A lot of what goes into winning a football game is behind the scenes. Oh, we see all the plays and all the action, and all the heroics on the field. But a lot goes on we never see.

Let's take our local high school football team that I worked with for example. Each week someone from the coaching staff was out scouting the other team during the season. And sometimes I'd show up at the locker room and I'd ask, "Well, what are we up against this week? Tell me about the team we're playing this coming weekend." Almost always I'd get a rundown on what that team was good at, who their high scorer was, and what we would have to do to contain them, where their weaknesses were, and what we needed to go after. See, those scouting reports helped our coaches know how to best play that other team. Now, unfortunately, a lot of us are playing as if we haven't heard the scouting report on the other team.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How Satan Plans to Stop You."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Revelation 12. I'll begin at verse 12: "Woe to the earth! The Devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury because he knows the time is short." Verse 17 says, "The dragon (that's the Devil) went off to make war."

Now, the book of Revelation talks about the Devil seeing time run out on the game clock. I call it panic in hell. He says, "Wow! There's not much time left." He accelerates his attacks, and I believe he's doing that now because I don't think he has much time left. You're probably on the receiving end of one of these attacks. If you're going to understand what's going on in your life; if you're going to respond in a winning way, you need to hear the scouting report.

Here's attack number one: the Devil is trying to distract unbelievers so they won't look at Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:4 talks about "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ." See, if you don't know Jesus, the Devil does this to keep you in his grasp; he does this blinding thing. He's got you too busy impressing other people, or busy building a career, or a family, or studying, or having a good time; believing almost anything spiritual other than being rescued through Jesus. But the longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to ever know Christ. Your heart's getting harder. The Devil wants to distract you so you will never really see Jesus.

Attack number two is to dissuade young believers so they won't live for Jesus. That's talked about in Mark 4:15, "As soon as they hear the Word, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them." See, if you're a young believer, the Devil's attack as he's feeling his panic in hell, is to get your eyes off of this new Savior before you become a threat; to put in front of you whatever could detour you: a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a job, a temptation, popularity. Do you see what the Devil's trying to do? Don't fall for this! Don't let him draw you away from the person you've spent your whole life looking for, your Jesus.

And then his third attack is to discourage God's warriors so they won't lead for Jesus. These are the people who are making a difference. Maybe you're one of those. 1 Peter 5:7 addressed to spiritual leaders says, "Cast all your care on Him, because He cares for you. The Devil goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour." See, I think he tries to devour them with discouragement. Maybe he's trying to neutralize you because you're one of the few people who's really in the battle. He's using people; he's using circumstances to destroy your motivation and your effectiveness. Listen to Galatians 6:9, "Don't be weary in well doing, for in due time you will reap if you do not faint."

See, the Devil is luring you, he's desperately doing whatever it takes to pull you away from Jesus; to get your focus somewhere else because he can't beat Him. But if you fight back in Jesus' name, you'll be causing even more panic in hell.

"Be a man." Three words that have gotten a lot of guys in trouble. Too many of us have done too many dumb things to prove what a "man" we were. But it seems more confusing than ever to know what that even means. Being a man.

Is it changing diapers and watching Hallmark movies? Or increasing your bench press and wearing camos? Is it conquest or compassion? Tenderness or toughness? Is it hiding your feelings or feeling your feelings? "Toxic masculinity" at one pole, passive manhood at the other.

As we approach another Father's Day, I'm not feeling a great urge to pontificate on manhood.

What I do have is an urge to remember my Dad. And the man who changed him.

When I was a kid, Dad was a machinist. By the time I was a teenager he'd become a plant manager - only a high school graduate. On his own time, he was a leader at church, even chairman of a couple nonprofit boards.

Recently I was asked to write a paragraph about my dad for a broadcasters' magazine. He was strong in his convictions and honest. Mischievously funny. Hardworking. Always fair. Always there. But as I sat at my keyboard, staring at the wall for the words, one word just kept coming to mind.

"Tenderhearted." For all my dad's obvious strengths as a leader, I remember the man who wasn't afraid of tears. When he was moved, you knew it. He was moved by a son's adolescent accomplishments... when he became a grandpa... when he saw people hurt.

