August 2, 2025 • 13 mins
In this gripping spirit filled episode, we read through Acts 16 in its entirety no summaries, no shortcuts. Just scripture and real reflections. From prison doors flung open to entire households saved, Acts 16 is a powerful testimony of what happens when followers of Jesus walk in obedience, worship in chains, and trust Him in the darkest hours. Let this Word stir you, challenge you, and remind you that even at midnight God is still God.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
The wooden cricket. Welcome, welcome, Welcome back
to the Wooden Cricket Podcast, where it's all Bible, all Jesus,
all day. I'm your host, Lawrence, and I'm
so glad you're here. Today we're diving deep into
(00:25):
Acts Chapter 16, one of the mostpowerful and miraculous chapters
in the book of Acts. We're going to read it straight
through the NLT. Just some reflections throughout
that point us back to Jesus every single time.
This is a chapter filled with obedience, suffering, worship
and supernatural breakthrough. And it's got something for all
(00:47):
of us. So grab a coffee, get
comfortable or just listen as you go about your day.
Let's get into the word. So in Acts chapter 16 verse one
says Paul went first to Derby and then to Lystra where there
was a young disciple named Timothy.
His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a
(01:09):
Greek. Timothy was well thought of by
the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to
join them on their journey interference to the Jews of the
area. He arranged for Timothy to be
circumcised before they left, for every one knew that his
father was a Greek. This moment, it's about radical
(01:33):
humility, really. Timothy submits to a painful act
not because it was required by the gospel, but because it would
remove barriers for others to hear it.
That's the heart of a servant leader, laying down his own
comforts for the chance that someone might come to know
Jesus. So you got to wonder, are we
(01:55):
willing to adjust our lives, even our freedoms, for the sake
of reaching hearts? As Paul said in First
Corinthians 922, I've become allthings to all people, so that by
all possible means I might save some.
Verse 4. Then they went from town to
town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by
(02:20):
the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
So the churches were strengthened in their faith and
grew larger every day. What strengthens a Church
teaching grounded in truth, unity rooted in the Spirit, and
daily living in alignment with the Gospel?
(02:40):
It wasn't flashy revivals or emotional highs.
It was steady discipleship. What are you feeding your spirit
with daily? The early church grew because
they were rooted. Growth that last starts
underground in the soil of quiteobedience and spiritual
nourishment. Moving on verse 6.
(03:10):
Next, Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Figlia and
Galatia because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from
preaching the word in the province of Asia at the time.
Then, coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the
province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not
(03:33):
allow them to go there. So instead they went on through
Messiah to the seaport of Troas.That night Paul had a vision.
A man from Macedonia in northernGreece was standing there
pleading with him. Come over to Macedonia and help
us. So we decided to leave for our
Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling
(03:57):
us to preach the good news there.
Closed doors are not failures, they are divine roots.
You notice how Paul keeps movinghere despite uncertainty.
He doesn't stop and sulk. He just waits in God's timing
and listens for the next instruction.
(04:19):
Are we willing to trust that God's know is leading us to a
better? Yes.
In Proverbs 16 it said we can make our plans but the Lord
determines our steps. Verse 11 We boarded a boat at
(04:40):
Trois and sailed straight acrossto the island of Samothrace, and
the next day we landed at Neapolis.
From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of
Macedonia and a Roman colony, and we stayed there several
(05:01):
days. On the Sabbath we went a little
way outside the city to a riverbank where we thought
people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak
with some women who had gatheredthere.
One of them was Lydia from Trayectoria, a merchant of
expressive purple cloth who worship God.
(05:23):
As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart and she
accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were
baptized and she asked us to be her guests.
If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord, she said,
come and stay at my home. And she urged us until we
agreed. The Gospel doesn't just
(05:52):
transform individuals, it impacts families and homes and
communities. Lydia's story is about
readiness. Her heart was open and she
responded. But more than that, she turned
her home into a space for the gospel.
Is your home open to Jesus? Do people experience peace,
(06:15):
truth, and love when they walk through your front doors?
Verse 16 One day as we were going down to the place of
prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to
tell the future. She earned a lot of money for
her masters by telling fortunes.She followed Paul and the rest
(06:35):
of us shouting. These men are servants of the
Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be
saved. This went on day after day until
Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon
within her, I command you in thename of Jesus Christ to come out
of her. And instantly it left her.
(06:55):
Spiritual discernment is crucialin the Kingdom.
Paul doesn't act on emotion, buton spiritual authority.
