The 1980 Soviet hockey team was unstoppable, and the U.S. hockey team was composed of college kids who had never played together. When these teams met in the medal round, Al Michaels famously asked, “Do you believe in miracles?” as time ran out on what has been called the greatest upset in sports history.

Herb Brooks, the coach of the U.S. Olympic hockey team that year, calculated his squad’s chances of winning at 10 percent. The Soviet Union had won the gold medal in five of the six previous Winter Olympic Games. The team was stacked with professional players with tons of experience in international play. By contrast, the United States had only four players with minimal minor-league experience and was the youngest team.

 Acts 12 – Balanced Belief

In Acts 12, Luke records Peter’s miraculous escape from prison. When Peter was tossed into prison, the church earnestly prayed for him. They likely prayed for his safety, strength, and freedom from his guards. While prayer is one of the believer’s most effective tools against opposition, should you or your team pray for a miracle?

According to biblical standards, not everything hard to believe can be considered a miracle. Miracles are those acts that only God can perform, usually replacing natural laws. The purpose of miracles was to authenticate the performer of the miracles (Acts 1:22). Miracles are not necessary today, as the message of Jesus and His apostles has been attested to and recorded in the Scriptures. While God can still perform miracles, we shouldn’t expect miracles to happen today as they did in Bible times.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete maintain a balance when winning and losing in sports. They recognize that God is in control of all their circumstances and promises to work out all the circumstances for His good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Bible Memory Verse – “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” Acts 13:47-48 (LSB)

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