1. Disciples eat with IRS employees and other sinners – Matthew 9:10, Mark 2:16, Luke 5:30
2. Disciples do not like to skip meals – Matthew 9:14, Mark 2:18
3. Disciples have authority over unclean spirits and can heal every kind of disease and sickness – Matthew 10:1; Just kidding – Mark 9:18, Luke 9:40
4. Disciples do not observe the Sabbath – Matthew 12:2-3
5. Disciples do not understand parables – Matthew 13:36, Mark 7:17, Luke 8:9
6. Disciples do not wash their hands before they eat – Matthew 15:2, Mark 7:5
7. Disciples do not like to waste expensive perfume – Mathew 26:7-8
8. Disciples like to sleep – Matthew 26:40-45, Luke 22:45-46
9. Disciples betray Jesus – Matthew 26:8, Luke 22:47-48, John 12:4
10. Disciples will be like Jesus – Luke 6:40
11. Disciples sometimes can get a little postal – Luke 9:54
12. Disciples don’t know how to pray – Luke 11:1
13. Disciples hate their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and themselves – Luke 14:26
14. Disciples carry their own cross – Luke 14:27
15. Disciples give up all their own possessions – Luke 14:33
16. Disciples don’t like kids, but should – Luke 18:15
17. Disciples abide in Jesus’ words – John 8:31
18. Disciples like pedicures – John 13:5
19. Disciples love one another – John 13:35
20. Disciples lie about knowing Jesus – John 18:17-27
21. Disciples comfort their mothers, sometimes – John 19:27
22. Some disciples take a lot of convincing – John 20:25
23. Some disciples do not like to serve tables – Acts 6:2
24. Disciples are continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit – Acts 13:52
25. Um… and one to grow on…

Obviously this isn’t a complete list of what a disciple of Jesus looks like, but it should get you started on your journey.

This I Now Believe:

1. I used to believe it was my job to judge others, but now I believe that I can only judge myself. Jesus spent so much time correcting the thinking of the Jewish Elders. They had a law and used it to condemn one-another, Jesus taught them (and us) that the law was really meant to be used to judge ourselves. Today, we use the New Testament “laws” to judge others… I can’t help but think that maybe Jesus intends for us to use those “laws” to judge ourselves.

2. I used to believe that a pastor was a paid position, but now I believe that there is no Scriptural support for paying a pastor a salary. I have dealt with some of this in previous posts. After studying Scripture, considering context, and reconsidering my previous position, I have come to the opinion that it is more of a hinderance than a help to pay a pastor a salary. I am not saying that people are wrong or sinning by taking part in this activity just that from my studies I do not believe it is a best practice.

3. I used to believe that the SBC was the most Scriptural denomination, but now I believe that the SBC is equal to all other denominations. The SBC has positive traits about it and negative traits about it. Some things the SBC does are more inline with Scripture than other denominations, and others are way off base. Afterall, the SBC is run by men and with men comes error. By the way, it is not my intention to pick on the SBC in this post… but the SBC is the one denomination that I have the closest affiliation with and know the most about.

4. I used to believe that women were not qualified to teach men, but now I believe that women are both qualified and capable of teaching men. Truth be told, I do not have a fully formed opinion about what Scripture (esp. Paul) is teaching us in regards to women and men. I have read compelling arguments on both sides. I currently lean towards the idea that women are not forbidden from teaching men – for at least a couple reasons. First, in Christ there is neither male nor female (Gal 3:28). Second, I have been taught and blessed by many women, especially my wife.

5. I used to believe that it was a sin to drink wine/alcohol, but after reading Scripture I realized that not only is wine/alcohol not forbidden it is condoned and actually encouraged in some instances by the Father and Jesus! (Deut. 14:26, Prov. 31:6, John 2:1-10) The only thing that is ever condemned in scripture regarding alcohol its misuse.

