthians 9:14-27; 2 Timothy 4:7-8
6 Philippians 4:2-9; Romans 8:26-28; Ephesians 6:18-20; Psalm 119:145-176
7 1 Corinthians 9:11-18; Philippians 4:10-23; 1 John 3:16-24; Matthew 6:25-34
8 Colossians 1:1-14; John 3:16-21; 8:12; 12:44-46; Ephesians 5:8-20; Psalm 112
9 Genesis 1:1-2:3; John 1:1-3; Ephesians 1:3-14; Colossians 1:15-23
10 Acts 9:1-19; Colossians 1:24-29; Ephesians 3

 Take Thou our minds, dear Lord, we humbly pray. Give us the mind of Christ each passing day. Teach us to know the truth that sets us free; grant us in all our thoughts to honor Thee. Take Thou our hearts, O Christ, they are Thine own. Come Thou within our souls and claim Thy throne. Help us to shed abroad Thy deathless love; guide Thou our ordered lives as Thou dost please.  [The Hymnbook, No. 306]

11 Colossians 2; Ephesians 2:1-10
12 Colossians 3:1-17; Ephesians 4:1-5:7
13 Colossians 3:18-4:1; Ephesians 5:11-6:9
14 Colossians 4:2-18; 1 Peter 1:22; Ephesians 5:15-17; James 3
15 Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1; 1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Hebrews 6:12; 13:7
16 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9; James 1:1-2; Romans 5:3-5
17 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13; Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 Peter 5:6-10

 Take Thou our wills, Most High! Hold Thou full sway. Have in our inmost souls Thy perfect way. Guard Thou each sacred hour from selfish ease; guide Thou our ordered lives as Thou dost please.  Take Thou ourselves, O Lord, heart, mind, and will. Through our surrendered souls Thy plans fulfill.  We yield ourselves to Thee––time, talents, all. We hear, and henceforth heed, Thy sovereign call.  [The Hymnbook, No. 306]

18 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; 1 John 3; Romans 13:8-14; Ephesians 4:28
19 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; I Corinthians 15:12-58; Revelation 1:1-8
20 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; Philippians 4:10-19; Proverbs 19:11; James 5:7-11
21 2 Thessalonians 1; Matthew 5:10-12; 10
22 Matthew 24; 2 Thessalonians 2; Ephesians 1:3-14; Revelation 13:5-10; 14:1-13
23  2 Thessalonians 3; 2 Timothy 3; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Proverbs 14:23; 28:19
24  1 Timothy 1; Romans 5:20; 7:7-8:17; Hebrews 5:11-14; James 3:1; 1 Peter 2:1-3 

 In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear.  And safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here. The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid. But God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?  Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back.  My shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack. His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim; He knows the way He taketh, and I will walk with Him.  [The Hymnbook, p. 417] 

25 1 Timothy 2; Genesis 3; Proverbs 31; 11:16, 22; 14:1
26 1 Timothy 3; Romans 12; Hebrews 13:17
27 1 Timothy 4; 1:7; John 13:1-17; 1 Corinthians 11:1 
28 1 Timothy 5-6:2; 1 Corinthians 7:8; James 1:27; Ephesians 6:5-9; Psalm 68:4-5
29 1 Timothy 6:3-21; Ecclesiastes 4:4-8; Luke 12; Revelation 3:14-22
30 2 Timothy 1; Mark 8:34-38; Romans 1:8-17; Philippians 1:12-30; 1 Peter 4:16
31 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Romans 6:1-14; 2 Corinthians 4

 Fight the good fight with all thy might; Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right. Lay hold on life, and it shall be Thy joy and crown eternally.  Run the straight race through God’s good grace, life up thine eyes, and see His face. Life with its way before us lies, Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize. Faint not nor fear, His arms are near; He changeth not, and thou art dear. Only believe, and thou shalt see that Christ is all in all to thee.  [The Hymnbook, No. 359]

AUGUST
1 2 Timothy 2:14-26; Ephesians 4:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 11:1-12; Isaiah 29:13-16
2 2 Timothy 3; Jeremiah 12:10-11; 23:1-4; John 10:1-16; Acts 20:25-31
3 2 Timothy 4; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Revelation 3:7-13
4 Titus 1; 1 Timothy 1:1-7; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Philippians 1:11
5 Titus 2; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; 11:18-21; Psalm 25; Proverbs 9:9; 22:17-21
6 Titus 3; Romans 13; 1 Peter 2:17 
7 Philemon; 1 Peter 3:15-16; Luke 9:26; Matthew 6:14; Luke 17:1-4; Romans 16