Most of all, he was deeply moved when he thought about my baby brother who died suddenly at six months. And he really teared up when he thought about the man he used to be and the God who changed him.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Messy Manhood and Dynamite Dads."

My dad thought of himself as very average. His priorities were anything but average. You can read it on his tombstone.

With all the titles he had in his life, on his grave it simply says, "John Hutchcraft. Husband. Father." And after all is said and done, that's his legacy. Others could be foreman or chairman or boss. Only he could be our husband and father.

So with all the craziness about manhood, this Father's Day I'll go with the one who defined the word Dad for a boy named Ronnie. He was strong but sensitive. Fighting for what is right, but still a peacemaker. Neither toxic nor timid. Achieving but putting people first.

But most of all, I think about the Man who changed my Dad into the man I've been describing. For when my brother died, my Dad was totally lost. His broken heart led him to an old rugged cross. Where Jesus died to pay for every sin John Hutchcraft ever did. John Hutchcraft gave up driving that day - his life, that is. And Jesus took the wheel. And made him the man I remember, I love, and I miss.

Our word for today from the Word of God makes me think of my dad. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Jesus. Tough enough to single handedly drive crooks out of the temple, but tender enough that children clamored to sit on his lap. Strong enough that men would leave everything to follow Him. Yet caring enough to elevate women in a world that crushed their dreams. The Savior who has made many a man what he could never have been without Him. I'm one of them.

When a man experiences Jesus forgiving... His unconditional love... His power to change - he now has nothing to prove. Nothing to hide. And nothing to lose. He is free to lead. And free to love.

My friend, if you want to begin a relationship with Him (which I hope you do!), go to our website. There's more there about how you can belong to Him. The website is ANewStory.com.

So I'm very blessed this Father's Day. I think I know all I need to know about being a man. From the one I call Dad. And, most of all, from the One I call Savior.

Man, when I see my grown children eat now, it surprises me they ever needed help! But they did. And, of course, they're doing great now all by themselves. But there was a time when they had to be fed. And then I watched that with my grandchildren. See, sometimes - especially the very little ones - they need help, especially when they have this big piece of meat or chicken placed in front of them.

If you're little and you can barely see over the top of the table, a piece of meat on your plate looks like this pretty daunting challenge! You can imagine as you sit there you might be going, "How do I tackle that?" So, Dads come or Moms come and cut that meat into little pieces that the little guy can handle. That's how you tackle it.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Parenting in Bite-Sized Chunks."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 118:24. It's a familiar verse, probably one you've sung or maybe memorized. But let's apply it to life's great challenge called parenting. "This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." I have repeated here that scriptural impression that life is meant to be handled in days. It comes up over and over again, not just here. David said, "This is the day...I'm going to handle life as days."

But all through the Bible it talks about these 24-hour bite-sized chunks that we're supposed to do. It talks about strength that comes as your days come; picking up your cross daily, getting mercies that are new every morning. The Bible says "our inward man is renewed day by day," and then the Psalmist comes along and says, "I've got this day the Lord made." Not this year, not this month, not this life - I've got this day.

Now, that's really helpful when it comes to the challenge of parenting. Man, you look at all that needs to be done in your child's life. They need to know that they're loved by you. You say, "Oh, there's so much to learn about discipline. They've got weaknesses I really need to work on! They've got strengths they don't believe they have, and I really need to build them up. And they have so much to learn about the Lord. There's so much to learn about life, and I have so much to get done in their life." And you look at all you need to accomplish in their lives and you're overwhelmed; you're paralyzed like a little child looking at this big piece of meat on his plate.

But you've got to cut it into bite-sized chunks called days. Your mission is simply to have a good day with your child. Don't try to put a whole life, or even a whole month together. Have one good day. One day where you show your child demonstrated affection, where you debrief each other's day; one good day where you just have some laughs with each other. One day where you deal with one piece of an issue in your life or their life. One day when you give them a specific compliment. One day where you touch the Lord together and talk to Him together about something.

And then let the Lord stitch those days together into a tapestry that makes a life. See, we tend to be paralyzed by guilt over the past or anxiety over the future. Our fears. Why not trust the Lord to cover both of those, and you have a good day today. That's how you build a better future.

So, don't be overwhelmed by that whole piece of things you need to do as a parent. Just take it one bite at a time.