6. I used to believe that God had called me to become a vocational pastor, but now since I believe that is it a hindarence to receive a salary from those people that you lead, I believe that God may have called me to be a pastor, but one who works with his hands – just as Paul gave us as an example. (Acts 20:34-35, 1 Thes. 4:11, 2 Thes., 2 Thes. 3:7-11)

7. I used to believe that Christians go to Heaven when they die, but now I believe that Christians go to Paradise when they die. I believe there is a difference between the two. I have a hard time seeing any place in Scripture that indicates that any Christian goes to Heaven after life. I could be completely wrong, but my studies have led me to believe that when we die we go into a place of Paradise (perhaps a place of non-Paradise for non-Believers)… then at the End of Days we will be judged, the new Earth will be formed, and we will forever abide on the new Earth with Jesus.

8. I used to believe that maturity came from going to all the church services, but now I believe that many Church-goers are very immature in their walk with Christ. Not because they don’t want maturity, but because they are never given an opportunity to grow. Sure we give them programs to join and Bible studies to attend, but real growth comes from following Jesus, by encouraging one-another, edifying one-another, teaching one-another. I see a lack of growth in today’s church structures because there is usually only a few men who are given the opportunity to follow the “one-another” commands in Scripture.

9. I used to believe the Bible was inerrant and infallible, but now I believe that the Bible is neither inerrant nor infallible. I have wrote a series about this in the past. But let me try to sum up my position here. The Bible is a collection of works, scripts, and manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have errors, misprints, different words/layouts, etc. When we look at all of this evidence we are only ~99% sure of the content of the NT and ~95% sure of the content of the OT. Many would say, “Yes but the remaining % does not effect our Theology”. To which I would respond, fine – but it’s still not a perfect document. In order for something to be considered inerrant and infallible, it needs to be perfect. Our Bibles without translation are not perfect and our Bibles with translation are even less perfect. I believe that Scripture is inerrant and infallible – we don’t have the original manuscripts, but we do have the Holy Spirit to help us and guide us. If we stopped relying on an imperfect document and started to rely on a perfect God to teach us, then perhaps we’d be much better off.

10. I used to believe that the SBC believed that the Bible was inerrant and infallible, but now I believe that like many denominations the SBC interprets and translates certain verses to suit their theology. We all do it, we want to believe something so we use the Bible to justify that belief – whether it is in context or not. When we do this though, it goes against any statement of belief about the authority of that document. We are what we eat, in a sense.

11. I used to believe that worship meant singing a few songs about God, but now I believe that worship comes from following and obeying God. We truly worship when we do what he has asked us to do. Don’t worry though, this could be by singing… but it may also be by feeding the homeless, being a good steward, etc.

12. I used to believe that people went to Hell because of their sins, but now I believe that Scripture never once says that people go to Hell for their sins. In fact, there is Scripture that says that Jesus covered the sins of the world. Why then do people go to Hell? The single verse in Scripture that talks about why people go to Hell says that people who are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life are cast into the Lake of Fire. Is that because of their sin or because of their rejection of Christ as Savior or perhaps something else?

13. I used to believe that Scripture taught us to tithe, but now I see that the tithe was a system for the Jewish nation. They had a class of priests who were not allow to own any possessions. The Jews also had a sin problem. To deal with these two things, the Jews had to make a sacrifice and the priests ate that sacrifice. But Jesus was the final sacrifice and he summoned the Kingdom of Priests (us). It seems rather absurd to me to think that we need to continue the practice of tithing, when the problem of sin has been dealt with and since all believers are Priests.

14. I used to believe that fellowship happened by sitting next to others without any interaction, but now I believe that fellowship happens when we consider one-anothers needs, when we encourage one-another, when we teach one-another, etc. Fellowship is not running around pews for 30 seconds trying to shake as many hands as possible. Fellowship is much deeper and much more meaningful.

15. I used to believe that going to seminary made me a better Christian, but now I believe that going to seminary only made me more knowledgeable (and not necessarily about the ways of Christ). I am very grateful for the education I received from The College at Southeastern. However, it did not make me a better Christian, it did not make me more important than the other Children of God. Although, before I went, I truly believed that it was important and required to be a good Christian. Since then, I have learned that God’s expectations are not often the same as man’s expectations.

