STORY: Yield | Galatians 5:16-25
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As we gather to celebrate the birthday of our church, we are reminded that we are part of a much larger story—one that stretches back over 200 years and will continue long after us. Whether you have been here for decades or are just finding your place, we are all connected in God’s mission at Darden Presbyterian Church. Each generation, including the kids among us today, will eventually tell stories of how their lives were changed by what God did through this community.
None of us were present at the beginning and none will see the end, but here we are for our brief stretch, tasked with carrying God’s mission forward. The next generation (and our wider community) is watching how we live out God’s story—not only in our big moments but in the ordinary, everyday ones. Our actions, both in public and at home, speak volumes about what is truly growing within us.
The Need for Growth and Yielding
It’s easy to talk about virtues like self-control and patience, but much harder to consistently live them out. We can intend to “do better next time,” but intentions alone aren’t enough. What comes out of us—how we act—reveals what has been growing within us. This isn’t a condemnation, but an honest recognition that the Spirit of God still has work to do in each of us. We are all continually being formed.
A great illustration of this comes from the perfectly manicured hedges you see at Disney parks. Underneath their green leaves is a steel frame providing their unique shape. Every week, gardeners trim anything that grows beyond the frame so the greenery matches the pattern. Similarly, the Holy Spirit acts as our gardener, trimming what doesn’t fit the image of Jesus—the shape we are meant to reflect.
Yield: Making Room for the Holy Spirit
For the past five weeks, we’ve worked through the acronym STORY: Share, Trust, Offer, Reach, and now, Yield. God is writing a story, and each of us has a part to play. As we participate, we want to be people who can say:
The church is my family.
Jesus is the hero of my story—my Lord and Savior.
I am a ministry leader, gifted with unique passions and talents that meet real needs.
I pursue relationships and connections for the good of God’s kingdom.
And finally, I yield.
Yielding means making room for the Holy Spirit to form the character of Jesus within us. We yield when we stop resisting the gardener and allow him to shape us. What we hand to the next generation will be shaped by the work of the Holy Spirit in us today.
What Does It Mean to Yield?
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence and power, gifted to us when we trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus doesn’t just forgive us and leave us alone; He gives us the Spirit to empower and guide us every day.
Yielding can feel like “losing,” but it’s not quitting. Think of the familiar yield sign as you exit the church parking lot—it doesn’t mean to stop moving, but to let someone else have the right of way. In our spiritual lives, yielding means giving the Holy Spirit the right of way instead of insisting on our own control.
Paul, in his letter to the church in Galatia, explains that following rules or laws alone doesn’t save us—it’s the work of the Spirit that transforms us. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—are not virtues we manufacture by force of will. They grow naturally as the Spirit works in us. Our responsibility is to remain rooted in God’s Word, allowing the Spirit to shape us.
Growing the Fruit of the Spirit
Just as a tree produces fruit by being rooted and nourished, we produce the fruit of the Spirit by meditating on God’s Word and making room for His work in us. Habits like prayer, worship, Bible study, confession, and serving are all spiritual practices that help us yield to the Spirit’s forming power.
Here’s a challenge: spend 15 minutes a day—10 minutes reading and reflecting on Scripture, 5 minutes quietly listening for God’s voice. Over time, these small moments of yielding can bring real transformation. It may not feel dramatic day by day, but as we continue, the Spirit will work in ways we might never expect.
Living Differently Because of Yielding
Whatever is growing in us ultimately affects the people around us. The fruit of the Spirit makes a real difference in our relationships—at home, at work, in our church, and beyond. Our bad days don’t have to spill over and poison others. When we realize the Spirit is forming patience, kindness, and gentleness in us, we become more steady, more like Jesus, and we feed others with the goodness that the Spirit grows.
Think about the people in your life. Who needs to experience the fruit of the Spirit growing in you? Yielding is active—listening, confessing, apologizing, and obeying are all ways we yield, depending on the Spirit for strength.
Practical Steps
Choose a Time and Place: Pick a consistent time and place to read Scripture and pray.
Follow a Plan: Whether it’s reading the Psalms, Proverbs, or a Gospel, have a plan for your spiritual practice.
Reflect and Pray: Ask God how the Spirit is at work in you and how He might want to shape you to be more like Jesus.
Stay in Community: Join a Bible study, small group, or covenant group for encouragement and accountability.
