Sunday Morning Worship
January 20, 2013
Series: “Indispensible Relationships”
Today: “A Simon Relationship”
Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:7-10 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 
Intro: In one sense, our scripture has a Simon in it. 
* 2013 can be a fresh start for many of us, but only if we live authentically .
I. A SIMON RELATIONSHIP CAN SPEAK TRUTH TO THE INNER PARTS OF OUR HEARTS.
A. Psalm 51 is David’s thoughts about his sinfulness.
* Verse 6 – “God desires truth in our inner parts.”
B. God doesn’t want us to wear a mask . 
II. A SIMON RELATIONSHIP CAN BRING TRUE JOY AND GLADNESS IN US!
A. Psalm 51:8 – “David cried out: ‘Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.’”
B. We can never truly enjoy life and have lasting ___gladness___ until we have truth spoken into our lives. 
III. A SIMON RELATIONSHIP RESULTS IN A PURE HEART.
A. Psalm 51:10 – David cried out: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
B. God doesn’t want you to pretend you have a pure heart; He wants you to truly have one !
Conclusion: How to find and benefit from a Simon relationship:
A. Ask God to send a truth teller into your life; someone He wants to use.
B. Give that person permission to speak truth into you.
C. Respond well to the truth.