So, I hope you enjoyed my two meme’s. If you would like to do your own, I would recommend combinding them into a “This I Used to Believe… This I Now Believe” format. If you decide to to this, then please post a link in my comments so that I may read them. I look forward to hearing from you.

So, this is what I used to believe:

1. I used to believe it was my job to judge other people’s sins.
2. I used to believe that a pastor was a paid position.
3. I used to believe the SBC was the most Scriptural denomination.
4. I used to believe that women were not qualified to teach men.
5. I used to believe it was a sin to drink wine/alcohol.
6. I used to believe that God had called me to become a vocational pastor.
7. I used to believe that Christians go to Heaven when they die.
8. I used to believe that maturity came from going to all the church services.
9. I used to believe the Bible was inerrant and infallible.
10. I used to believe that the SBC believed that the Bible was inerrant and infallible.
11. I used to believe that worship meant singing a few songs about God.
12. I used to believe that people went to Hell because of their sins.
13. I used to believe that Scripture taught us to tithe.
14. I used to believe that fellowship happened by sitting next to others without any interaction.
15. I used to believe that going to seminary made me a better Christian.

Well these are 15 things that I used to believe. So please, if you’re reading this, I’d love to read some of the thing that you used to believe. Post them up on your blog and leave a link in my comments. I hope you enjoyed this list!

But what if “going to church” gets in the way of your priorities, your friends, your family, or your obligations? The person I was talking to said something like, “It’s almost like we put church before God.” Of course, what they meant was the act of going to services versus living a life of Worship.

The question is, are we denying the right things when we decide to go to a Church service on Sunday mornings? Perhaps instead of going to a Sunday morning church service, we should go to a food pantry or visit people in the hospital. Instead of going to choir practice, stay home and have relationship-building-fellowship with your neighbors.

I am by no means perfect at putting God first in my life but these are some things I have been thinking of lately.

The video starts by comparing the U.S. Education system to Nazi Germany (hence the Call to Dunkirk a battle in World War II). The absurdity does not end there, these are my two favorite quotes from this video:

If you ask me, we need to march some more, and the first place we need march is right out the front door of those Christ-dishonoring, academically inferior, soul-killing government indoctrination centers… – Voddie Bauchman

First, referring to public schools as “academically inferior” is opinion at best… many brilliant people have come out of the public school system. Second, referring to public schools as “soul-killing government indoctrination centers” is hardly Chirst-honoring. I went to public school, my soul has not be “killed”. In fact, I was saved while I was in college.

the scripture unambiguously teach that the education of children belongs to the family with the assistance from the church, not government, particularly at the K-12 level… – E. Ray Moore

Moore is completely off on this. The Scriptures do not “unambiguously teach” this doctrine. In fact, the Scriptures never even mention K-12!

If I were to judge, strictly by this video, I would say that these people have a bigger problem with trust in God and Scriptural inerrancy than they do with public school. To me, this video does not portray the Love of Christ. It instills fear into the watcher – which is not from Christ. It is also judgmental and absurd in its logic.

Please share with me your thoughts on this video, whether you agree or disagree. I am not against home-schooling at all. I am against this extremist position that purports lies and fear, instead of love and fairness.

Just my thoughts.

Consider these points:

• As far as we know, Jesus never tried to convince the Pharisees that he was their savior. He merely told them the truth and let them decide. When they rejected Jesus, he pointed out their hypocrisy.
• When people came to Jesus asking to follow him, he told them how hard it would be. Some of them left and he didn’t try to get them back. In fact, he expected them to leave and used it as a lesson.
• Nicodemus followed Jesus. He recognized Jesus by the life that Jesus lived, not because Jesus asked Nicodemus to join him or any sort of “cause”.
• Jesus never had any official discipleship programs, he spent a lot of time talking to potential disciples, walking with potential disciples, eating with potential disciples, and teaching potential disciples. Some of them continued to do these things with Jesus.
  