Yielding Keeps the Story Alive
Yielding is not just the finish line of our discipleship pathway—it’s what keeps the other steps alive. Without the Spirit’s forming work, sharing turns into mere attendance, trust becomes a recitable phrase instead of a real reliance, offering leads to burnout, and reaching becomes just another church program.
No church or individual ever gets to the point of outgrowing the need for the gardener. For more than 200 years, this community has been shaped and tended by God and by those who came before us. Now it’s our turn to yield, to grow, and to pass on faith to the next generation.
May we be a church where people find family, where Jesus remains the center, where ordinary people know they are gifted for kingdom work, where we reach beyond our walls, and where we remain open to the Spirit’s ongoing transformation.
Let’s continue to yield, together, to the work of the Holy Spirit—and see how God writes His story through us for generations to come.
Next Step:
Start today. Find your time, your place, and your plan to spend time with God. Open your heart, let the Holy Spirit work, and see how yielding shapes not just you, but everyone around you.
Blessings,
Pastor
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Overview
This discussion guide is designed for small groups or individuals to reflect on the themes of "yielding" to the Holy Spirit, as explored in the sermon. The approach is grounded in the Reformed and Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO) theology, focusing on grace, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
Opening Prayer
Begin with a short prayer, inviting God’s Spirit to lead and shape your discussion.
Icebreaker
Share about a time you received something that has been tended and passed on to you—maybe a family tradition, a faith practice, or even something as simple as a well-tended plant. What did it mean to you?
Readings
Read Galatians 5:16-25 together, focusing on the fruit of the Spirit.
Key Discussion Questions
1. The Ongoing Story
The sermon says, "We are a part of it, helping to carry God's mission forward."
How does seeing your faith as part of a much bigger story impact the way you live and serve?
2. The Spirit’s Formation
The illustration of Disney’s topiary hedges is used: "Their branches grow unevenly and they continually need attention... Underneath each of these greeneries, each of them is built on a steel frame."
How do you relate to the idea that the Spirit is continually shaping you into the image of Christ? In what areas do you sense new growth—or need for pruning—in your life?
"The model, the shape that we are intended as God's perfect creations is to reflect the model of Jesus..."
What does it mean for your life to be formed according to Jesus, rather than your own ideals?
3. Yielding Defined
"Yielding is making room for the Holy Spirit, God’s presence and power, to form the character of Jesus in us."
How do you personally practice yielding to God’s work in your life? What makes it difficult or easy?
The sermon notes, "We yield when we stop resisting the gardener and allow him to shape us."
Share about a recent time you stopped trying to “go first” or “be in control” and let God lead. How did that go?
4. The Fruit of the Spirit
"The fruit of the tree is an indicator of how healthy that tree is... Fruit is not manufactured. It grows."
Which part of the Spirit’s fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—needs tending in you today?
"These nine words... are not a to-do list. They are a report on someone's health."
How does this change the way you approach spiritual growth?
5. Spiritual Habits and Practices
"Spiritual habits make room for the Spirit to work in people who are already loved by God."
What spiritual practices help you create space for the Spirit’s work? How might you develop a new habit (such as 15 minutes a day in Scripture and prayer) as suggested in the sermon?
"It’s not enough to just spend that 15 minutes absorbing information... what would it look like for me to spend 10 minutes reading and reflecting on God’s Word, expecting Him to talk to me? And then 5 minutes quietly listening..."
Discuss practical ways to implement this rhythm in your daily life. What obstacles do you expect?
6. For the Next Generation
"Whatever is growing in us eventually affects the people around us."
How does your spiritual formation impact your family, church, and community? Who needs to experience the fruit of the Spirit in your life this week?
7. Our Shared Legacy
"No topiary or bush ever gets to the point where it no longer needs a gardener. Neither does a church, and neither do we."
How can your group or church keep yielding together to the Spirit’s transforming work?
Application and Prayer
Take time as a group to commit to a specific action step in making room for the Holy Spirit this week. This could be committing to a daily 15-minute spiritual habit, practicing a particular fruit of the Spirit in relationships, or supporting someone else's growth in the faith.
Close in prayer, asking for the Spirit’s ongoing work to yield hearts and lives more and more into the likeness of Christ.
Additional Reflection
"The Spirit is at work right now, and he's not finished, just like those bushes... We cannot transform ourselves, but can yield ourselves to the One who can."
Consider journaling or sharing updates in your next gathering: How do you notice the Spirit’s ongoing, patient work in and through you?
Remember: Spiritual formation is not about earning God’s love or acceptance; it is about making room for God’s love to shape us and pour out through us as we follow Jesus and live out His story together.