He knew the right message spokenwith the wrong spirit can still
cause chaos. Do we have the boldness to
confront lies even when they're dressed in half truths?
(07:16):
Jesus gave us the authority to cast out darkness.
Are we walking in that confidence?
Verse 19 Her masters hopes of wealth were now shattered.
So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the
authorities at the marketplace. The whole city is in an uproar
because of these Jews. They shouted in the city
(07:37):
officials to the city officials.They are teaching customs that
are illegal for us Romans to practice.
A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city
officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
They were severely beaten and then they were thrown into
prison. The jailer was ordered to make
(07:59):
sure they didn't escape, so the jailer put them into the inner
dungeon and clamped their feet in stocks.
Faithfulness often leads us intofire, not away from it.
Paul and Silas weren't arrested for doing wrong, they were
imprisoned for doing right. This is the cost of the gospel,
(08:21):
but it's also where the glory breaks in.
You know what prisons have you ended up in simply because you
followed Jesus? The cell isn't the end, it's the
stage for God's next miracle. Verse 25 Around midnight, Paul
and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a massive
(08:43):
earthquake and the prison was shaken to its foundations.
All the doors immediately flew open and the chains of every
prisoner fell off. Midnight praise is powerful
praise. They didn't worship after the
miracle, they worshipped before it.
Real faith sings in the dark. What would it look like to
(09:03):
worship God right now? Before the breakthrough comes
Psalm 42. Eight says.
Through each night the Lord pours His unfailing love upon
me, and through each day I sing His songs.
Verse 27 Where was I? Verse 27 The jailer woke up to
(09:24):
see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had
escaped, so he drew his sword tokill himself.
But Paul shouted to him, Stop, don't kill yourself.
We are all here. The jailer called for lights and
ran to the dungeon and fell downtrembling before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to
(09:47):
be saved? He replied, Believe in the Lord
Jesus and you will be saved along with everyone in your
household. And they shared the word of the
Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.
Even at that hour of night, the jailer carried for them or cared
for them and washed their wounds.
(10:07):
Then he and everyone in his household were immediately
baptized. He brought them into his house
and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household
rejoiced because they all believed in God.
The Jailer story reminds us thatno one is too far gone.
(10:27):
One moment he's ready to take his own life and then next he's
washing wounds and getting baptized.
That's wild. Jesus redeems broken stories in
an instant. Are we ready to speak life to
the ones who feel the most hopeless?
Are we ready to say, like Paul, don't harm yourself, we're still
(10:50):
here? Verse 35 The next morning, the
city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, let those
men go. So the jailer told Paul, the
city officials have said, you and Silas are free to leave, go
in peace. But Paul replied, They have
publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison, and
(11:11):
we are Roman citizens, so now they want us to leave secretly,
certainly not let them come themselves to release us.
When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed
to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, so they
came to the jail and apologized to them.
Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the
(11:34):
home of Lydia. There they met with the
believers and encouraged them once more.
Then they left town. Paul doesn't demand justice for
himself. He stands for the integrity of
the church. It wasn't about personal
revenge. It was about setting a precedent
that the gospel and its messengers deserve respect.
(11:55):
Even in departure, Paul focuses his his focus is the health and
encouragement of the body of Christ.
How are we leaving spaces? Do we build up when we exit or
are we burning bridges? Act 16 is a masterpiece of
(12:17):
divine orchestration. Every delay, every detour, every
prison cell was a setup for salvation.
Transformation and breakthrough reminds us that the Christian
walk is not about comfort, it's about calling.
We are called to preach Christ, to suffer for His sake, to
(12:38):
praise in dark places, and to carry the presence of God
wherever we go. This chapter echoes Romans
chapter 8 verse 28, and we know that God causes everything to
work together for the good of those who love God and are
called according to His purpose.Paul and Silas didn't just know
this, they lived it. Their obedience and their
(12:59):
worship became the very means bywhich others came to salvation.
Lydia, the jailer, the households, all were changed
because two men chose to sing inthe dark.
So we'll walk away from this episode reminded.
Your praise carries power. Your pain is never wasted.
Your obedience opens doors for others to encounter Jesus.
(13:22):
So whether you're facing a locked door or an open cell, a
set back a fresh vision, keep walking, keep praising, keep
trusting. Because Jesus still breaks
chains. Thank you so much for tuning
into the Wooden Cricket podcast.If today's message blessed you,
share with someone who needs a little bit of hope.
