Podcast
First Person with Wayne Shepherd
Hosted by Wayne Shepherd · EN
Once a week 24 minute radio interviews focusing on personal Christian faith stories and spiritual calling. FIRST PERSON is produced by Wayne Shepherd Communications, LLC. 1717 Park St., Suite 300, Naperville, IL 60563. Email: Wayne@wayneshepherd.net
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Shawn Thornton
2w ago00:23:59Tap to summarizeThe new President of Joni and Friends, Shawn Thornton, joins Wayne Shepherd to discuss bringing Gospel hope to people with disabilities around the world. (click for more)Website: joniandfriends.orgShawn Thornton shares the deeply personal story behind his memoir All But Normal: Life on Victory Road. His mother suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in a car accident at age 14, and without adequate therapy available in 1962, she spent the rest of her life struggling with physical limitations, emotional instability, and periodic institutionalization. Growing up in this environment of "private pain" gave Thornton a lifelong heart for disability ministry — though he kept his story private for many years, believing it didn't matter.The conversation reveals a remarkable full-circle moment: Joni Eareckson Tada had been a source of hope and strength for Thornton's mother throughout her struggles. When Thornton arrived at his new pastoral position in California, he discovered a welcome note on his desk signed by Joni and Ken Tada — completely unaware of his family connection. That encounter moved him to tears, and eventually led him to share his story publicly, first at a Joni and Friends donor event, and later in his book — encouraged by both Joni and author Max Lucado.Now one year into his role leading Joni and Friends, Thornton is energized by the organization's mission to equip and mobilize local churches worldwide to welcome people with disabilities. He notes that only about 10% of U.S. churches are fully accessible, and that embracing disability ministry tends to open a congregation's heart to other marginalized groups as well. He describes the "Wheels for the World" program, which restores used wheelchairs in U.S. prisons and ships them to remote communities in countries like Thailand and Ghana, where recipients also receive Bibles, the gospel message, and a connection to a local church — often breaking longstanding cultural superstitions about disability. The interview closes with Thornton expressing deep enthusiasm for his new calling. NEXT WEEK: Jonathan Hallsted, Healthbridge Global Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Batjargal Tuvshintsengel
3w ago00:23:59Tap to summarizeHe was born and raise in Mongolia, became a Christian, and witnessed the birth of the church in his country. Batjargal Tuvshintsengel joins Wayne Shepherd in conversation. (click for more...)Website: www.febc.org/where-we-work/mongolia/Born and raised in Mongolia under Soviet-era communist rule, Batjargal Tuvshintsengel first heard the gospel at age 20 through a British missionary who taught English using the Bible — a transformative moment that set him on a lifelong path of Christian ministry. He witnessed the remarkable birth of the church in Mongolia following the fall of communism, when the country suddenly opened to missionaries and the gospel for the first time in generations. Drawn to media from childhood, Batjargal channeled that background into ministry, helping launch Mongolia's first Christian FM radio station in Ulaanbaatar in 2001, which grew into a network of 17 stations reaching nomadic populations across the country via satellite. He credits this media ministry with supporting the growth of an estimated 650–700 churches and roughly 90,000 Christians in Mongolia. Now living back in Mongolia, Batjargal's vision for the future centers on equipping younger generations — particularly Gen Z — to become digital media evangelists, and on partnering media ministry with local churches to strengthen discipleship in an age increasingly shaped by AI and social media. NEXT WEEK: Shawn Thornton, President of Joni and FriendsSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Kevin Belmonte
Apr 1500:23:59Tap to summarizeBiographer Kevin Belmonte joins Wayne Shepherd in conversation about Kevin's new book, GK Chesterton on Life, a book of memorable Chesterton quotes. (click for more...)Website: www.amazon.com/G-K-Chesterton-Life-Encountering/dp/1400355567/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=VRH4WFPSD4IK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g5DPZLtJUcpYrg3zd3J8LERdJbqkex_E0Fe0aknuDQIdFAn7XP7_6cXfKelSEpUWsR6MZKGBza4L-6OGN53cWNb3OFdua9h3Qm0TOD0urgAyw4SP69G5-Lnkw36XkGFwJXJfNPMIeGcUDlBIPni5zZgXxfWCap6v-Aa6bacO17Zyk1xlTzCqznABCzJeU2z3iuhrdzPLSi72WZwfYs-5wTM5cSDCeBHEoLVqW_Fwuk8.Mo4jYJUDRDEVFqFm5u7YxpTXUuZArUz2LisSnTyzgGU&dib_tag=se&keywords=GK+Chesterton+wit+and+wisdom&qid=1776276794&sprefix=gk+chesterton+wit+and+wisdom%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1This episode features a conversation with biographer Kevin Belmonte about his latest book, GK Chesterton on Life: Encountering His Classic Wit and Wisdom for Today — a hardcover gift book collecting Chesterton's most memorable quotes, organized thematically around faith, humor, home life, nature, and Christmas.Belmonte introduces GK Chesterton (1874–1936) as a towering British intellectual — a prolific journalist, poet, apologist, and author of the Father Brown mysteries — whose winsome writing style and Christian wit helped influence CS Lewis's return to faith. Despite holding vastly different worldviews, Chesterton maintained warm, civil friendships with contemporaries like George Bernard Shaw and HG Wells, and was admired by figures such as Teddy Roosevelt, who called him "a supreme genius" after a single dinner conversation.The interview also covers Chesterton's upbringing in a literary London household, his natural gift for language recognized early by teachers, and his rise from writing promotional copy at a publishing firm to becoming one of the most widely read and syndicated columnists of his era. NEXT WEEK: Batjargal Tuvshintsengel of FEBC MongoliaSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Sean Kerr
