The Jenna Hays Podcast

You Can’t Heal What You Won’t Surrender

In this teaching from Matthew 15:29–32, Jenna walks through Jesus’ ministry in the Decapolis, where great crowds brought the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others to His feet — and He healed them. But this message presses deeper than physical healing. It asks: what areas of our lives are spiritually blind, crippled, muted, wounded, addicted, offended, or hidden from God? Through the story of Jesus healing in Gentile territory, Jenna invites listeners to lay every hidden burden, sin, wound, fear, and false identity at the feet of Christ. This message is a call to surrender — not merely to receive Jesus as healer or deliverer, but as Lord over the whole life. True encounter with Jesus changes everything: our identity, our prayer life, our obedience, our endurance, and our willingness to fight the spiritual battles before us. A powerful message on surrender, healing, repentance, identity, and the compassion of Christ.

Even the Dogs Eat the Crumbs: Humility, Persistence, and Great Faith

A Hard Saying by Jesus…. In this powerful and deeply personal sermon, we walk through the encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:22–29—a passage that at first glance can feel surprising, even uncomfortable, but ultimately reveals something profound about the nature of faith. Why does Jesus seem to ignore her? Why does He speak so sharply? And why does this woman refuse to walk away? Through careful examination of the text, this message explores the tension, testing, and transformation taking place in this interaction. We see a woman marked by desperation, yet defined by persistence—one who refuses to be offended, refuses to retreat, and instead presses forward with humility and bold trust. This sermon challenges us to consider: • What real faith looks like when God seems silent • The difference between entitlement and humility before the Lord • How persistence in prayer reveals what we truly believe about Jesus • Why even “crumbs” from Christ are more than enough Ultimately, this passage reveals not rejection—but invitation. A faith that clings to Christ, even in confusion, is a faith that He honors.

The Treasure or the Tragedy: Moving from Passivity to Decision

Teaching from Mountain View Christian Church on March 15, 2026 In this teaching, Jenna explores a powerful section of the Gospel of Matthew (13:44–14:12) that moves from the beauty of the kingdom of heaven to the sobering reality of spiritual decision. Jesus begins with two short but unforgettable parables—the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price—revealing that the kingdom of God is of such surpassing value that anyone who truly sees it will gladly reorder their entire life to possess it. But Jesus doesn’t stop with the beauty of the kingdom; He also warns of the consequences of ignoring it. Through the parable of the dragnet and His vivid language about judgment, Jesus reminds us that the gospel is not merely something to admire or consider—it calls for a response. The passage then turns to the tragic story of **John the Baptist and Herod Antipas, showing what happens when truth is heard but never truly embraced. Herod listened, feared, and respected John, yet remained unwilling to surrender his life to the truth he heard. His story becomes a warning about spiritual passivity—the tendency to admire truth without acting on it. In this teaching, we reflect on how the grace of the gospel can be quietly taken for granted in our lives and why Jesus Himself spoke more about judgment than anyone else in Scripture. Ultimately, this message calls us to move out of passivity and into decisive discipleship: not by trying harder, but by seeing the incomparable value of Christ and choosing to order our lives around the treasure of His kingdom.

When the Idols Fall: A Call Back to the Unshakable Kingdom

In this unscripted and deeply personal episode, I speak candidly about the growing geopolitical and national instability we’re witnessing right now — from the unraveling of powerful institutions, to cultural upheaval, global tensions, division, and the erosion of public trust. It can feel like everything is shaking. But what if that shaking is not random? What if we are watching the slow collapse of our cultural idols — the gods of power, security, comfort, celebrity, technology, and political saviors — revealing themselves to be fragile substitutes for the One true God? In moments like this, the people of God have a choice. We can be swept into fear, outrage, and constant reaction… or we can return to the ancient paths. Crisis often precedes renewal. Throughout history, seasons of exposure and instability have prepared the ground for spiritual awakening. When false foundations crumble, hearts become hungry again for what is real. If you are a believer, this is an encouragement to remember who you are and what you carry. We bear the gospel — the only message that truly satisfies the longing and the deepest need of the human soul. If you are not a Christian, this may be the invitation you didn’t know you were waiting for. The idols are failing. The promises of the age are thin. There is a better King. Now is the time to seek Him while He may be found. And let the erosion of our trust structures drive you toward the only unshakable Kingdom.

Come to Me: Jesus, Judgment, and True Rest

In Matthew 11:20–12:36, Jesus speaks some of His most sobering and revealing words—words about judgment, apathy, humility, rest, mercy, and true lordship. In this teaching, we trace Jesus’ warning to towns that witnessed His miracles yet refused to repent, and we ask a pressing question for our own generation: What happens when we are given great spiritual light but remain unchanged? This sermon explores: • Why apathy is more dangerous than ignorance • How greater revelation brings greater accountability • Why truth is revealed to the humble and hidden from the proud • What Jesus means when He invites the weary to take His yoke • How mercy, not rule-keeping, reveals the heart of God • Why Jesus declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath—and what that means for our rest today Far from being a call to religious striving, this passage reveals Jesus as the only true rest for burdened souls—and exposes the cost of hearing much while surrendering little. This teaching is both a warning and an invitation: to lay down false yokes, repent of complacency, and come fully under the gracious lordship of Christ.