Al Hill

I’ve been writing biblically-based sermons for many years. I studied preaching with George Buttrick and was inspired by Fred Craddock and Fred Buechner to let people overhear the gospel and see the stories of the Bible as telling the truth about us. I do expository preaching in a way that lets the text provide most of its own illustrations.

In some years, I followed the Revised Common Lectionary readings closely, and at other times, I preached the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation. My purpose in publishing these sermons is to support and encourage other preachers and pastors, and to provide all Christians with devotional reading tied to scripture.

Though the modern trend is moving away from preaching from a sermon manuscript, I have found the spiritual discipline involved brings power, clarity and substance to proclamation. And congregations have responded in a very positive way to intriguing and insightful messages when delivered with conviction.

With the help of a new publisher, Sommerton House, I am compiling an 11-volume set of sermon collections. The first two, "O Come, Let God Adore Us" and "Not Exactly What They Expected" present sermons for Advent and Christmas, and Holy Week and Easter, respectively. "God's Purpose for Your Faith," with sermons from the Gospel of Mark and Hebrews, James and 1st Peter has just been made available. "In the Presence of the Lord," sermons from the Psalms and the Prophets is in preparation now.

"Dear Trinity," also available now, is not a part of the sermon series. It is a collection of pastoral letters sent to a congregation over a three-year period.

My first sermon to be published was entitled, "Will You Give Them Stones?" It is included Harper & Row's "Best Sermons 2" published in 1989.