Men in the Arena - Christian Men's Podcast

Undefeated: Habits That Break the Cycle of Defeat and Build Purpose w/ Shawn Johnson 962

Jan 30, 2026

Shawn Johnson, lead pastor who founded Red Rocks Church and author, shares candid stories of leading through a degenerative brain disease. He discusses choosing to keep fighting, practical habits like ‘kiss the fire,’ wrestling with anxiety and suicidal thoughts, worship as resistance, and how purpose and community shape life amid suffering.

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ANECDOTE

Diagnosis In The Parking Lot

Shawn Johnson describes the moment a neurologist diagnosed him with an incurable degenerative brain disease and how he initially fell apart in his truck with his wife.
A UFC coach told him, "we're going to kiss this fire and walk away whistling," which became his daily mantra to keep fighting.

ADVICE

Tell God, Then Live Today

Tell God your anger and fears honestly in the morning, then choose to live today and be the husband, dad, or friend you want to be.
Don’t let a diagnosis steal your present life; lean into daily purpose despite uncertainty.

INSIGHT

Joy And Trouble Run Together

Shawn reframes John 10:10b by seeing trials and life-to-the-fullest running on parallel tracks instead of in separate seasons.
He realized joy and pain can coexist and waiting for perfect circumstances forfeits present life.

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What happens when your faith is tested in real time? How do you stay obedient to God when the pressure is high and the path forward isn't clear?

In this expert interview, Jim Ramos has a real and deeply transparent conversation with Shawn Johnson, whose world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative brain disease. Shawn openly shares his journey from denial to hopelessness, all while continuing to serve as a pastor and leader. You'll hear what Shawn had to learn, not just to survive the last few years, but to truly thrive as a whole and complete man and how radical honesty with God ultimately transformed his faith.

Check out Shawn's book: Kiss the Fire https://tinyurl.com/KissFire115

Jim's newest book, Guardrails: Ten Boundaries for an Unbreakable Marriage will be releasing in April 2026. Sign up to be notified when it's available at https://meninthearena.org/guardrails.

This episode is sponsored by Compassion International. Our goal is for the Men in the Arena tribe to sponsor 1,000 boys over the coming year! Help us reach that goal and make a difference in a child's life today. When you sponsor a child using our link, you'll receive a free copy of Jim's book, Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God!

I Can Only Imagine 2 hits theaters February 20th, 2026! Watch the trailer and get tickets aticanonlyimagine.com.

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Get Jim Ramos' USA TODAY Bestselling book, Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God(https://tinyurl.com/dialedinbook)