You Pay for What You Value

(And Somehow Heaven Keeps Getting the Leftovers)

You don’t forget what matters.

Nobody forgets their car payment.
Nobody forgets their Netflix subscription.
Nobody forgets concert tickets.
Nobody forgets Chick-fil-A sauce.

You ever seen somebody pull out of the drive-thru like:

“Aw man… I forgot my Polynesian.”

NO.

That’s a crisis. That’s a 3-point turn. That’s an emergency.

But when it comes to generosity? When it comes to giving to your church?

“Oh… I just didn’t have it this month.”

Right.
Because apparently the only thing we accidentally forget is the Kingdom.

Funny how that works.

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Money Doesn’t Lie — People Do

Jesus said:

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21

Translation?

Your budget is basically your spiritual autobiography.

Your bank statement is out here testifying like it’s in court:

“Exhibit A: Starbucks.”
“Exhibit B: Amazon.”
“Exhibit C: That thing you bought at 2am for emotional support.”

And you’re still like:

“I love Jesus most!”

Meanwhile your spending is yelling:

“Actually, I love Target… and I don’t even know why I went in there.”

Your mouth can say “Jesus is Lord,” but your wallet might be in open rebellion.

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The Hat Over the Fence Principle

A bunch of kids want to climb this huge fence.

But they hesitate.

Too tall. Too risky. Too hard.

Then one kid does something wild…

He throws his hat over the fence.

Now the hat is on the other side.

And suddenly?

Everybody’s like:

“Well… guess we’re climbing.”

Because nobody’s leaving their hat like:

“Welp. RIP hat. You had a good run.”

No.

That hat matters.

That hat is commitment.

That hat is motivation.

That hat is the point.

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Commitment Creates Clarity

When something actually matters, you don’t stay confused.

You don’t stall.
You don’t overthink.
You don’t “pray about it for six months.”

You move.

You sacrifice.
You stretch.
You climb.
You figure it out.

Nobody has ever said:

“I deeply value this… as long as it’s easy, affordable, and requires zero inconvenience.”

That’s not value.

That’s a hobby.
That’s a preference.
That’s something you do until it messes with your comfort.

Real commitment creates clarity because once you decide, excuses die.

People don’t lack money — they lack resolve.

And let’s be honest:

Heritage Church doesn’t lack resources.

We lack resolve.

Because if we had the resolve, the resources would showing up.

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Throw Your Hat — Not Your Leftovers

What if giving is throwing your hat over the fence?

What if your consistent generosity is you saying:

“I’m in. I’m invested. I’m not backing out when the vibes change.”

Because once your treasure is over the fence…

Your heart starts climbing after it.

You stop treating church like a streaming subscription:

“I’ll support it until I get mildly inconvenienced.”

You start treating it like family:

“I’m here. Let’s build something.”

God doesn’t want your spare change —

He wants your surrendered heart… not your couch cushion faith.

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The Problem Is… We Throw Our Hats Everywhere Else

Let’s be real:

People throw hats over fences for:

• Vacations

• Sports

• New phones

• Shoes

• Disney trips

• Taylor Swift tickets

• A boat they can’t park properly

Nobody’s like:

“Well… if I can’t afford it, I guess I’ll just humbly stay home.”

NO.

They climb that fence like Spider-Man with a payment plan.

But when it comes to giving?

Suddenly we become scholars:

“Is tithing really biblical?”

Before or after taxes? Like you are even close to 10 percent….

Bro, you didn’t ask that about your car note.

It’s amazing how theological people get when the offering bucket shows up.

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So What’s Your Hat?

Your hat is whatever you value enough to chase.

So ask yourself:

What have you thrown over the fence?

Comfort?
Status?
Lifestyle?
The American Dream?
Season tickets?

Or the Kingdom?

Because once you throw your treasure toward heaven…

Your heart starts climbing toward heaven too.

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If you never throw your hat over the fence…

You’ll always have an easy excuse to stay where you are.

But when you invest…
When you commit…
When you give sacrificially…

You’re telling your heart:

“We’re going higher.”

Stop living like the fence is too high — throw your hat, then climb.

Most Americans, you’ll climb for car payment or tickets to Beyoncé…

So let’s not act like Jesus is asking too much.

Rev. John Roberts