So what are we producing, if not disciples? Judging from many things I have seen and read over the past couple years, it seems like we a producing angry people. Angry because they feel like they’ve been deceived. Some of them have been promised a changed life, but instead were taught Christian doctrines and precepts. We’ve produced Apathetic people. Apathetic to the gospel, to the Church, and even to Jesus. We’ve produced people with false-security. These people went to all the classes, they attended all the services, and followed all the rules, little do they know that these actions won’t save them. There are probably other types of people that we have produced but I think Jesus had a phrase that best sums up these false-disciples, “White Washed Tombs”. On the outside, they look brilliant, pure, and white… but on the inside, they are filled with death.

Who are our disciples? Our disciples are the people who truly follow us… and hopefully watch us truly follow Jesus. Jesus did not force people to follow him, he did not even try to prevent people from leaving him, his disciples were those who recognized him as savior and could do nothing but follow. Basically, Jesus shared his life with everyone, those who shared it back were his disciples.

Since I want to offer the same services a vocational-pastor offers, I had a vocational-pastor send me his job description. These are some of the services that I plan on offering.

Bible Study, Prayer, and Meditation – 75$/hr
Counseling – 75$/hr
Visit the sick – 125$/hr
Train and equip lay-leaders – 100$/hr
Advise Boards and Committees – 100$/hr
Funeral Services – 300$/Event
Wedding Service – 500$/Event
Proclaim the Gospel – 80$/hr
Plan, Coordinate, and Evaluate Sunday morning services – 135$/Event
Preaching – 150$/Event
Moderate Church Meetings – 50$/hr
Plan and Lead Church Ordinances – 100$/Event

These were all things listed in the pastor’s job description. Any additional services can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. I trust you will find my rates very reasonable and hope to hear from you very soon.

We hang out with unbelievers when they come to our meetings and programs.
Jesus hung out with unbelievers.

We develop programs to attract the world.
Jesus developed relationships with the world.

We raise funds to build buildings and additions.
Jesus didn’t have a place to lay his head.

We believe that true fellowship with God happens once a week.
Jesus expects true fellowship every day.

We make the gospel attractive.
Jesus made the gospel unattractive.

We create religious systems, doctrines, polity, rules, and more; in the name of being right.
Jesus tore down all those; showing that he was right.

We expect non-followers to act like his followers.
Jesus expected his followers to act like his followers.

We believe that classes equates to discipleship.
Jesus walked with his disciples.

We believe that we cannot perform miraculous things.
Jesus told us that we could perform greater miracles than he did.

You are so Holy, I hope for the day when you make the Earth like Heaven. I desire so much to do your will and I ask that you feed us and protect me, my family, and The Family from the temptations of the devil. Help us all forgive, just as you forgave us, are forgiving us, and will forgive us.

As you know, I have a problem – I just don’t believe, period. I don’t believe that Sundays are any more important than Tuesdays or Fridays. I don’t believe that Worship Services are the same as Worship. I don’t believe that G.R.O.W. is worth a hoot or A.W.A.N.A. or any other program for that matter. Sure they’re not bad, they even have good things about them, but I just don’t care for them. I don’t believe that the church’s buildings are important. In fact, I’ve come to find them to be a waste of money, even laughable. Please, help me understand, why don’t I believe like the others?

Lord, you know that I believe in your people. You know that I love them, that I want to grow with them, in you. How can I do this, if I don’t believe in these other things? They don’t understand me… they don’t want to understand me. Why can’t you make me want to be in the Building? Why can’t you teach me to love Sunday more than Tuesday or Friday? What should I do? What can I do? I ask that you help me understand, please.

Dr. Akin and I agree that integrity is an important thing when choosing our leaders (1 Timothy 3). My main question regarding this essay is, what is integrity? Integrity isn’t avoiding unusual situations, it is what you do when you’re in an unusual situation. Dr. Akin himself admits that he has been accused of being a Pharisee, legalist, sexist and Neanderthal but then says that he has never been accused of adultery. What does this tell us? Nothing. The people who are closest to Dr. Akin, those who know him best, have seen him accused of these other things – but they know him well enough to either realize that they are not true, or perhaps realize that they are. I personally feel that if Dr. Akin was alone with another woman, he would not cheat on his wife. In other words, I feel that Dr. Akin does have integrity, not because he refuses to be with another woman alone, but because of who Dr. Akin is, what I know about him, etc. By the way, Dr. Akin has two secretaries in an enclosed office (window on the main door), I could be wrong, but I doubt that he has another male in the room with him at all times. Regardless, I have never thought that he was having a three-way with his secretaries or sending one off to run an errand so he could be with the other.