Apr 800:23:59Tap to summarizeSean Kerr, the motorcycle enthusiast of YouTube's Bike and Beards, invited Wayne Shepherd to his shop for a conversation about his life and testimony. (click for more...) YouTube: www.youtube.com/@BikesandBeardsAnother channel Sean has started about developing his TN property:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SeansFarmchannelSean Kerr — a Christian entrepreneur and motorcycle enthusiast best known for his YouTube channel, Bikes and Beards, has around 2.75 million subscribers. Sean grew up in the church, attended Toccoa Falls College intending to go into pastoral ministry, but eventually realized his calling was in business. He started the channel 10 years ago, and as his audience grew, he began including a Bible verse in every video as a way to share Scripture with hundreds of thousands of viewers. The interview touches on Sean's personal life — his wife Rachel, whom he met in college, and their four children — as well as his philosophy that family and faith bring greater motivation and joy than career success alone. A notable segment covers his friendship with neighbor Sergei Rakhuba, President of Mission Eurasia, which led to a cross-cultural connection with Jan, a man from Moldova who runs a ministry teaching orphaned youth to restore old Soviet-era Ural motorcycles. Through his YouTube channel, Sean helped raise $80,000 to build Jan a proper workshop and is now working to send professional tools to equip it. The interview closes with Sean reflecting that while he feels he's in the right place, he's still seeking a clear, God-given "big goal" for the next chapter of his life.NEXT WEEK: Biographer Kevin Belmonte discusses GK ChestertonSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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BONUS: A Radio tour of Sean Kerr's Motorcycles
Apr 800:04:10Tap to summarizeAn addendum to the interview with Sean Kerr. Wayne and Sean take a brief tour of the motorcycles in Sean's shop. Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Abdu Murray
Apr 200:23:59Tap to summarizeA former Muslim, Abdu Murray, talks with Wayne Shepherd about his conversion to Christianity and the importance of the bodily resurrection of Christ. (click for more...)Website: www.embracethetruth.orgYouTube: www.youtube.com/@AbduMurrayOfficialBackground & Early Life as a Muslim ApologistAbdu Murray grew up in a devout Shiite Muslim home in the metro Detroit area. Far from being a nominal believer, he took his faith seriously and actively challenged Christians and people of other faiths, pressing them to articulate why they believed what they did. He found that most Christians he encountered couldn't explain their faith beyond tradition or habit, and he used this to try to draw them toward Islam.A Turning Point in the BibleIronically, while attempting to find contradictions in the Bible to use against two Baptist men who kept visiting his apartment, Abdu stumbled upon John the Baptist's words in Luke 3 — warning people not to rely on tradition or lineage for salvation. The passage struck him because it echoed the very argument he had been making to Christians, and it forced him to ask himself the same question: why did he believe what he believed?Nine Years of SearchingThat encounter launched a years-long intellectual and spiritual journey. It took Abdu two years of studying the historical, philosophical, and theological foundations of various worldviews to reach the intellectual conclusion that Christianity was true. However, he wrestled with actually accepting that conclusion for seven more years, held back by the personal, cultural, and familial cost of leaving Islam — as well as the deep identity he had wrapped up in being Muslim.The Resurrection as the Pivotal IssueThe bodily resurrection of Jesus became the crux of his investigation. The Quran explicitly denies the crucifixion and resurrection, making it a direct point of collision between Islam and Christianity. Abdu researched the historical evidence extensively — including the accounts of eyewitnesses, early church figures like Polycarp and Clement of Rome, and the conversion of the skeptic Paul — and found the case increasingly compelling and uncomfortable to deny.Legal Training and Coming to FaithHis legal education proved formative in evaluating the evidence, teaching him to assess argumentation and distinguish credible evidence from superficially convincing claims. He became a Christian shortly after finishing law school, concluding that the eyewitness testimony in the New Testament would stand up to scrutiny in a court of law.Advice on Apologetics and FaithAbdu now runs a ministry called Embrace the Truth and encourages Christians to ask themselves daily why they believe. He argues that apologetics isn't just academic debate, but a tool for deepening one's own discipleship — likening it to a trained musician who experiences a symphony far more richly than a casual listener. He closes with the conviction that because of what Christ has done in history, believers can trust what God will do in their lives.Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini
Mar 2600:23:59Tap to summarizeJoe and Cindi Ferrini, the couple behind the book The Special Needs Parent, join Wayne Shepherd to talk about the calling they never expected. (click for more...) Website: www.moodypublishers.com/the-special-needs-parentContact website: www.cindiferrini.comDr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini are the parents of Joey, a 44-year-old son with a rare syndrome causing cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and epilepsy, requiring round-the-clock care his entire life. Despite this never being part of their life plan, the couple — Joe a retired dentist — have built their lives around caring for Joey while also raising two daughters and maintaining an active ministry. Their central message, captured in their book The Special Needs Parent: A Guide to the Life You Never Expected, is to "Embrace the Place" — accepting and committing to the life God has given you rather than resenting it. Both Joe and Cindi candidly share that this acceptance didn't come instantly; Joe in particular struggled before reaching a turning point where he chose faith over bitterness. They also speak to the broader landscape of special needs families, noting the rising prevalence of diagnoses and the importance of churches stepping up to support not just the children but the parents as well. Grounded in scripture — including Psalm 139 and Philippians 4:19 — their story is one of hard-won peace, purpose, and the conviction that their son was no accident but a calling. Next Week: Abdu Murray, Easter testimonySend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Matt Davis
Mar 1900:23:59Tap to summarizeMatt Davis specializes in helping people and organizations through leadership challenges and ministry transitions. He's Wayne Shepherd's guest on this week's FIRST PERSON. (click for more...) Website: www.ministrytransitions.comIn this episode of First Person, host Wayne Shepherd interviews Matt Davis, President and Chief Pastoral Officer of Ministry Transitions, an organization that helps churches, nonprofits, faith-based companies, and individuals navigate leadership changes. Matt speaks candidly about his own story — after spending decades as an executive and teaching pastor, he experienced a moral failure that ended his ministry career, causing significant pain to his family, colleagues, and congregation. Through years of counseling, restoration, and personal rebuilding, he co-founded Ministry Transitions with Bill Tom to fill a gap he experienced firsthand: the lack of structured support for ministry leaders in transition. The organization works with boards and individuals through three types of transitions — open, hidden, and blind — emphasizing dignity, grace, and honest communication throughout the process. Matt stresses that churches and organizations need to build a "culture of continuity" from day one, framing succession planning as a discipleship issue rather than a crisis response. He also hosts a podcast called Life After Ministry, which chronicles stories of people rebuilding their lives after vocational ministry ends, with the goal of reaching leaders before they hit rock bottom rather than after. Next week: Joe and Cindi Ferrini, The Special Needs ParentSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Tim Botts
Mar 1200:23:59Tap to summarizeMaster calligrapher Tim Botts is Wayne Shepherd's guest, talking about his approach to the creation of his art and the inspiration he finds in God's Word. (Click for more...)Website: www.TimBottscalligraphy.comThis week we feature Christian artist and master calligrapher Timothy Botts, who has spent decades expressing Scripture through colorful calligraphy and visual art. Botts explains how his work is deeply inspired by the words of the Bible, combining his training in graphic design with his love for God’s Word to visually communicate its meaning rather than simply decorate it. Influenced by music, early encouragement from teachers, and artistic exposure during missionary work in Japan, he developed a distinctive style that brings together art, worship, and communication. Botts also reflects on the role of visual art in the church, encouraging congregations to value and support artists as part of gospel ministry. Through initiatives such as the Masterpiece Arts Camp, he mentors young creatives, helping them discover how their artistic gifts can honor Christ and impact others. Ultimately, Botts sees his work as a form of meditation on Scripture—creating “word pictures” that allow the message of the Bible to move from the page to the heart. NEXT WEEK: Matt Davis, Ministry TransitionsSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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Phil Callaway
Mar 500:23:59Tap to summarizeChristian Comedian Phil Callaway joins Wayne Shepherd for a conversation about his life and calling to a ministry of comedy. (click for more....)Website: www.PhilCallaway.comThe interview features Christian comedian, author, and speaker Phil Callaway sharing how God used humor and life experiences to shape his ministry. Callaway recounts how his faith was deeply influenced by his parents’ authentic Christianity and by teachers who encouraged his communication gifts. Beginning in 1990 by writing humorous articles about family life, he was soon invited to write books—eventually authoring more than two dozen—and later expanded into speaking, radio, and conference ministry. Despite early fears of public speaking, he sensed God calling him to use humor to inspire hope, both in Christian settings and in secular audiences such as teachers and medical professionals. Callaway also reflects on personal trials in his family, including the threat of Huntington’s disease, which reinforced the importance of offering hope through laughter and faith. Throughout the conversation he emphasizes gratitude, perseverance, and the idea that God often works through ordinary people who simply offer their gifts in service to others. Next Week: Calligrapher Tim BottsSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!
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