The 12 Mighty Orphans is based on a book. The film is adapted from Jim Dent’s 2007 nonfiction book 12 Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football. It tells the story of a Fort Worth orphanage’s football team, the Mighty Mites. Their team came from humble beginnings, even playing without shoes, and went on to achieve greatness. Like most underdog stories, it highlights the internal and external challenges the group of orphans faced during the Great Depression era. 

Nehemiah 5-6 – Relentless Resolve

Nehemiah faced both internal and external threats that sought to disrupt his reconstruction of the wall. Just as the Mighty Mites refused to be distracted from their purpose, Nehemiah remained unwavering in his mission to rebuild the wall. Tobiah and Sanballat launched personal attacks against Nehemiah, recognizing that if they could undermine his leadership in the Jerusalem community, they could halt the wall’s construction. 

Nehemiah’s focus on rebuilding the wall shifts to the internal struggle of addressing the plight of the poor, who were being oppressed by the wealthy Jews during the famine. Their land and possessions were being seized by their own people, forcing them into slavery. Nehemiah called out those exploiting the poor, reminding them that they were violating Jewish law by charging interest on loans. He made them return everything they had taken from the exploited poor. Nehemiah then had to redirect his attention to the wall and the conflict with Tobiah and Sanballat, who conspired against him. They were spreading lies in an open letter, claiming that he and the Jews were plotting to rebel against the King. Nehemiah did not waver in his tasks because he had complete trust in God, resulting in the wall being completed in 52 days!

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are not deterred by internal and external distractions when focused on serving a great God!

Bible Memory Verse – “‘…but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been banished were at the ends of the sky, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’” Nehemiah 1:9  (LSB)