First Person with Wayne Shepherd

Wayne Shepherd
  • 4.9 (29)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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

  1. Tim Botts

    1D AGO

    Tim Botts

    Master 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.com This 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 Transitions Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  2. Phil Callaway

    MAR 5

    Phil Callaway

    Christian 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.com The 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 Botts Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  3. Greg Wheatley

    FEB 26

    Greg Wheatley

    Greg Wheatley, host of the online music platform Sound of Majesty, joins Wayne Shepherd and gives a brief biographical sketch of two great composers. (click for more...)     Website:  www.soundofmajesty.org In this edition of First Person, Wayne Shepherd interviews Greg Wheatley, host of SoundofMajesty.org, about the life, faith, and musical legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach, with additional insights into Felix Mendelssohn. Wheatley explains that Bach, a devout Lutheran, viewed all his work as done for the glory of God, often signing his compositions “Soli Deo Gloria.” They discuss Bach’s monumental St. Matthew Passion, highlighting its theological depth and intricate craftsmanship, originally written for Good Friday worship. The conversation also explores how Mendelssohn revived Bach’s music nearly a century after his death, sparking renewed appreciation for his genius. Throughout the discussion, Wheatley emphasizes that classical sacred music, though sometimes perceived as complex, remains spiritually accessible and deeply moving for listeners today.                                               NEXT WEEK:  Phil Callaway Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  4. Josh Moody

    FEB 18

    Josh Moody

    Pastor Josh Moody of College Church in Wheaton, IL talks with Wayne Shepherd about his love of Scripture and how to make it a regular part of life.    (click for more...) Website:  www.GodCenteredLife.org In this First Person conversation, Pastor Josh Moody, senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, reflects on his journey from England to pastoral ministry in the U.S., his deep appreciation for Jonathan Edwards, and his passion for helping believers engage Scripture as the living Word of God. Moody recounts formative influences from his parents’ example, a transformative mission trip that awakened his love for the Bible, and his conviction that daily dependence on God’s Word is essential for spiritual life and perseverance. He discusses his book Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know as an accessible, interactive guide meant to draw readers into Scripture without guilt or pressure, emphasizing that faith, growth, and evangelism ultimately flow from hearing and responding to God’s Word.                                             NEXT WEEK:  Greg Wheatley Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  5. Kim Tschirret

    FEB 12

    Kim Tschirret

    Kim Tschirret, Founder of Hope Reins, decribes how caring for horses helps children of abuse and trauma find hope, healing, and the love of Jesus.  (click for more...)                    Website:  www.HopeReins.org Kim Tschirret, founder and CEO of Hope Rains in Raleigh, North Carolina, shares how her own childhood trauma and healing journey in Christ led to the creation of a unique faith-based ministry that pairs abused and traumatized children with rescued horses. Founded in 2010, Hope Rains provides free, weekly mentoring sessions where children build trust, communication, boundaries, and leadership skills through guided interactions with horses, which serve as a bridge to healing through Jesus. With 38 acres, 17 rescued horses, dozens of staff and volunteers, and a three-year discipleship-oriented pathway, the ministry has served more than 2,100 children, offering safety, restoration, and hope while demonstrating how God redeems both broken lives and broken stories.                                            NEXT WEEK:  Pastor Josh Moody Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  6. Dan Hawkins

    FEB 5

    Dan Hawkins

    Dan Hawkins is interviewed by Wayne Shepherd about being led of God to leave his successful family construction business to lead Village Ministries International. (click for more...)    Website:  www.VillageMinistries.org Dan Hawkins, CEO of Village Ministries, shares his journey from leading a successful family construction business to answering God’s call into full-time ministry after a life-changing short-term mission trip to a former Soviet state. Village Ministries, founded in 1990 and based in Yukon, Oklahoma, focuses on equipping rural and often persecuted pastors through Bible distribution, theological training, and spiritual care, particularly in areas where many pastors lack even a single Bible. The ministry’s core training resource, Foundations Building into Faith, now translated into 35 languages, teaches pastors how to accurately study Scripture and encourages multiplication through discipleship. Serving in more than 20 countries, Village Ministries relies on volunteer teachers, missionaries, and local partners to reach unreached villages, offering hope, biblical literacy, and encouragement to believers who may otherwise remain isolated from Christian resources and training.                               NEXT WEEK:  Kim Tschirret of Hope Reins Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  7. Doug Cobb

    JAN 29

    Doug Cobb

    Businessman and investor Doug Cobb joins Wayne Shepherd in conversation about his goal of assisting in the completion of the Great Commission.   (click for more...)           Website:  https://finishingfund.org, https://www.douglasfcobb.com In this First Person interview, Wayne Shepherd speaks with Doug Cobb, founder of the Finishing Fund and author of The Sprint to the Finish, about the accelerating global effort to fulfill the Great Commission. Cobb explains how his background in business and venture investing uniquely prepared him to help fund and launch first-time gospel engagement among unreached people groups, noting that fewer than 100 such groups remain worldwide. He describes three biblical “finish lines” of the Great Commission—believers in every people group, Scripture in every language, and a gospel presence in every place—and highlights remarkable progress through collaboration, technology, media, and prayer. Throughout the conversation, Cobb shares powerful stories of first believers, emphasizes prayer as foundational spiritual warfare, and challenges listeners to participate by praying, giving, and “going,” whether across the globe or across town, as God brings the unreached into everyday reach.                            NEXT WEEK:  Dan Hawkins, Village Ministries Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
  8. Michele Altman

    JAN 23

    Michele Altman

    Michele Altman gave her life to Christ after childhood abuse, drug addiction, and prostitution. Now the Founder of Cornerstone of Grace for women, she tells her story.  (click for more...)   Website:  www.Cornerstoneofgrace.org Michele Altman shares a powerful testimony of redemption, describing a childhood marked by loss and abuse that led her into years of drug addiction, prostitution, and repeated brushes with death. Though raised with an early knowledge of God, Michelle spent years believing the lies spoken over her—until a decisive moment when she cried out to Jesus and experienced dramatic deliverance and freedom. Grounded in her restored identity in Christ, she now lives a life of daily surrender and obedience to God’s will. That transformation gave birth to Cornerstone of Grace, a Wisconsin-based residential ministry she founded to provide a safe, faith-centered environment for abused, homeless, and trafficked women and their children, equipping them through counseling, discipleship, and practical support to discover who they are—and whose they are—in Christ.             NEXT WEEK:  Doug Cobb on finishing the Great Commission Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

    24 min
See All (834)

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Wayne Shepherd
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    834
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 First Person with Wayne Shepherd
  • Show Website
    First Person with Wayne Shepherd

You Might Also Like