You see, the Saddleback Ten Commandments, do not mean that the staff of Saddleback have integrity. These rules only give the appearance of integrity. There is a huge difference between integrity and the appearance of integrity. If I wanted to give someone the appearance of integrity, I would make rules that seemed to be noble and then sneak around behind those rules (many cult leaders do this). If I moved to Saddleback and was hired as their staff, how would they know that I had integrity? They wouldn’t, they don’t who I am, what I truly believe, etc. (perhaps you can find some other applications here).

Consider this fragment of scripture as an example of what Jesus did when he was in the face of unusual circumstance:

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “I am a man of integrity and I cannot be seen with a harlot like you.” Immediately, Jesus left that place and protected his integrity. – John 4:1-7

You probably won’t find any examples in scripture of Jesus protecting his integrity, you’ll probably find that Jesus did things a little differently. It seemed like he didn’t care about what the world thought about him. Jesus had integrity and only a man of true integrity can chat with a prostitute about the Kingdom of God without worrying about what others will say. I think I will follow Jesus’ example this time. Even if it means that I open myself up for attack from pharisees, non-Christians, and the like.

What do you think?

Here is the email:

Integrity In Ministry: A Word From The President’s Heart

By

Daniel L. Akin

For 30 plus years I have been burdened for the personal integrity of those in the ministry. The reasons are simple. Integrity is a biblical requirement (1 Tim 3:1). And, the respect for those in ministry is at a low ebb, especially in our nation. Of course one major area of importance is how ministers conduct themselves with the opposite sex. I have always challenged fellow pastors to make a rock solid, non-negotiable commitment: “I will never be alone with a woman who is not my wife.” This commitment and conviction has not always been applauded. I have been accused of being a Pharisee, legalist, sexist and Neanderthal. I was once accused of having “psycho-sexual hang-ups in need of therapy!” But praise God and by His grace, I have never been accused of adultery because in almost 30 years of marriage, I have never been alone with a woman other than Charlotte. I have no plans to change this.

Sexual temptation is a powerful reality, and a wise person will never forget that no matter how much you love Jesus, “the wrong person plus the wrong place plus the wrong time will equal the wrong thing happening.” Look no further than to the tragic story of King David, a man the Bible says was after God’s own heart.

Sexual immorality exacts a heavy price tag. It will cause you to dishonor Christ, wound the church, break the heart of your mate and lose forever the respect of your children. That is a price only a fool would pay.

This issue was brought to my mind again in a recent blog by my friend Ed Stetzer. By the way, I am excited to tell you that Dr. Stetzer is going to join our faculty as a visiting research professor. Personally I am thrilled we will get to share him with our friends at LifeWay. In Ed’s blog he referenced the “The Commandments for Saddleback Staff” by Rick Warren. Here is Rick’s list.

1. Thou shalt not go to lunch alone with the opposite sex.*

2. Thou shalt not have the opposite sex pick you up or drive you places when it is just the two of you.*

3. Thou shalt not kiss any attender of the opposite sex or show affection that could be questioned.*

4. Thou shalt not visit the opposite sex alone at home.*

5. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex alone at the office, and thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex more than once without that person’s mate. Refer them.

6. Thou shalt not discuss detailed sexual problems with the opposite sex in counseling. Refer them.

7. Thou shalt not discuss your marriage problems with an attender of the opposite sex.

8. Thou shalt be careful in answering emails, instant messages, chatrooms, cards or letters from the opposite sex.

9. Thou shalt make your co-worker your protective ally.

10. Thou shalt pray for the integrity of other staff members.

*The first four do not apply to unmarried staff.

