Brent Yim
Brent Yim (December 10, 1979 – May 7, 2012) was an American preacher and pastor whose brief but impactful ministry centered on leading Temecula Community Church in California with a focus on biblical teaching and community service. Born in Torrance, California, to Alexander and Janis Yim, he grew up in a loving Christian home with two sisters, though he didn’t personally commit to faith until spring 2001 at age 21, when a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ reshaped his life. This led him to Calvary Chapel Bible College, where he met Andrea, whom he married in 2003 after falling in love and grounding their union in faith. After graduating, he taught at the college for several semesters, beginning his journey in ministry. Yim’s preaching career took a significant turn in 2009 when, at 28, he became senior pastor of Temecula Community Church and principal of Temecula Christian School, revitalizing a struggling congregation and school with wisdom beyond his years. Father to Jaiden (born 2007) and Micah (born 2010), he poured himself into preaching, pro-life advocacy, and mentoring youth, often playing soccer with students despite a demanding schedule. Diagnosed with stage 4 Gliosarcoma brain cancer in March 2011 after a severe headache, he endured aggressive treatments—surgery, radiation, chemotherapy—while continuing to preach when able, inspiring his flock with unwavering faith. He died at 32 in Temecula, leaving Andrea and their sons, his legacy marked by his devotion to God and family.
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Brent Yim delves into the profound declaration of the psalmist to praise God with uprightness of heart, despite the inherent deceitfulness and wickedness of the human heart. He explores the paradox of how a sinful heart can confidently praise God, revealing that purity of praise stems from being instructed in God's righteous judgments. Yim emphasizes that the cleansing and protection of the heart come through immersing oneself in the Word of God, leading to genuine and heartfelt worship as a response to God's transformative work.
Scriptures
Psalm 119:7
“I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.” Anyone who is conscience of the present condition of man’s heart will read the opening assertion of this verse and immediately discern the difficulty of this bold decree. The reason that this confident declaration of the psalmist may even be interpreted by the reader as arrogant, is due to the diagnosing statement found in the book of Jeremiah which seems to contradict this claim. Under the inspiration of the Spirit the prophet of God penned, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The question that begs to be answered is, “How is it possible for someone with an unclean heart able to stand before God with a clear conscience and pronounce, “I will praise You with an uprightness of heart?” Well, the hesitant heart can rest assured because the answer to this perplexing inquiry is found at the conclusion of our meditation. The psalmist graciously completes his thought by disclosing that the pre-requisite for a purity of praise flows from a heart that has been instructed in the righteous judgments of God. How insightful this statement becomes when it’s understood in its entirety. First, we can rightfully conclude that an uprightness of heart is the result of it being tutored in the righteous judgments of God. This wonderful imagery portrays that the contamination found in the human heart is purged when it is subjected to the sanitizing treatment of the Word of truth. In addition, when we choose to hide the Word of God in our hearts it not only ensures the purification of our hearts, but it also guarantees its protection from pollution reentering once it’s been removed. Second, we can conclude that the result of this purification process will always be expressed in a sincere praise of God. Comparable to an expression of gratitude that is offered by an ill patient after experiencing the healing care a physician, so also the child of God can’t help but offer praise to the One who has provided the sure remedy to the terminal illness of a sin-stricken heart. With this in mind, may we purposefully seek the instruction of the righteous judgments of God, to the end that we may be able to echo the bold proclamation of the psalmist, “I will praise You with uprightness of heart!”
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Brent Yim (December 10, 1979 – May 7, 2012) was an American preacher and pastor whose brief but impactful ministry centered on leading Temecula Community Church in California with a focus on biblical teaching and community service. Born in Torrance, California, to Alexander and Janis Yim, he grew up in a loving Christian home with two sisters, though he didn’t personally commit to faith until spring 2001 at age 21, when a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ reshaped his life. This led him to Calvary Chapel Bible College, where he met Andrea, whom he married in 2003 after falling in love and grounding their union in faith. After graduating, he taught at the college for several semesters, beginning his journey in ministry. Yim’s preaching career took a significant turn in 2009 when, at 28, he became senior pastor of Temecula Community Church and principal of Temecula Christian School, revitalizing a struggling congregation and school with wisdom beyond his years. Father to Jaiden (born 2007) and Micah (born 2010), he poured himself into preaching, pro-life advocacy, and mentoring youth, often playing soccer with students despite a demanding schedule. Diagnosed with stage 4 Gliosarcoma brain cancer in March 2011 after a severe headache, he endured aggressive treatments—surgery, radiation, chemotherapy—while continuing to preach when able, inspiring his flock with unwavering faith. He died at 32 in Temecula, leaving Andrea and their sons, his legacy marked by his devotion to God and family.