Healing and Made Free with Janet Boynes

Destiny Image Podcast Network

Janet Boynes' story is one of struggling and overcoming drug addiction, eating disorders, homosexuality, depression, and thoughts of suicide. You may be struggling with many of the same things. By the grace of God, Janet Boynes survived. She realized that if God could help her, He could help and heal many others as well. Get encouragement and inspiration from her powerful story. This will help and equip you on your journey to freedom and healing. You might be able to relate to many of the people that Janet has interviewed on the podcast. Our hope is that you will draw strength from God through these powerful testimonies. God's word reminds us, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free". John 8:32 NIV We believe that when you know better, you will do better. What God has done for Janet and many others, He will also do for you and your loved ones.

  1. 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

    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.

    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

    39 min
  2. Standing Firm in Love: A Dutch Christian's Perspective on Biblical Truth and Family

    May 26

    Standing Firm in Love: A Dutch Christian's Perspective on Biblical Truth and Family

    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.

    45 min
  3. Former Suicide Hotline Counselor Reveals What Happens Behind the Calls"

    Mar 31

    Former Suicide Hotline Counselor Reveals What Happens Behind the Calls"

    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

    39 min
  4. Mar 17

    Nine and a Half Years, Then Gone: How Melissa Richman Found God's Faithfulness After Losing Her Husband to Stage 4 Colon Cancer

    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)

    36 min
  5. From Stud to Surrendered: How Keiana Parks Left the Lesbian Life, Got Married, Backslid, and Found God's Grace Again

    Mar 3

    From Stud to Surrendered: How Keiana Parks Left the Lesbian Life, Got Married, Backslid, and Found God's Grace Again

    In this powerful episode of Healing and Made Free, host Janet Boynes sits down with minister, Christian hip hop artist, and overcomer Keiana Parks for an honest, in-depth conversation about growing up in the church, living as a lesbian, getting married, backsliding, and ultimately experiencing the transforming grace of God.  Keiana opens up about how confusion about her identity began as early as elementary school, the role absent and hurtful male figures played in her rejection of femininity, and how she became fully immersed in the lesbian lifestyle as a "stud" in college. She shares the hope she found when God sent godly friends and accountability partners into her life, and how she gave her heart to the Lord.  But the story doesn't stop there. Keiana vulnerably walks through her marriage to a man, the unhealed wounds that sabotaged it, and the painful season of backsliding that followed. She explains what it feels like to "go back" — and why surface-level freedom from homosexuality is never enough without deep inner healing.  After years of struggle, God made a way of escape. Today, Keiana stands as a minister, speaker, and testimony of grace — and she has a message for every parent, pastor, and young person watching: you don't have to learn the hard way.  👉 If you have a daughter living this lifestyle — or you know someone who does — please share this episode. Her story may be exactly what someone needs to hear today.  Topics Covered: Growing up in church while secretly struggling with sexuality How absent/harmful male figures fueled rejection of femininity Living as a "stud" in college and the role accountability played in early transformation Getting married to a man — and why it didn't last Backsliding and what it feels like to go back after years of freedom Why surface-level deliverance isn't enough — you must deal with the root Church hurt and how to overcome it How God made a way of escape and restored Keiana's life Why Gen Z and Millennials are walking away from their faith The role of accountability in lasting freedom  📧 To book Keiana Parks for your church, conference, or youth event: kp_booking@aol.com  📚 Learn about the Triple Threat Curriculum (Janet Boynes + David Pickup + Jonathan Alexander): Visit JanetBoynesMinistries.com for more information.  🔔 Subscribe & turn on notifications so you never miss an episode!

    37 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Janet Boynes' story is one of struggling and overcoming drug addiction, eating disorders, homosexuality, depression, and thoughts of suicide. You may be struggling with many of the same things. By the grace of God, Janet Boynes survived. She realized that if God could help her, He could help and heal many others as well. Get encouragement and inspiration from her powerful story. This will help and equip you on your journey to freedom and healing. You might be able to relate to many of the people that Janet has interviewed on the podcast. Our hope is that you will draw strength from God through these powerful testimonies. God's word reminds us, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free". John 8:32 NIV We believe that when you know better, you will do better. What God has done for Janet and many others, He will also do for you and your loved ones.