These are wise words for any minister of any sex or age. These are principles that will help us in finishing the race well for King Jesus. Integrity as it relates to your sex life is not optional for the minister of the gospel. It is essential. Take the high road in this area. Be cautious and be careful. Stay close to Jesus and stay close to your mate. End your race with no regrets. It will glorify God, and you will be glad you did. I love you, and thank God for the honor of serving you here at Southeastern Seminary. What a blessed man I am.

This is taken with Alan’s permission from here.

Developing a Biblical Ecclesiology Lecture
This is a lecture that I delivered concerning how my ecclesiology – my understanding of the church – has changed over the last few years.

Click here to download a pdf version of my PowerPoint presentation.

Click here to download the entire file (52 MB). Or, click the play button below to play the file online.

Click here to read Alan’s post regarding his lecture.

They asked me if I believed that God would do that. I think my answer was somewhat unexpected. I said that I do not think that God really cares about traditional-type invitations or extending them to allow people to make a “decision”. I readily admit that I could be wrong, but here are some reasons why I think I am right. By the way, I am not saying that we should not invite people to follow Jesus – I am merely questioning the end of sermon, spend 5 minutes begging people to come to the stage (and that was the point of the strip).

First, Jesus did not give people extra time to make decisions.

Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” – Matthew 8:21-22

The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go {and} sell your possessions and give to {the} poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. – Matthew 19:20-22

Second, it does not take a walk down an aisle and a prayer at a stage to accept the free gift of God.

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved – Romans 10:9

He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. – Mark 16:16

Third, there is no encouragement in the New Testament to “pray a prayer”, “walk and aisle”, or “make a decision”. However, there is an emphasis for all believer to make disciples, teach, and share the gospel.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit – Matthew 28:19

The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. – Acts 6:7

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds – Hebrews 10:24

What do you think?

In the olden days, when Rome ruled the world, it was quite common to convert all the people of a nation to Catholicism. If you were a citizen, then you were Catholic. This was when the church and state were one. My question to you all is this: Do we really want the United States to become a Christian Nation?

If everyone in the United States were a Christian, there would be a few issues that we’d have to deal with. First, who would they share the gospel with (apart from their newborns)? Second, who would they disciple as new believers? Third, how would they influence the world?

It seems to me that God already has a nation… or a “Kingdom” and he has sent it into the world. A “Christian Nation” would not only be impossible from a obedience stand-point, but also would be impossible from a logistical stand-point. If everyone in the U.S. were Christian, then there would be no one in the U.S. For all would be obedient in sharing the gospel and discipling the Lost. So the U.S. would be empty and then ultimately be filled with non-believers.

What do you think? Should the U.S. strive to become a Christian nation? Are there more logistical issues with being a Christian nation? Are my concerns invalid?

There is no direct command from Scripture or from God (that I know of) to prevent a Christian from being directly involved in the government. However, I sense that it would be wisest for a Christian to refrain from being too involved.

With that said, I would also like to say that I feel that it is extremely important for a Christian to know and understand what is happening in their governments (and the worlds governments). It is important to helps us know and understand the issues, be able to discern the truth, and even be able to be able to foresee and prepare for future events. We can take an active role in the goverment most of all by being prepared for the future.

I would like to thank everyone who took part in this series. Your comments and challenges were excellent. I think we had some very civil conversations through this series. Considering the topics, I think it went very well.

For a reference, here are the topics I discussed in this series:
Christians and the Government – An introduction to the topics.
Christians and Politics – Should Christians be involved in politics and hold political offices?
Christians and Voting – Should Christians exercise their American given right to vote?
Christians and Lobbying – Should Christians protest and lobby their government?
Christians and Military – What role should a Christian play in their governments military?
Christians and the Pledge – Should Christians recite the pledge or pledge their allegiance to a country?
Christians and the Court – Should a Christian be a judge or part of a jury?
The Other Side – A recent article from BP News taking the opposite position from my own (esp. regarding voting).

I hope you all enjoyed this series. As I said, there was some really great conversation, I appreciate all your participation!