Episodes

  • 115: From Lesbianism to a 25-Year Marriage: Krissy Miles on Trauma, Forgiveness, and Healing

    115: From Lesbianism to a 25-Year Marriage: Krissy Miles on Trauma, Forgiveness, and Healing
    Jun 23 2026

    What happens when the pain of a broken home leads you somewhere you never expected to go?

    In Episode 116 of Healing and Made Free, Janet Boynes welcomes Krissy Miles — pastor, speaker, and co-founder of Influence Church in Northern Indiana — for one of the most complete healing testimonies this podcast has ever featured.

    Krissy grew up in a home defined by trauma. Her father — abused himself as a child,
    abandoned at 14, raised in poverty and alcoholism — brought all of that unhealed pain into their family. Krissy responded the way many children do: anger, overperformance, and eventually a desperate search for love that didn't come with strings attached.


    That search led her into a lesbian relationship. It lasted less than two years — but long enough to change everything. What brought her out wasn't a program or a counselor. It was a direct, supernatural encounter with God where she was faced with one choice: this path, or me.


    She chose God. And then God gave her a husband.

    In this conversation you'll hear:
    • How generational trauma in her father's family shaped her childhood
    • Why she entered a lesbian relationship — and what she was really searching for
    • The supernatural moment God showed her exactly what was at stake
    • How she told her husband about her past — and what happened when they wept
    together
    • The role of forgiveness in her healing — including forgiving her abusive father
    • What happened when she told her father she had forgiven him
    • The fear that nearly destroyed her marriage at year 18 — and how God broke it
    • Practical wisdom for parents of Gen Z kids exploring sexuality
    • Her husband Lucas Miles and his work with Turning Point USA Faith

    This episode is for anyone who has felt like their past has disqualified them from a whole,
    healed life. Krissy's story is proof that God restores what trauma broke.

    Connect with Krissy Miles: krissymiles.com | Influence Church: influencechurch.com
    Janet Boynes Ministries: janetboynes.com
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    38 mins
  • 114: Richard Harris lost his gay twin brother John to AIDS at 34. He shares what he wishes he'd said — and what families need to hear.

    114: Richard Harris lost his gay twin brother John to AIDS at 34. He shares what he wishes he'd said — and what families need to hear.
    Jun 9 2026
    What do you do when someone you love is living a gay lifestyle — and you watch them die from it? In this raw and deeply personal episode, Janet Boynes sits down with Richard Harris, Executive Director of Truth and Liberty (an Andrew Wommack Ministries outreach), for a conversation that goes far beyond headlines and policy debates. Richard and his twin brother John grew up in a home marked by extreme poverty, alcoholism, and an emotionally distant father. John always felt compared, rejected, and overlooked — and Richard only learned after John's death how deep that wound ran. John died of AIDS at 34, coming to faith in Christ in his final days in the hospital. Richard and Janet — who lost her own brother to AIDS in 1999 — open up about what it means to love a gay family member without compromising God's word, and without losing them either. In this conversation you will hear: How childhood rejection and a lack of affirmation can shape sexual identity What Richard wishes he had said and done differently with his brother Why John stayed in the gay lifestyle even after his AIDS diagnosis — and what finally changed How loneliness drives people into and keeps them in homosexuality The conversion therapy ban in Colorado and what was at stake at the Supreme Court How Truth and Liberty responded to the assassination of Charlie Kirk — including snipers on the roof A closing word of encouragement for anyone struggling with same-sex attraction This is the kind of honest, compassionate conversation the church desperately needs to have. Whether you have a family member living a gay lifestyle, or you are personally wrestling with same-sex attraction, this episode will meet you with truth and love. Connect with Janet Boynes Ministries at janetboynes.com Learn more about Truth and Liberty at truthandliberty.com
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    39 mins
  • 113: Standing Firm in Love: A Dutch Christian's Perspective on Biblical Truth and Family