(13:45):
We're on Spotify and Apple Musictrying to be on everywhere that
you listen. So please follow Jesus, love
boldly, keep singing in the dark.
And until next time, grace and peace, friends.
And remember, he's not done yet.
The wooden cricket. Welcome, welcome, Welcome back
to the Wooden Cricket Podcast, where it's all Bible, all Jesus,
all day. I'm your host, Lawrence, and I'm
so glad you're here. Today we're diving deep into
(00:25):
Acts Chapter 16, one of the mostpowerful and miraculous chapters
in the book of Acts. We're going to read it straight
through the NLT. Just some reflections throughout
that point us back to Jesus every single time.
This is a chapter filled with obedience, suffering, worship
and supernatural breakthrough. And it's got something for all
(00:47):
of us. So grab a coffee, get
comfortable or just listen as you go about your day.
Let's get into the word. So in Acts chapter 16 verse one
says Paul went first to Derby and then to Lystra where there
was a young disciple named Timothy.
His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a
(01:09):
Greek. Timothy was well thought of by
the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to
join them on their journey interference to the Jews of the
area. He arranged for Timothy to be
circumcised before they left, for every one knew that his
father was a Greek. This moment, it's about radical
(01:33):
humility, really. Timothy submits to a painful act
not because it was required by the gospel, but because it would
remove barriers for others to hear it.
That's the heart of a servant leader, laying down his own
comforts for the chance that someone might come to know
Jesus. So you got to wonder, are we
(01:55):
willing to adjust our lives, even our freedoms, for the sake
of reaching hearts? As Paul said in First
Corinthians 922, I've become allthings to all people, so that by
all possible means I might save some.
Verse 4. Then they went from town to
town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by
(02:20):
the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
So the churches were strengthened in their faith and
grew larger every day. What strengthens a Church
teaching grounded in truth, unity rooted in the Spirit, and
daily living in alignment with the Gospel?
(02:40):
It wasn't flashy revivals or emotional highs.
It was steady discipleship. What are you feeding your spirit
with daily? The early church grew because
they were rooted. Growth that last starts
underground in the soil of quiteobedience and spiritual
nourishment. Moving on verse 6.
(03:10):
Next, Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Figlia and
Galatia because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from
preaching the word in the province of Asia at the time.
Then, coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the
province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not
(03:33):
allow them to go there. So instead they went on through
Messiah to the seaport of Troas.That night Paul had a vision.
A man from Macedonia in northernGreece was standing there
pleading with him. Come over to Macedonia and help
us. So we decided to leave for our
Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling
(03:57):
us to preach the good news there.
Closed doors are not failures, they are divine roots.
You notice how Paul keeps movinghere despite uncertainty.
He doesn't stop and sulk. He just waits in God's timing
and listens for the next instruction.
(04:19):
Are we willing to trust that God's know is leading us to a
better? Yes.
In Proverbs 16 it said we can make our plans but the Lord
determines our steps. Verse 11 We boarded a boat at
(04:40):
Trois and sailed straight acrossto the island of Samothrace, and
the next day we landed at Neapolis.
From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of
Macedonia and a Roman colony, and we stayed there several
(05:01):
days. On the Sabbath we went a little
way outside the city to a riverbank where we thought
people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak
with some women who had gatheredthere.
One of them was Lydia from Trayectoria, a merchant of
expressive purple cloth who worship God.
(05:23):
As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart and she
accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were
baptized and she asked us to be her guests.
If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord, she said,
come and stay at my home. And she urged us until we
agreed. The Gospel doesn't just
(05:52):
transform individuals, it impacts families and homes and
communities. Lydia's story is about
readiness. Her heart was open and she
responded. But more than that, she turned
her home into a space for the gospel.
Is your home open to Jesus? Do people experience peace,
(06:15):
truth, and love when they walk through your front doors?
Verse 16 One day as we were going down to the place of
prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to
tell the future. She earned a lot of money for
her masters by telling fortunes.She followed Paul and the rest
(06:35):
of us shouting. These men are servants of the
Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be
saved. This went on day after day until
Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon
within her, I command you in thename of Jesus Christ to come out
of her. And instantly it left her.
(06:55):
Spiritual discernment is crucialin the Kingdom.
Paul doesn't act on emotion, buton spiritual authority.
He knew the right message spokenwith the wrong spirit can still
cause chaos. Do we have the boldness to
confront lies even when they're dressed in half truths?
(07:16):
Jesus gave us the authority to cast out darkness.
