He gives us the means to embrace His love so we can give ourselves space to grieve and grace to heal.

Professor John Murray, of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, was a favorite at the Leicester Conference for Ministers in England. He had helped found the conference, and his influence was widespread. The established tradition at the conference was that Murray would take the final session. But in 1967, Murray wrote the following note to one of the conference organizers, Iain Murray: “If Al Martin is to be there, I really think he should be asked to take the three evening services you propose for me,” he said. “He is one of the ablest and most moving preachers I have ever heard. In recent years I have not heard his equal. My memory of preachers goes back sixty years. So, when I say he is one of the ablest, this is an assessment that includes very memorable preachers.” Life Story Albert N. Martin was born on April 11, 1934, in Alexandria, Virginia. He was the second of 10 children. Near the end of 1951 and the beginning of 1952, God began to do a real work of grace in his heart. Natively timid, he found a great boldness in confessing Christ as a teenager. Shortly after his conversion, he began street preaching. He saved his money for a Thompson Chain-Reference Bible and devoured the Scriptures. In 1956, he graduated from Columbia Bible College; was married to his first wife, Marilyn; and began an itinerant ministry. On one occasion, he preached at a chapel service at Wheaton College. After the service, an elderly man came up, took his hand, and simply said, “Thank you, young man. As you preached the text came to mind, ‘He was a burning and shining light.’ When you preached there was light and heat.” That man was Merrill Tenney, and the heat and light continued to burn for several decades. From 1962 until the end of 1966, Martin was the pastor of the Alliance Church in North Caldwell. In September 1967, the church reconstituted, embracing the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, and became Trinity Baptist Church, ultimately settling in Montville, New Jersey. Martin faithfully shepherded that congregation until his retirement in 2008. For many years, Trinity Baptist Church trained men for ministry at the Trinity Ministerial Academy. Martin’s pastoral theology lectures there were rich, and thankfully, he put them into print. Martin’s influence on several generations of preachers is undeniable. I’m one of many who benefited from his preaching, teaching, and friendship. Martin’s Influence In 1990, a fellow seminarian handed me a sermon by Martin on cassette. I listened and was gripped by the way the Scriptures were proclaimed and applied. This was powerful, persuasive, brink-of-eternity preaching. I was hooked. Martin’s influence on several generations of preachers is undeniable. Later, that same friend told me with great relish, “They have Al Martin’s Pastoral Theology Lectures in the library basement.” I checked them out and listened to them intently as I worked as a janitor. What days those were! Pushing my janitorial cart, my Walkman clipped on my belt, spare batteries in my pocket, and my heart filled with God’s Word. God used those lectures and sermons to feed me and shape me. When I decided to do a doctor of ministry degree at Westminster Seminary California in 1997, I knew I wanted to take Martin’s theology of preaching and organize, interact with, and supplement his material into book form. I wrote a letter to Martin, not wanting to run ahead without his permission. One morning, I was suffering from the flu, taking a hot shower. My ever-cheerful wife poked her head in the door and said, “Guess who I just spent the last 30 minutes talking to on the phone?” “Honey, I don’t know. I don’t feel. . .” I responded. “Pastor Albert Martin! Did you know we are both left-handed, and he was happy you married someone from New York! Don’t worry, he said he would call back on Friday at 1:00 p.m.” On that Friday at 1:00 p.m. on the dot, the phone rang and started a delightful friendship, which lasted all these years. Martin was one of the greatest influences on my life and ministry. It’s hard for me to express what he’s meant to me since 1990. He was a mentor and friend. His preaching was unparalleled. His sermons and pastoral theology lectures shaped me. His phone calls were sometimes funny and sometimes serious. One day, he called and said, “Brian, I just read Feelings and Faith. It is very good. It is going to bring some attention to you. You will get more invitations. Stay humble, my friend.” I never forgot his counsel. Lessons from Albert Martin 1. Love the children in the congregation. They’re the next generation of the church. Give them attention, talk to them, play with them, preach directly to them, become their friend. 2. Preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit involves the whole man—the mind, the body, and the emotions. Powerful preaching isn’t lecturing; it’s bringing the truth of God to each person, eye to eye and heart to heart. Powerful preaching isn’t lecturing; it’s bringing the truth of God to each person, eye to eye and heart to heart. 3. Love your wife. Martin tenderly cared for his first wife, Marilyn, during her battle with cancer. He wrote of that experience in Grieving, Hope and Solace: When a Loved One Dies in Christ. He also cared dearly for his second wife, Dorothy. On one occasion, my wife, Ariel, and I were going to visit the Martins. Martin called me that morning and said, “Brian, we were so looking forward to seeing you and Ariel, but Mrs. Martin is not having a good day. Brother, would you mind if we canceled today; she needs my attention, and I cannot in good conscience burden her with company today.” That phone call would be one of the most memorable. 4. Finish your race well. When Martin was preaching for us in 2000, a young man in his late 20s regaled him with all his spiritual growth and ministry involvement. Martin looked at him and said, “Young man, it is not how you start this race, it is how you finish. Not everyone who starts well finishes well. Finish well, young man, finish well.” On April 7, 2026, Al Martin finished his race well. He was a Great-heart to me. I’m happy for him that he crossed the river and entered the joy of his Master. I’m sure he heard, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The Gospel Coalition’s 2026 Women’s Conference is happening June 11–13 in Indianapolis, and this year’s theme is Turn Your Eyes: Seeing the Savior in the Psalms. In the seven keynote sessions at TGCW26, we’ll learn from the Psalms how to bring our emotions and experiences—all of life—to God, so our lives are transformed by his. Each keynote talk will tackle a different psalm: Melissa Kruger: Psalm 1 Courtney Doctor: Psalm 107 Ruth Chou Simons: Psalm 16 Mark Vroegop: Psalm 102 Jen Wilkin: Psalm 72 Vanessa K. Hawkins: Psalm 51 Nancy Guthrie: Psalm 84 To celebrate TGCW26’s Psalms theme, and to help prepare attendees to see the Savior in the Psalms, I’ve put together a playlist of 100 mostly psalm-based songs. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.  The playlist includes multiple versions of each of the seven psalms that will be exposited in the keynote addresses. There are also songs inspired by other beloved psalms, classic hymns, and contemporary worship songs inspired by phrases or imagery in the Psalms. Whether or not you’re attending TGCW26 in June, I hope this Psalms-centric playlist is a blessing to you. TGCW26 Playlist Songs Intro: Turn Your Eyes “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus (Amazing Grace),” Shane & Shane “Psalm 34 (Taste and See),” Shane & Shane “His Glory and My Good,” CityAlight “Walking Through Walls,” Sandra McCracken “It’s Your Love,” Young Oceans “Steadfast Love,” Tenielle Neda, Nick Chambers “City of My Peace,” Jess Ray “Fortress,” Colorvault, Young Oceans, A.Bishai “Speak O Lord,” Shane & Shane Psalm 1 “Psalm 1,” Poor Bishop Hooper “Like a Tree (Psalm 1),” Caroline Cobb “I Delight in You (Psalm 1),” Shane & Shane, Kingdom Kids “Psalm 1,” The Corner Room “Psalm 1:1–3,” Verses, Joel Limpic “Psalm 1:4–6,” Verses, Joel Limpic Selah “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” David Andrew Psalm 107 “Psalm 107,” Rachel Cohen “Oh Give Thanks (Psalm 107),” Wendell Kimbrough “Psalm 107,” Poor Bishop Hooper  “We Give Thanks (Psalm 107) – Live,” Sovereign Grace Music “Thanks and Praise (Psalm 107),” Cardiphonia Music, Christie Fitch, David