    113: Standing Firm in Love: A Dutch Christian's Perspective on Biblical Truth and Family
    May 26 2026
    What does it look like to stand for biblical truth in a country that legalized same-sex marriage before almost anywhere else in the world? In this episode of Healing and Made Free, Janet Boynes sits down with Eelko Sieval, a Dutch Christian, entrepreneur, and newly appointed board member of Janet Boynes Ministries. Eelko joins us from the Netherlands — the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001 — to share his powerful perspective on how Christians can respond to LGBTQ+ cultural pressure with both truth and love. Eelko opens up about his personal faith revival in 2020, how he found Janet's ministry through an online search for biblical answers on homosexuality, and what compelled him to translate Janet's book "Called Out" into Dutch so it could reach his community. Together, Janet and Eelko tackle some of the most honest questions Christian families are facing today: How do you love a family member living a gay lifestyle without endorsing it? How do you protect your grandchildren at family gatherings without rejecting your family? What does "compassion without compromise" actually look like in everyday life? How do you maintain spiritual authority in your home when culture pushes back? Eelko also shares why he said yes to joining the ministry board, his vision for bringing Janet's 2026 conference to the Netherlands, and how the legacy of Charlie Kirk's life has renewed his commitment to speak truth fearlessly. Whether you're a pastor, a parent, a grandparent, or simply a believer trying to navigate one of the defining cultural issues of our time — this conversation will challenge and encourage you. Connect with Janet Boynes Ministries at janetboynes.com.
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    45 mins
  • 112: From Seminary to Freedom: Bryan Chapman on Leaving the Homosexual Lifestyle

    112: From Seminary to Freedom: Bryan Chapman on Leaving the Homosexual Lifestyle
    May 12 2026

    Pastor Bryan Chapman opens up about leaving the homosexual lifestyle after 3 years, the father wound that opened the door, and how God restored his identity.

    In this episode of Healing and Made Free, Janet Boynes sits down with Pastor Bryan Chapman — a minister who spent three years in a homosexual relationship during seminary and has now been free for over two decades. Bryan shares how emotional wounds and the absence of a father's validation opened the door to same-sex attraction, what finally brought him to a turning point, and what he wants Gen Z and their parents to know about identity, healing, and the hope that's available through Christ.

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    30 mins
  • 111: From Heroin Addiction to Redemption: Shannon Macklin's Powerful Testimony of Faith & Restoration

    111: From Heroin Addiction to Redemption: Shannon Macklin's Powerful Testimony of Faith & Restoration
    Apr 28 2026

    This is a story of hope, redemption, and second chances.

    In this powerful episode, Shannon Macklin shares her journey from:

    • Childhood abuse and generational addiction
    • Homelessness and heroin addiction
    • Losing custody of her children
    • Hitting rock bottom… and crying out for change

    Then everything changed.

    Through faith, surrender, and a life-altering encounter with Jesus, Shannon found freedom, restoration, and purpose—and now helps others do the same.

    If you or someone you love is struggling with:

    • Addiction
    • Broken family relationships
    • Losing hope
    • Feeling stuck or beyond repair

    This episode is for you.

    This is not just a story—it's proof that transformation is possible.
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    36 mins
  • 110: Inside Public Schools: A Teacher's Warning on What's Changing in Education

    110: Inside Public Schools: A Teacher's Warning on What's Changing in Education
    Apr 14 2026

    In this episode of Healing and Made Free, Janet Boynes sits down with a former public school teacher and school board member to discuss the evolving landscape of public education.

    Drawing from decades of experience, the conversation explores how schools have changed over time, what teachers and parents are facing today, and why these issues are gaining national attention.

    Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply interested in what's happening inside today's classrooms, this episode offers a firsthand perspective on the current education system and the challenges many communities are navigating.

