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The West Knoxville church of Christ is a group of people committed to following Christ as He instructs from the New Testament. We have been saved from our sins and have been added to His body, the church. Our goals are to teach the good news of Jesus to the world around us, to nurture each Christian in the church to full growth in Christ, and to provide benevolent help to saints in need.

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What Must I Do to be Saved?


A British newspaper published the greatest 101 questions of all time.  The questions covered a wide variety of subjects.   For example, “Where is the safest place to stand outside in a thunderstorm?”  “Why do identical twins have different fingerprints?”  “Is the human race still getting taller?”  “Why do I feel cold and shiver when I have a fever?”   

Surprisingly, the list ignores the most important and far-reaching question of all: what must I do to be saved?   This is the only question that remains significant beyond this world and throughout eternity.

To be fair, we should not expect to find the answer to this question in the curiosity section of a newspaper.  To learn what we must do to be saved, we must search the Scriptures.  

Click HERE to learn what the Word says about how to become a believer.

Come and see ...


We're delighted that you located us online and we invite you to come and see us in person. More importantly, we invite you to come and learn of Jesus and His gospel (Mt. 11:28-30), and to join us in worship (Ps. 95:6)

If you have recently moved into the area, one of the most important decisions you must make when moving to a new community is where your family will worship God and continue to grow spiritually. We hope you will take this opportunity to learn about us and come visit us in person at your first opportunity.

If you are visiting the Knoxville area, we invite you to worship with us. You will be our honored guest.

Matthew 10:28

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”
(Matthew 10:28 NKJV)


fear God

Our Lord spoke these immortal words to His disciples before sending them on the “limited commission.” He told them to expect rejection, opposition, hatred, persecution, and even death.

Our internal alarm sounds whenever someone tells us not to be afraid, and even more so when the danger could prove fatal. This commission raises questions.

  1. Why would Jesus send His disciples on a mission so fraught with danger? The answer is simple: they were sent to spread the good news to save lost souls. Their audiences were in danger of eternal hell. Jesus loved them and wanted to save as many as He could.
  2. Why did Jesus downplay the consequences (some of these messengers could be killed)? Because even if the worst comes to them on earth (their death) the best will great them after death; they will be blessed beyond measure for eternity. Their opponents cannot kill their soul.
  3. Why are they instructed to fear “Him” (God)? Because He can destroy both soul and body in hell.

The lessons in this passage are both universal and timeless.

  1. The eternal blessings of the gospel are worth the suffering. See Philippians 1:28-30.
  2. God knows our suffering. Not even a bird can fall to the ground without His knowledge (Mt. 10:29), and the hairs of our head are numbered (Mt. 10:30). God sees and God cares (1 Peter 5:7).
  3. We must not fear worldly opponents. The harm they inflict is temporary and superficial. Do not be intimidated.
  4. We must fear God, not people. God deserves our love, our respect, and our undying allegiance. Don’t let anything rob you of heaven.
  5. Hell is real. Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone. In Matthew alone He warns of hell in Mt. 5:33, Mt.5:39, Mt. 5:40, Mt. 18:9, Mt. 23:15, Mt. 23:33, and in our present passage (Mt. 10:28).
  6. Jesus warns that God is able to “destroy” soul and body in hell. Some assume (desire) that this refers to annihilation. Many who do not take God seriously are hoping that death will blot them out of existence. This view could not be more false or unscriptural. The word destroy simply does not mean annihilation. Lexicons consistently define this word as follows: “to devote or give over to eternal misery: Mt.10:28 . . . to incur the loss of true or eternal life; to be delivered up to eternal misery” (Thayer, p.64). The same word occurs in Matthew 10:6 – “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Is Jesus sending His disciples to people who are annihilated? …to people who have ceased to exist? No, they are in a lost state and will be separated from God for eternity unless they heed the saving word of the Lord. Annihilation is not even a possible translation of this word.
  7. The conclusion is obvious: we must take the Lord’s warning seriously. Our eternal state depends upon our earthly response to the Lord’s invitation.

– Rick Duggin


See The Power of a 100 Scriptures for similar content on other passages.


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Bible Study
Sundays at 9:00am
Wednesdays at 7:30pm

Worship Service
Sundays at 10:00am
Sundays at 6:00pm