The Story Isn’t Over - Pastor Naeem Fazal

Fatherhood starts with a funny little picture of presence. A grown son calls, “Dad,” and the father hears, “Dad, I need you so badly,” only to find him lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, saying, “Come join us.” Fatherhood becomes that strange holy thing where presence matters more than possessions, and faith matters more than anyone knows.

Acts brings that same question into focus. Jesus is resurrected, Jesus is gone from the room, and the early church has to figure out how to follow Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The movement has miracles, but it also has a mess, because Jewish believers have to wrestle with the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant in Jesus. God is not a different God who “went through therapy and got nicer.” God has moved from a covenant with Israel to a covenant in Christ for the world, not hope for some, but hope for all.

Paul becomes the surprising man through whom the movement of Jesus keeps moving. Acts does not linger on Paul because Paul is the point. Luke follows Paul because Jesus is moving through Paul. The final chapters slow down over ships, storms, prison, soldiers, shipwreck, Malta, snakes, and Rome because faith is being shown in real time.

Faith is unavoidable. Relationships run on trust, and trust is faith in action. The ship’s officer trusts the captain and owner more than Paul, and that decision shows how every person is already living by faith in somebody’s word. Faith asks a person to move before everything makes sense, because waiting for everything to make sense may mean never moving at all.

Faith is risky business. The soldiers try to lower the small boats as a backup plan, but Paul says safety will only come if they stay on the ship. Faith becomes “cutting the ropes,” letting the small boat drift away, and living with no return policy.

Faith is confusing as you get out. Paul survives the storm, lands on the island, gathers sticks, and then gets bitten by a poisonous snake. The islanders call him a murderer, then a god, and the whole scene feels ridiculous. Faith is not a straight ladder upward. Faith is more like a spiral staircase, where the same fears and questions come around again, but God is still taking a person higher.

Faith is leading somewhere. Paul thinks Rome will be about defending himself, but God turns house arrest into open doors. Paul welcomes people, proclaims the kingdom, teaches Jesus, and no one stops him. God keeps moving faith from fear into freedom, from bitterness into forgiveness, and from staying stuck into the next courageous step.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith is the currency of trust Faith is not something reserved for religious people; faith already holds relationships, business, family, and love together. Trust is faith with skin on it, and when trust collapses, everything starts falling down. The soul cannot live without faith any more than it can live without hope or love. [08:56]
• 2. Wisdom receives another’s sight Wisdom asks a person to trust knowledge that did not come from personal experience. The ship’s officer listens to the captain and owner instead of Paul, and the storm exposes the cost of refusing a faithful warning. Foolishness often says, “I have to see it for myself,” even when God has already sent someone who has seen further down the road. [11:43]
• 3. Faith cuts the backup boat Faith often feels risky because God does not always hand out a return policy. The soldiers want a small boat just in case, but Paul says their safety depends on staying in the very place that feels dangerous. Cutting the ropes becomes the act of trusting God without keeping a secret escape plan ready. [17:49]
• 4. God works through confusing circles Faith does not always feel like climbing a ladder; it often feels like walking a spiral staircase. The same fear, wound, or insecurity may come around again, but God may be lifting the person higher while healing something deeper. Confusion does not mean God has stopped leading; sometimes it means God is transforming, not just transporting. [24:27]
• 5. Faith moves fear toward freedom Faith is always leading somewhere, and fear is always leading somewhere too. Fear may feel safer, but it keeps a person stuck in anxiety, bitterness, and control. Faith risks forgiveness, generosity, community, and obedience because God is moving people into a wider place than the one they are trying to protect.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:08] - Presence Matters More Than Possessions
• [02:50] - Acts and Following Jesus Without Jesus in the Room
• [04:17] - Old Covenant, New Covenant, Hope for All
• [06:20] - Four Facts About Faith
• [07:56] - Faith Is Unavoidable
• [10:19] - Paul Warns About the Storm
• [15:01] - Faith Is Risky Business
• [16:54] - Cutting the Ropes of the Small Boat
• [20:25] - Faith Is Confusing
• [21:48] - Paul Gets Bitten by a Snake
• [26:34] - Faith Is Leading Somewhere
• [28:47] - Paul Proclaims Jesus in Rome
• [31:37] - From Fear Into Freedom
• [34:12] - Prayer for Courageous Faith

1. In Acts 27:22-25, what specific promise did Paul make to the crew during the storm, and what reason did he give for his confidence?
2. When the soldiers tried to lower the lifeboat secretly, what did Paul urge them to do, and what action did they take instead (Acts 27:30-32)?
3. After Paul was bitten by the snake in Acts 28:3-6, how did the islanders’ perception of him shift, and why?
4. The sermon compared faith to a “spiral staircase” rather than a straight ladder. What example from Acts 28 illustrated this idea? [24:27]

1. Why might the ship’s officer have trusted the captain and owner over Paul’s warning (Acts 27:11), and what does this reveal about human tendencies when facing uncertainty?
2. What does the act of cutting the lifeboat ropes (Acts 27:32) symbolize about the relationship between faith and control?
3. How does the islanders’ reaction to Paul’s snakebite (Acts 28:4-6) challenge the assumption that faith guarantees immediate clarity or approval from others?
4. The sermon stated, “Faith is leading somewhere, and fear is leading somewhere too.” How does Paul’s journey to Rome demonstrate this contrast? [32:23]

1. Where in your life are you currently relying on a “backup plan” (like the lifeboat) instead of fully trusting God’s direction? What would it look like to “cut the ropes” in that situation? [17:49]
2. When have you experienced a “spiral staircase” moment in your faith—facing a familiar struggle but sensing God was working deeper healing? How did that change your perspective? [24:27]
3. The sermon said bitterness “makes sense” but faith calls us to forgive. Is there a relationship where you’re holding onto justified resentment? What courageous step could you take to move toward freedom? [32:51]
4. Paul welcomed visitors and shared Jesus even under house arrest (Acts 28:30-31). What “open door” in your current circumstances (work, neighborhood, family) have you hesitated to walk through because of fear?
5. The soldiers initially dismissed Paul’s warning but later obeyed him. Who in your life has shared wisdom you’ve ignored? How can you humbly reconsider their insight this week? [11:43]