    To connect with Brenda, visit Brenda4Kids.com.
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    29 mins
  • 109: Former Suicide Hotline Counselor Reveals What Happens Behind the Calls"

    109: Former Suicide Hotline Counselor Reveals What Happens Behind the Calls"
    Mar 31 2026
    Former crisis counselor Jamie Brooks shares her experience working inside a national suicide hotline call center and explains why she ultimately resigned. In this interview with Janet Boynes, Jamie discusses mental health crisis counseling, working with vulnerable youth, mandatory reporting, and the ethical challenges she encountered while helping callers in distress. In this episode you will hear: • What it's like working as a suicide hotline crisis counselor • The training counselors receive when working with callers in crisis • How hotline counselors assess suicide risk and stabilize callers • Ethical dilemmas inside large mental-health call centers • Why Jamie ultimately chose to leave the organization • The importance of protecting vulnerable children and supporting families Jamie also shares how her background in social work, foster care, and victim advocacy shaped her perspective and why she now works helping victims through the county attorney's office. This conversation explores mental health support systems, the challenges facing crisis hotlines, and the importance of ethical accountability when helping vulnerable individuals. If you care about mental health, suicide prevention, and protecting vulnerable youth, this is an important conversation. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Jamie Brooks 02:30 Why Jamie Became a Crisis Counselor 05:30 Working Inside a Suicide Hotline 08:30 Training and Workplace Culture 13:30 Calls from Vulnerable Youth 20:20 Suicide Risk Assessments Explained 23:00 Self-Harm and Crisis Calls 28:30 Mandatory Reporting Challenges 32:00 Why Jamie Resigned 33:30 Her Upcoming Book and Advocacy Work 35:00 Final Thoughts on Protecting Children
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    39 mins
  • 108: Nine and a Half Years, Then Gone: How Melissa Richman Found God's Faithfulness After Losing Her Husband to Stage 4 Colon Cancer

    108: Nine and a Half Years, Then Gone: How Melissa Richman Found God's Faithfulness After Losing Her Husband to Stage 4 Colon Cancer
    Mar 17 2026
    In this deeply moving episode of Healing and Made Free, Janet Boynes sits down with her longtime friend Melissa Richman — a mother, business owner, and woman of faith from the Twin Cities — for an honest, heartfelt conversation about love, loss, grief, and the faithfulness of God. Melissa shares the story of her marriage to Matt Richman — a healthy, faith-filled, 37-year-old pharmaceutical executive — and the shock of hearing the words "stage four colon cancer" during what should have been a routine lab check. Over the next three and a half years, Melissa and Matt fought together, celebrated a year of no evidence of disease, and watched it come back with a vengeance. In February 2020 — two weeks before the world shut down for a pandemic — Matt passed away. He left behind Melissa and their three young children, ages five, six, and seven. Melissa opens up about the devastating first year of widowhood: the numbness, the isolation, the moment she prayed God would take her too, and the slow, painful journey back to healing. She talks about the power of wise counsel and therapy, allowing safe people to love her and her children, and how God — even in the deepest suffering — was never far away. Janet also shares her own grief journey, opening up about losing her best friend to cancer and her struggle with loneliness as a single woman. Together they offer hope to anyone walking through grief, loss, or a season that feels like God has forgotten them. 👉 If you or someone you love has lost a spouse, is walking through cancer, or is struggling with grief and loneliness — this episode is for you. Please share it. Topics Covered: • Meeting and marrying Matt — barefoot on the beach in Captiva Island, Florida • Navigating a blended family and the importance of pre-marital counseling • The hike where Melissa first knew something was wrong • Receiving a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis for a 37-year-old in perfect health • Three and a half years of fighting cancer together — and the win that didn't last • Matt's final trip to Captiva — and what Melissa now knows it meant • Losing a husband two weeks before the pandemic — grief and the lockdown • Praying God would take her too — and choosing to stay for her kids • Wrestling with God and finding him in the mess • Counseling, community, and letting people love you through grief • Janet's personal story of loneliness and grief as a single woman • A message of hope for anyone who feels forgotten by God • Why colon cancer screenings can save your life (men: get checked at 40)
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    36 mins