Are we walking in that confidence?
Verse 19 Her masters hopes of wealth were now shattered.
So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the
authorities at the marketplace. The whole city is in an uproar
because of these Jews. They shouted in the city
(07:37):
officials to the city officials.They are teaching customs that
are illegal for us Romans to practice.
A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city
officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
They were severely beaten and then they were thrown into
prison. The jailer was ordered to make
(07:59):
sure they didn't escape, so the jailer put them into the inner
dungeon and clamped their feet in stocks.
Faithfulness often leads us intofire, not away from it.
Paul and Silas weren't arrested for doing wrong, they were
imprisoned for doing right. This is the cost of the gospel,
(08:21):
but it's also where the glory breaks in.
You know what prisons have you ended up in simply because you
followed Jesus? The cell isn't the end, it's the
stage for God's next miracle. Verse 25 Around midnight, Paul
and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a massive
(08:43):
earthquake and the prison was shaken to its foundations.
All the doors immediately flew open and the chains of every
prisoner fell off. Midnight praise is powerful
praise. They didn't worship after the
miracle, they worshipped before it.
Real faith sings in the dark. What would it look like to
(09:03):
worship God right now? Before the breakthrough comes
Psalm 42. Eight says.
Through each night the Lord pours His unfailing love upon
me, and through each day I sing His songs.
Verse 27 Where was I? Verse 27 The jailer woke up to
(09:24):
see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had
escaped, so he drew his sword tokill himself.
But Paul shouted to him, Stop, don't kill yourself.
We are all here. The jailer called for lights and
ran to the dungeon and fell downtrembling before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to
(09:47):
be saved? He replied, Believe in the Lord
Jesus and you will be saved along with everyone in your
household. And they shared the word of the
Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.
Even at that hour of night, the jailer carried for them or cared
for them and washed their wounds.
(10:07):
Then he and everyone in his household were immediately
baptized. He brought them into his house
and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household
rejoiced because they all believed in God.
The Jailer story reminds us thatno one is too far gone.
(10:27):
One moment he's ready to take his own life and then next he's
washing wounds and getting baptized.
That's wild. Jesus redeems broken stories in
an instant. Are we ready to speak life to
the ones who feel the most hopeless?
Are we ready to say, like Paul, don't harm yourself, we're still
(10:50):
here? Verse 35 The next morning, the
city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, let those
men go. So the jailer told Paul, the
city officials have said, you and Silas are free to leave, go
in peace. But Paul replied, They have
publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison, and
(11:11):
we are Roman citizens, so now they want us to leave secretly,
certainly not let them come themselves to release us.
When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed
to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, so they
came to the jail and apologized to them.
Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the
(11:34):
home of Lydia. There they met with the
believers and encouraged them once more.
Then they left town. Paul doesn't demand justice for
himself. He stands for the integrity of
the church. It wasn't about personal
revenge. It was about setting a precedent
that the gospel and its messengers deserve respect.
(11:55):
Even in departure, Paul focuses his his focus is the health and
encouragement of the body of Christ.
How are we leaving spaces? Do we build up when we exit or
are we burning bridges? Act 16 is a masterpiece of
(12:17):
divine orchestration. Every delay, every detour, every
prison cell was a setup for salvation.
Transformation and breakthrough reminds us that the Christian
walk is not about comfort, it's about calling.
We are called to preach Christ, to suffer for His sake, to
(12:38):
praise in dark places, and to carry the presence of God
wherever we go. This chapter echoes Romans
chapter 8 verse 28, and we know that God causes everything to
work together for the good of those who love God and are
called according to His purpose.Paul and Silas didn't just know
this, they lived it. Their obedience and their
(12:59):
worship became the very means bywhich others came to salvation.
Lydia, the jailer, the households, all were changed
because two men chose to sing inthe dark.
So we'll walk away from this episode reminded.
Your praise carries power. Your pain is never wasted.
Your obedience opens doors for others to encounter Jesus.
(13:22):
So whether you're facing a locked door or an open cell, a
set back a fresh vision, keep walking, keep praising, keep
trusting. Because Jesus still breaks
chains. Thank you so much for tuning
into the Wooden Cricket podcast.If today's message blessed you,
share with someone who needs a little bit of hope.
(13:45):
We're on Spotify and Apple Musictrying to be on everywhere that
you listen. So please follow Jesus, love
boldly, keep singing in the dark.
And until next time, grace and peace, friends.
And remember, he's not done yet.
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