Chords for Beautiful Eulogy - Devotion (Art Azurdia - sermon excerpt in the description)

_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ What [F#] is _ authentic faith? _
_ [C#] The cultivation of an optimistic [D]
outlook on life with a kind [F#] of spirituality attached to it?
A [C#m] holy _ hoping for the best?
_ _ Is this how [F#] you think of faith?
_ _ [A#m] Authentic faith is [C#m] the confident assurance _ [D] in events not [F#] yet seen.
_ _ Faith is [E] not a call to believe in things when common sense [F#m] tells you not to. _
Faith is not a mindless stand in the dark.
It is not a crossing of the fingers and hoping [E] for the best.
It is not a [F#] leap into apparent [D] nothingness.
It's a [F#m] word that speaks of reasoned, [E] careful, deliberate, _ intentional [D] thought.
_ _ [F#m] _ _
Thought upon [A] what?
_ _ [B] _
_ God [D] and [F#m] His _ promises.
[E] _ _ _ _ _ [C#m] _
If you are [D] absolutely gripped by the coming [E] realities that have been promised to you by God,
then how [A] you live your life in the present will be [E] radically different than if you did not possess such [D] certainty.
_ [A] This is what faith is, my friends.
[E] _
Positive [F#m] _ certainty _ _ expressed in action. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C#] _ Authentic faith [D] is not merely believing in _ God.
_ [C#] It is believing _ [D] God. _ _ _
_ _ Taking God and His word, [C#m] living in obedience to His [D] revelation,
whatever the cost, because you [F#] know down deep in your [A#m] bones that God [C#m] will always do [D] what He says,
that [F#] His speaking is His doing.
_ _ [E] _ It is an abiding assurance in God [F#m] and His promises that animates you to persevere in your obedience _ to [E] Him.
_ _ Do you wish to [F#m] be a more _ consistently obedient, [E] _
steadily _ persevering Christian?
_ [D] _
A [F#m] stronger Christian?
[A] A more courageous and [E] outspoken Christian?
[D] Then you need to strengthen your faith.
_ [E] _ _
Your faith _ instinctively [F#m] _
strengthens in direct proportion to the [E] expansion of the object of your faith.
_ You [D] expand your understanding of the object of your [A] faith, and faith _ [B] itself will [D] obediently follow.
_ [F#m] _ The object of your [E] faith, if indeed you are a Christian, is [D] Jesus Christ [Bm] and all of His [E] promises. _
_ _ Is your faith weak?
[F#m] _ _
It is owing to the fact that you don't know the [E] object of your faith well enough.
But when [F#m] Jesus Christ becomes progressively bigger, [A] or better yet,
[E] your understanding of who [F#m] He is progressively conforms to reality, _ _
your faith will become increasingly [C#]
stronger.
_ _ [D] But how does that happen? _
_ By immersing yourself in the faith [C#]-arousing Word of God,
[D] _ _
_ the Wheat of Jesus _ Christ.
_ _ _ [C#m] The same powerful Word that [D] long ago brought the universe to [F#] life,
is the same Word that can [A#m] bring you to life,
[C#m] and furnish you with a [D] faith that is truly [F#]
and _ authentically _ Christian. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _