Denis Hayes publications and poetry

Denis Hayes publications and poetry Originally from Birmingham, England, I taught at five schools before training teachers. I have published many books and enjoy writing poetry.

For the past forty years, I have lay-ministered in numerous churches & chapels. I now live in beautiful Devon.

02/04/2026

THE SIN BEARER: A sketch by Denis Hayes (free to use)
CHARACTERS: A Traveller and a Stranger

A traveller (male or female) staggers across the stage carrying a heavy suitcase, stops, wipes off the sweat, staggers on, stops again and sits down despondently…

TRAVELLER: My feet are killing me and my shoulders are aching. I’m sure my arms are longer than when I started! {Holds out two arms making one look longer than the other}

A STRANGER (male) appears from the side, stops, looks at the traveller, smiles and walks towards him/her…

STRANGER: Hello, my friend. You seem to be struggling with that heavy load. Where are you heading?

TRAVELLER: {Looking & sounding slightly irritated} Where am I heading? What sort of a question is that! I’m doing the same as everyone else… journeying through life and doing the best I can.

STRANGER: Yes, I know that you are on life’s journey but tell me what is weighing you down so much. You look exhausted.

TRAVELLER: {Defensively} So would you be worn out if you had to carry such a burden all the time. {Sits up} Anyway, who are you? And where is your suitcase?

STRANGER: {Gently} I don’t possess such a thing. In fact, I am someone who helps other people to carry their burdens.

TRAVELLER: {Looking puzzled} Help them carry their burdens! But you can’t carry other people’s burdens! We all have to carry our own!

STRANGER: Well, you’re correct in saying that we all carry our burdens but you are wrong when you say that we must carry them alone.

TRAVELLERr: {Thoughtfully} Well, fair enough! Friends and relatives can help, I suppose… but they’ve got their own burdens, so there’s a limit to what they can do! Anyway, most of them can’t be bothered!

STRANGER: What you say is true… but I have a better idea about dealing with your burdens: Let me carry them for you.

TRAVELLER: {Stands up with hands on hips and shakes a finger at the stranger} Now, look here, whatever your name is; you know as well as I do that we are all landed with the same problem and we simply have to fight & persevere to get rid of the burden or at least learn to put up with it. Don’t come to me with your fancy ideas!

STRANGER: {Calmly} I understand what you say… but tell me … what is in the case that makes it so heavy and hard to bear? Please show me.

TRAVELLER: Yes, I’ll show you, alright {Undoes the case and, with difficulty, lifts out a weight with the word SIN written on it and thumps it on the floor} Look, this is the problem… It’s called “sin” and it’s so heavy to carry through life.

STRANGER: {Gently} If you place your trust in me, I will carry it for you and you won’t be burdened by it any longer.

TRAVELLER: {Proudly} I don’t need your help, thank you very much! I prefer to rely on myself and do things in my own way.

STRANGER: Well, if you can deal with sin yourself, why haven’t you already done so?

TRAVELLER: {Aggressively} Don’t you think I haven’t tried? Watch! {Lifts up the weight with difficulty and tries to destroy it} There! See! Nothing happens! It’s too strong!

STRANGER: Yet you still say that you will deal with the sin and cares of this world through your own efforts?

TRAVELLER: {Less sure than before} Yes, yes, I’ll find a way eventually, if I keep trying. I’m sure I can… {Tails off, pauses and looks hopefully at the Stranger} Are you truthfully saying that you will carry my burden of sin?

STRANGER: If you trust me and believe that I am the WAY, the TRUTH & the LIFE, we will walk the path of life together and I can guarantee that you will be free from the burden of sin forever.

TRAVELLER: {Looking pleased} You mean that I won’t ever have any problems or difficulties again?

STRANGER: {Laughing gently} Oh, I cannot promise you a trouble-free life… but you will have the assurance that all will be well, whatever the circumstances… because I will give you a bright future and a certain hope.

TRAVELLER: {Thinks carefully then slowly} Okay, I agree. {Suspiciously} But what’s the catch? What’s the price? How much do you want for carrying my sin?

STRANGER: {Smiling} There isn’t a catch! … And I have already paid the price when I died upon a cross at a place called Calvary. I took your sin upon myself and crucified it. Whoever believes in me will be set free from the consequences of sin forever.

TRAVELLER: {Puzzled} But I still don’t get it. How come you took my sin upon yourself?
Why you! Who are you, exactly?

STRANGER: Just call me… (Places the weight inside the case with ease then puts a hand on the traveller’s shoulder)… the “Sin Bearer”.

They slowly walk together off-stage, ‘silently’ talking, the traveller carrying the case.

28/03/2026

IT IS A THING MOST WONDERFUL by William Walsham How

It is a thing most wonderful, almost too wonderful to be,
That God’s own Son should come from heaven
And die to save a child like me.

And yet I know that it is true: He chose a poor and humble lot,
And wept and toiled, and mourned and died,
For love of those who loved him not.

I cannot tell how he would love a child so weak and full of sin;
His love must be most wonderful, if he could die my love to win.

I sometimes think about the cross and shut my eyes
And try to see the cruel nails and crown of thorns,
And Jesus crucified for me.

But even could I see him die
I could but see a little part of that great love which, like a fire,
Is always burning in his heart.

It is most wonderful to know his love for me so free and sure;
But ’tis more wonderful to see my love for him so faint and poor.

And yet I want to love thee, Lord,
O light the flame within my heart,
And I will love thee more and more
Until I see thee as thou art.

24/03/2026

REJECTING OR ACCEPTING CHRIST
The sad fact that many people choose to ignore or reject Christ is testament to the fact that even though salvation comes through hearing and receiving the Gospel message, it is equally possible to reject or dismiss it as irrelevant or untrue.

The Apostle Mark records the stark choice that Jesus sets before us: ‘Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved but anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned’ (16:15, NLT). The inclusion of the word ‘refuses’ reveals that every mature person is faced with a choice to accept or reject what Jesus says. Refusal, however, has grim consequences; namely, carrying the burden of sin throughout life and facing an uncertain eternal destiny.

Jesus spelled out the situation with glorious candour: “I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life’ (John 5:24, CEV).

It will be noted that Jesus refers to the fact that believers have ‘already gone from death into life’, which denotes that their eternal life begins here-and-now, thus confounding the suggestion that someone can subsequently lose his or her salvation, though sincerely held opinions differ on the matter.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024).

16/03/2026

BEYON HUMAN INTELLECT
I have highlighted the principle that no one can become a genuine disciple of Jesus based solely on embracing an intellectual argument. Even thoughtfully prepared, conviction-led preaching and testimony is not sufficient in itself to bring about repentance and convert a person.

Nevertheless, while accepting that human effort will not in itself cause people to commit their lives to Christ, God the Holy Spirit uses both preaching and testimony to bring about belief and trust in Christ as Saviour.

God has also graciously used unconventional means to reach groups of people who have never been exposed to established forms of evangelism or have resisted being persuaded.

There are numerous well-attested examples of people turning to Christ after having dreams and visions, as well as through reading Spirit-empowered Christian literature...

The sad fact that many people choose to ignore or reject Christ is testament to the fact that even though salvation comes through hearing and receiving the Gospel message, it is equally possible to reject or dismiss it as irrelevant or untrue.

The Apostle Mark records the stark choice that Jesus sets before us: ‘Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved but anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned’ (Mark 16:15, NLT).

The inclusion of the word ‘refuses’ reveals that every mature person is faced with a choice to accept or reject what Jesus says. Refusal, however, has grim consequences; namely, carrying the burden of sin throughout life and facing an uncertain eternal destiny.

Extract taken from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024).

09/03/2026

A RIGHTEOUS WOMAN: Extracts from Proverbs 31, NLT…

She opens her arms to the poor� and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;� for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;� she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,� and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household� and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;� her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
‘Many women do noble things,� but you surpass them all.’

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;� but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

04/03/2026

EMPLOYING GODLY WISDOM
It is understandable if some Christians are reluctant to discuss their faith with someone of superior intellect for fear they may struggle to respond adequately and thereby do more harm than good.

The key principles to invoke when we are witnessing in any situation but especially when dealing with intellectually superior minds are fourfold:

1. Rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak.
2. Talk about the things we know and draw from our own experience of God at work in our lives.
3. Admit when we don’t know the answer, as we can’t know everything or we would be God!
4. At the same time, agree to find out more about perplexing issues and later share the knowledge and insight with the person concerned.

Regardless of the person’s attitude—smug, supercilious, engaging or sincere—continue to show the love of Christ and pray for his or her salvation. Sometimes, the most stubborn sceptic is the most vulnerable to the overwhelming power of the Spirit. It is the casual, vaguely disinterested scholarly person who provides the greatest challenge.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024)

23/02/2026

HYMNS BORNE OF TRAGEDY
Have you heard of these people?

Horatio Spafford / Edmund Sears /
George Mattheson / Henry Francis Lyte

They all composed wonderful hymns from out of tragic circumstances…

Horatio Spafford: It is well with my soul
Written in 1873 after losing his four daughters in the Ville du Havre shipwreck. Spafford penned these lyrics while passing the spot in the Atlantic where they died.

Edmund Sears: It came upon the midnight clear
Written by Sears in 1849 during a time of personal illness and depression, compounded by the violence of the Mexican-American War and European revolutions.

George Mattheson: O love that will not let me go
Written by Mattheson in 1882, who was blind, on the evening of his sister's marriage, which brought back the pain of his own fiancée abandoning him after he lost his sight.

Henry Francis Lyte: Abide with me
Written in 1847, as Lyte was dying of tuberculosis, serving as a desperate plea for God's presence in his final moments of life.

Christians are not exempt from suffering , injustice and heartache… but see what Christ endured… (Isaiah 53: 3-10)

We are now in the period of time referred to as LENT remembering how Christ spent 40 days alone in the wilderness under the severest pressure imaginable… He was abandoned in every sense of the word… yet emerged victorious, as He quoted Scripture and banished the devil from His presence… An example for all of us!

Does trouble in our lives mean that God has abandoned us? No! See Romans 8: 35-39 (NLT) which makes it clear that he never leaves or forsakes us.

18/02/2026

STRENGTH THROUGH WEAKNESS

Challenging conversations and scepticism should act as a spur to spend more time prayerfully considering the Scriptures and asking God to reveal more of His will and purpose to us, such that we develop the ‘wisdom of Solomon’ and, as Paul explained, we are able to possess keen spiritual insight (I Corinthians 2:16).

In all these matters, it is essential to remember that God can achieve far more through our weakness than we could ever do by using our own strength and endeavour. He can use our feeblest efforts to bring about His purposes.

Just as a cracked water jar spills its contents when carried along the path but in doing so helps flowers to grow by the wayside, so our flawed attempts to glorify God in all we say and do will help to challenge and transform lives, regardless of our imperfections and stumbling efforts.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024)

08/02/2026

JESUS… MORE THAN A HERO (Part 1)

Various men and women who achieve great things, make enormous sacrifices and dedicate themselves to admirable causes are described as HEROES or HEROINES.

But if you want the greatest 'hero' of all time’, worthy of following and trusting completely, how about the man who faced up to bullies and fearlessly challenged religious leaders; the man who walked hundreds of miles over rugged terrain in just three years to bring peace and new life to people of all ages and backgrounds?

The man who healed the sick, gave poor and needy people practical help, preached to thousands, fed the hungry, calmed a storm, raised people from the dead and brought hope to those who were in despair?

Isn’t such a man the REAL hero? Someone who was willing to die to make it possible for you to have a wonderfull life now and the certainty of Heaven after you die. Such a man is "God made flesh" called JESUS CHRIST (Saviour).

Jesus wasn’t a wimp with a slender figure, dainty hands and pale features who wore a long white nightie and looked like something out of a fairy story! He was probably more bronzed than white from days spent under the heat of the Sun, tough and strong from years spent labouring in his earthly father's carpenter/builder trade, yet so tender that little children came to him eagerly.

Jesus could have refused to die on the Cross. Instead, he took on himself all our sins: the wrong thoughts, words and actions that each of us commits, so that we can be free from them and experience 'new life'. And he calls us to "follow him".

02/02/2026

QUOTATIONS FROM MOTHER TERESA…

People are often unreasonable and self-centred.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

26/01/2026

PURSUING TRUTH
A strong and alarming trend in the early years of the 21st century has been the suppression of genuine and persuasive discussion in a desire to reach either a consensus or ‘agree to disagree’. In its place has emerged what has been termed a ‘woke’ culture, whereby opinions deemed to be casting doubt on a liberal, secular moral perspective are casually dismissed (at best) or elicit an enraged and spiteful response (at worst), often attached to accusations of racial intolerance and bigotry...

In a growing number of instances, a person who has refused to bow the knee to secular priorities has been banned from holding a voluntary public office or even dismissed from a professional post. In essence, truth—however defined or carefully expressed—is becoming subservient to emotional and personal preference. The authoritative declaration: ‘Thus says the Lord’ is being replaced by the worldly: ‘If it feels good, flaunt it!’

No such woke culture pertained during the period of Paul’s missionary journeys to spread the good news about Jesus’s work on earth and its implications for human life and eternity, though strong and sometimes violent reactions were sparked if his message threatened the existing cultural norms...

Towards the end of Paul’s life, while he languished in prison, Paul wrote to young Timothy and warned him of those who were always ready to align with the latest fad or ideology, however erroneous it might be, describing such malleable people as being those with ‘itching ears’: ‘For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths’ (2 Timothy 4:3-4, NLT).

It is not too far fetched to equate the situation that existed two thousand years ago with the present day where the latest obsession—be it in fashion, life-style, philosophy or speech—is seized upon as the ‘new wisdom’ to which all those who desire fulfilment must conform. Regrettably, sections of the Body of Christ (the church) sometimes get caught up in the mayhem, instead of relying on the enlightenment found in God’s revealed word.

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024)

19/01/2026

VICTORY DESPITE OPPOSITION
In recent years, opportunities for enemies of the Gospel to inflict damage on the cause of Christ have expanded through use of social media, political manoeuvring and arguing about the alleged damage that Christian belief causes, especially in restricting or constraining so-called personal liberty (‘doing what comes naturally’).

Thankfully, the greater the spiritual attack, the stronger believers become, as the Lord fights on our behalf and gives us the victory by the power of Christ’s Spirit, as Paul celebrates in his first letter to the Corinthians: ‘But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord’ (15:57-8, NKJV).

It is worth taking the time to absorb the key words from this quotation: victory, steadfast, immovable, abounding, labour.

Paul’s words should be a comfort and source of encouragement to believers who are encountering opposition and feel demoralised because their efforts seem to be ineffective against a rising tide of secularism.

Nothing done in the name and for the glory of Christ is ever wasted...

Extract from TOTALLY CHRISTIAN by Denis Hayes, published by Austin Macauley (2024)

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