A 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.org

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@AbduMurrayOfficial

Background & Early Life as a Muslim Apologist
Abdu 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 Bible
Ironically, 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 Searching
That 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 Issue
The 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 Faith
His 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 Faith
Abdu 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.

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Joe 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-parent

Dr. 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 testimony

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Matt 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.com

In 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 Parent

Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:
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