 Father, lead me day by day, ever in Thine own sweet way. Teach me to be pure and true; show me what I ought to do. When in danger, make me brave; make me know that Thou canst save.  Keep me safe by Thy dear side; let me in Thy love abide. When I’m tempted to do wrong, make me steadfast, wise, and strong. And when all alone I stand, shield me with Thy mighty hand. May I do the good I know, serving gladly here below, then at last go home to Thee, evermore Thine own to be. [The Hymnbook, No. 458] 
 
  8 James 1:1-8; Romans 5:1-5; Job 28:20-28; Psalm 90:12; Proverbs 1:7; 8; 21:30
  9 James 1:9-11; Psalm 49; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 18:18-30; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19 
10 James 1:12-18; Matthew 6:9-13; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 10:12-13; Galatians 6:1-5
11 James 1:19-27; Psalm 119: 97-112; 4:4; Ephesians 4:17-32; Proverbs 15:1; 29:11
12 James 2:1-13; Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 3; 14:21; Luke 10:25-37
13 James 2:14-26; Ephesians 2:8-10; Matthew 7:21-27; 25
14 James 3:1-12; Proverbs 4; 12:19; 16:23-30; 18:6-8; 26:20-28; 27:2; Psalm 12; 141

God, be merciful to me, on Thy grace I rest my plea. Plenteous in compassion Thou, blot out my transgressions now. Wash me, make me pure within; cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.  Gracious God, my heart renew, make my spirit right and true. Cast me not away from Thee; let Thy Spirit dwell in me.  Thy salvation’s joy impart, steadfast make my willing heart.  [The Hymnbook, No. 282]

15 James 3:13-18; Proverbs 29:23; Matthew 20:20-28; 23:1-12; Luke 22:24-30 
16 James 4:1-12; Proverbs 10:18-21; Matthew 15:10-20; Titus 2:11-15; 1 John 2:1-17
17 James 4:13-17; Matthew 6:34; Proverbs 3:27-28; 16:9; 19:21; 27:1; Psalm 139
18 James 5:1-6; Leviticus 19:9-13; 24:14-15; Matthew 6:19-21; Hebrews 11:24-26 
19 James 5:7-12; Job 1:1-2:10; 42; Romans 12:6-21
20 James 5:13-20; 1 Kings 17; 2 Kings 4:1-37; Acts 9:36-43; Romans 8:26-28
21 Psalm 116; 22:25; Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

 Be not dismayed whate’er betide, beneath His wings of love abide––God will take care of you! Through days of toil, when heart doth fail, all you may need He will provide, When dangers fierce your path assail, no matter what may be the test, lean, weary one, upon His breast. God will take care of you through every day, all the way, He will take care of you!  [Worship in Song, No. 450]

22 Romans 15:4; Deuteronomy 28:15, 36, 64-66; Esther 1; Proverbs 21:1
23 Esther 2; Proverbs 27:9; Psalm 7:14-16; Proverbs 26:27 
24 Esther 3; Psalm 27:1-3; Daniel 3  
25 Esther 4; Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Psalm 31
26 Esther 5; Proverbs 13:16; 14:17; 16:18; 21:1
27 Esther 6; Ecclesiastes 9:13-18; Proverbs 26:27; 28:18; Psalm 57:6
28 Esther 7; Proverbs 20:1-2; Psalm 7:14-16; 9:16; Proverbs 11:5-6; Matthew 7:2

 Christ shall have dominion over land and sea; Earth’s remotest regions shall His empire be; They that wilds inhabit shall their worship bring; kings shall render tribute, nations serve our King. When the needy seek Him He will mercy show; Yes, the weak and helpless shall His pity know. He will surely save them from oppression’s might, for their lives are precious in His holy sight.  [The Hymnbook, No. 502]

29 Esther 8; Proverbs 22:23-24; 13:22; Psalm 97:10-12; 112:4; 35:27; Proverbs 11:10
30 Esther 9-10; Jeremiah 29:4-14; Psalm 30
31 Psalm 71

Let the morning bring me word
of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
–Psalm 143:8