Three-time Grammy-nominated artist Michele Pillar joins the GOA Speakers Podcast to share a powerful testimony of faith, trauma, abortion, and deep restoration in Jesus. From the early days of the Jesus Movement and pioneering contemporary Christian music, to a decade-long break from touring and a life-changing dream about the child she aborted, Michele opens up with rare honesty and grace.

In this episode, Michele talks about:
• Her start in the Jesus Movement and recording on the early Praise albums
• Insecurity about songwriting and encouragement for young writers
• Life on the road, burnout, and why she took 10 years off from touring
• The hidden shame of an abortion at 17 and finally bringing it into the light
• How Jesus led her through real, practical restoration over a decade
• Her vivid dream of her aborted son and the song that came from it
• Serving crisis pregnancy centers and helping women find hope
• Her upcoming allegorical novel and a possible film adaptation

If you or someone you love has walked through abortion, trauma, or deep shame, this conversation offers a tender and practical picture of how God patiently restores and heals.

00:00 – Intro to the GOA Speakers Podcast

00:07 – Meet Michele Pillar: artist, author, Grammy-nominated singer

01:08 – Early days of the Jesus Movement and Calvary Chapel

03:48 – Christian music takes off and Michele signs with Sparrow

07:52 – Why she walked away from 200 concerts a year for 10 years

09:40 – How she actually did “restoration” with Jesus, step by step

14:02 – Chaotic childhood, alcoholic mom, praying under the bed

16:43 – Pregnant at 17, Roe v. Wade, and the abortion clinic

18:10 – Coming to Christ three weeks after the abortion

19:59 – Why crisis pregnancy centers are so important to her

20:44 – Sharing her story on the Dr. Phil Show and talking about Jesus

22:56 – The dream: a field of children and meeting her son

26:26 – God says, “It’s time for you to be whole”

27:28 – What wholeness in Christ feels like after deep shame

31:33 – The Clothesline Conference: women “hanging shame on the line”

35:20 – Connecting Mary’s unexpected pregnancy to women in crisis today

37:31 – New projects: fantasy allegory, film hopes, and TV series

https://goaspeakers.com/speakers/michele-pillar/

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Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and author Matt Hammitt (founding member of Sanctus Real) joins the GOA Speakers Podcast to share his powerful story of music, marriage, and choosing life in the middle of heartbreak.

From starting Sanctus Real in a high-school basement to stepping away at the height of success, Matt opens up about the cost of calling, the conversation with his wife that birthed the song Lead Me, and their journey with their son Bowen’s congenital heart disease. He also shares how God led him into pro-life advocacy, fatherhood resources, and a new season of songwriting and speaking.

Listen in for an honest look at what it means to lead your family well, cherish the days God gives, and fight for your marriage, your children, and your faith.

Timed highlights:

0:00 – Intro: Welcome to the GOA Speakers Podcast

0:30 – Meet Matt Hammitt: Grammy-nominated artist, author, and speaker

1:00 – Starting Sanctus Real at 16 in a basement in Toledo

2:40 – Life on the road: 150–200 dates a year and a growing family at home

4:20 – The tension: Band dream vs. family dream

6:00 – Stepping away from Sanctus Real in 2016 to prioritize family

7:28 – The story behind Lead Me: “We need to talk”

9:00 – Sarah’s words: “I need you to lead me” and the first draft of the song

10:10 – Why good intentions are worthless until they become action

11:36 – Lead Me’s success and the irony of being gone more than ever

12:27 – Bowen’s birth, diagnosis, and first open-heart surgery

13:40 – Number one song on radio and a son fighting for his life

14:51 – Walking with other families who left the hospital empty-handed

16:02 – Bowen today: third surgery, thriving at 15, and living day by day

18:05 – Pressure to end Bowen’s life and choosing to fight for him

19:20 – Becoming an advocate for life and partnering with pregnancy centers

21:57 – Dare To Be A Dad: practical curriculum for fathers in crisis

23:00 – Parenting teens and staying present in a new season

24:10 – Intentional trips with each child and staying connected on the road

25:58 – Days God Gave: the heart behind Matt’s new single

27:00 – Fans’ real-life family videos and the power of legacy

29:01 – Signing with Gotee Records and a new songwriting season

29:40 – Writing for other artists, including the song Testimony

31:20 – Matt’s heart to serve ministries, pro-life events, and men’s conferences

31:50 – 30 years of Sanctus Real and a new song with both lead singers

33:02 – Closing thoughts and how to book Matt Hammitt

Follow Matt: https://goaspeakers.com/speakers/matt-hammitt-booking-agency/

Follow along with the GOA Speakers Podcast at www.goaspeakers.com

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of the GOA Speakers Podcast, Abigail and Greg sit down with comedian, author, and mixed media artist JJ Barrows for a vulnerable, funny, and deeply encouraging conversation.

JJ shares how an improv class she took as a “cheaper alternative to therapy” accidentally launched her stand-up career, how comedy became a lifeline in seasons of depression and relapse, and why telling the truth about your insecurities can be one of the most healing things you ever do.

She also opens up about her journey through rehab, navigating an eating disorder and severe depression, growing up as the granddaughter of legendary worship leader Cliff Barrows (Billy Graham’s longtime music leader), and how she reconciled the cost of ministry with the impact it had on her family.

Now a mom, JJ talks about how motherhood has reshaped her art, her comedy, and her sense of calling, and shares her dream for a “Mom Brain Comedy Tour” that helps parents laugh from a place of real-life experience and solidarity.

If you’ve ever wrestled with mental health, faith, calling, or parenting, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone and that there is hope, help, and even humor in the process.

Timed highlights:
0:00 – Welcome to the GOA Speakers Podcast
0:06 – Meet JJ Barrows: comedian, author, mixed media artist, and mom
1:06 – What is a mixed media artist, really?
2:01 – From still life to abstract: how JJ fell in love with the process of painting
3:30 – Etsy shops, pipe cleaners, and party headpieces
4:14 – Art, motherhood, and creativity with a toddler in the craft room
5:22 – How searching for “alternatives to therapy” led JJ to a stand-up class
7:55 – “I just needed therapy and couldn’t afford it” – when honesty becomes comedy
10:18 – Why truth-based humor connects so deeply
13:52 – Seeing God’s hand in an “accidental” comedy career
17:04 – The pressure of being a clean comic and a woman comedian, especially in church spaces
19:09 – Facing audiences who show up thinking “prove you’re funny”
19:51 – Rehab at 23: depression, eating disorders, and being tired of waking up
21:40 – The Chicago flight, “Da Bears,” and a surprising spark of hope
25:59 – Why most healing is not a one-night miracle
27:55 – Making room in the church for therapy, medication, and slow journeys
28:30 – Growing up as Cliff Barrows’ granddaughter and a pastor’s kid
29:50 – The hidden cost of global ministry on family life
33:42 – A teddy bear in rehab and a breakthrough in feeling seen
36:03 – The woman hiding behind a neighbor’s house, a violent home, and “His Eye Is on the Sparrow”
38:40 – Letting go of resentment and embracing a complicated legacy
39:47 – The changing stigma around therapy and mental health in the church
41:36 – Why asking for help is actually a sign of strength
42:12 – How JJ’s ministry and motherhood are shaped by her family story
42:37 – Labor, delivery, and discovering how universal “mom stories” really are
44:12 – The vision for the Mom Brain Comedy Tour
45:40 – Why parents laugh hardest at what they have lived through
47:47 – Final encouragements and where to find JJ online

More about JJ: https://goaspeakers.com/speakers/jj-barrows/

Follow along with the GOA Speakers Podcast at www.goaspeakers.com