Unembarrassed of Jesus: Following Close When Culture Demands Your Silence
Pastor Travis Johnson of Pathway Church in Mobile, Alabama joins Philip Cameron to unpack his new book, Unembarrassed of Jesus: Follow from a Distance, Lose Your Faith — Follow Closely, Change the World. Drawing on 25 years of senior pastoral experience, Travis makes a compelling case that "a moderate, passive Christian faith in 2025 is not going to survive — but bold faith will change the world." At the heart of the conversation is the image of Peter following Jesus "at a distance" on the night of his trial — a posture Travis argues mirrors the drift of the modern church. He illustrates the danger with a vivid personal story: while trying to follow a stranger's truck to a tire shop on I-65, he locked onto the wrong black truck and led himself — and his son — completely astray. "Discernment," he explains, "is not knowing the difference between what is good and what is not good — it's knowing the difference between what is good and what is almost good." Travis also recounts the firestorm that erupted after he prayed publicly at Mobile's city hall, his family receiving death threats and being doxxed — yet refusing to apologize, and watching his church experience record attendance and baptisms as a result. Travis Johnson's book Unembarrassed of Jesus is available for pre-order now; text the word BOOK to 877-856-0444 to receive the first chapter free. If you are a pastor, parent, or believer asking how to stand firm when culture demands silence, this episode is essential viewing.
What's Discussed
Pastor Travis Johnson of Pathway Church in Mobile, Alabama discusses his book Unembarrassed of Jesus, arguing that passive, distant faith cannot survive the cultural pressures of 2025. Using Peter's example of following Jesus "at a distance" before his denial, Travis warns that Christians who drift from close proximity to Christ become vulnerable to counterfeit ideologies — just as he once followed the wrong truck on I-65 while helping his son with a flat tire. He recounts being doxxed and receiving death threats after praying publicly at Mobile's city hall during Pride Month, yet refusing to apologize — resulting in record church attendance and baptisms. He also addresses household salvation, parental responsibility, and the urgent need for pastors to disciple rather than defer to culture.
- 9:30Travis Johnson and the Book's Origin
- 11:30Peter Following Jesus at a Distance
- 13:00Wrong Truck Parable on I-65
- 14:30Discernment Between Good and Almost Good
- 16:00Household Salvation and Parental Responsibility
- 18:00City Hall Prayer and Death Threats
- 20:00Standing Firm Brings Church Revival
- 22:00Practical Steps Toward Bold Unashamed Faith