Belt “107,” Josh Garrels Selah “Earth & Sky & Sea,” sxxnt., Brother Joe Psalm 16 “Fullness of Joy (Psalm 16),” Caroline Cobb, Shane Barnard “Psalm 16,” Poor Bishop Hooper “Psalm 16,” Sons of Korah “Psalm 16,” The Corner Room “Psalm 16:11,” Verses, Ryan Gikas “In This I Will Rejoice (Psalm 16),” The Worship Initiative, Davy Flowers, Carrie Hardcastle Selah “My Jesus I Love Thee,” Kendra Logozar Psalm 102 “Don’t Hide Your Face (Psalm 102),” Caroline Cobb “Psalm 102,” Poor Bishop Hooper “Psalm 102: Lord Hear My Prayer,” Gregory Wilbur, Katy Snow “Come Messiah, Come (Psalm 102),” Cardiphonia Music, Jess Alldredge “Dark Was the Night (Psalm 102),” The War Within, Rebekah Giesbrecht “O Lord, Hear My Prayer,” The London Fox Taize Choir Selah “Draw Me Close to You,” David Andrew Psalm 72 “Jesus Shall Reign – Live,” Keith and Kristyn Getty “Psalm 72,” Poor Bishop Hooper “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,” Indelible Grace Music, Sandra McCracken “Psalm 72,” Cardiphonia Music, Luke Brodine “Psalm 72 (Long Live the King),” The Psalm Library, Kip Fox “Psalm 72: O God to Thine Anointed King,” Gregory Wilbur, Bruce Carroll Selah “Selah I,” sxxnt., Josh Coleman Psalm 51 “Create in Me a Clean Heart (Psalm 51:1–2, 10),” Scripture Hymnal “Psalm 51 (Wisdom in the Secret Heart),” Shane & Shane “Create in Me (Psalm 51),” Paul Zach, iAmSon, Jessica Fox “Running Home (Psalm 51),” Lost & Found “God Be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51),” Keith and Kristyn Getty, Cindy Morgan “Psalm 51,” CèJae Selah “Selah,” Forrest Frank Psalm 84 “Psalm 84 (I’m Home),” Shane & Shane “Psalm 84,” Ty Brasel “No Better Place (Psalm 84),” Caroline Cobb “Psalm 84,” Poor Bishop Hooper “One Day,” Casey J “Better Is One Day,” The Worship Initiative, Shane & Shane Selah “The Sacred Place,” Joel Ross Psalms “Psalm 8 (Hallé),” Phil Wickham “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” Jon and Valerie Guerra “Salmo 23,” Un Corazón, Kim Richards, Marco Barrientos “Dwell in Your House,” Colorvault, Young Oceans “Mourning 2 Dancing,” Tenroc, Tori Kelly, Jon Keith “Those Who Look to Him Are Radiant (Psalm 34:4–6),” Scripture Hymnal “Psalm 34:9–11,” Jonathan Ogden “Psalm 42,” Tori Kelly “Send Out Your Light (Psalm 43),” Sandra McCracken “Psalm 46,” Tekoa, Nathan Staggers “My Soul Finds Rest (Psalm 62),” Sandra McCracken “Faint,” Colorvault, A.Bishai, Young Oceans “(73) the Nearness of You,” Loud Harp “Wisdom & Grace (Psalm 90),” Rain for Roots, Sandra McCracken, Sera Sage Oakes “Psalm 106:1,” The Corner Room “Psalm 118,” Poor Bishop Hooper “Flourishing (Psalm 119),” Sandra McCracken “Psalm 131,” Sarah Sparks “Where Can I Go – Psalm 139,” Ellie Holcomb “Praise the Lord (Psalm 150),” The Worship Initiative, Shane & Shane Hymns “Praise to the Lord,” Sara Groves “His Mercy Is More,” Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, Cochren & Co. “Sovereign Grace O’er Sin Abounding,” Providence “Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me,” Hillside Recording, Tenielle Neda “The King of Love My Shepherd Is,” Skye Peterson, The Worship Initiative “All People That on Earth Do Dwell,” Emu Music “Amazing Grace,” Kings Kaleidoscope Spiritual Songs “Praise the Lord Ye Heavens,” Young Oceans, Harvest “King of Kings,” Davy Flowers, Shane & Shane, The Worship Initiative “You Have Been Good,” The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir “Sovereign over Us,” The Worship Initiative, Shane & Shane “The Goodness of Jesus,” CityAlight “Goodness of God,” The Worship Initiative, Shane & Shane, Bethany Barnard “Holy Forever,” CeCe Winans Outro: Turn Your Eyes “Christ Be Magnified,” Cody Carnes “Promises,” Sarah Benibo, The Gospel Coalition “You Never Let Go,” John Van Deusen “On That Day,” CityAlight “Revelation Song,” Anthem Worship, Genavieve Linkowski “All Hail King Jesus,” Jeremy Riddle “Jesus,” Jon Guerra “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus,” Bethany Barnard, The Gospel Coalition

Are you actually being led by God, or just following your feelings? This will challenge everything you thought you knew about hearing His voice.

Are you actually being led by God, or just following your feelings? This will challenge everything you thought you knew about hearing His voice.