Quoting and Citing Question

[CantBCoy]

After much prayer and study I've decided to condense The Bait of Satan by John Bevere into a teaching series for my local church. I've been at the church for 8 months and they do not have Sunday evening services and do not have a midweek bible study. Because of the schedules that most of the people work at the church, mostly a 2nd shift crew, I don't have the opportunity to teach such a book in a more preferable format. My questions is this while I'm definitely adding a few points of emphasis and some original thoughts to the series, do you think it's okay to read large snippets of the book to get some of the main points across. I definitely plan on giving all credit to the author in those sections. Unfortunately, I feel like I really need to do this because so few of the people will probably buy the book even though I've asked them to for the past month to get ready for it. Looking forward to hearing from you and if you have experiences share those too.

[Pianoman]

My questions is this while I'm definitely adding a few points of emphasis and some original thoughts to the series, do you think it's okay to read large snippets of the book to get some of the main points across.

As long as you don't make copies to give out, don't charge admission, and don't record the reading - it's my understanding there shouldn't be any legal issues with reading the entire book if you'd so desire.

This is what the US Copyright office states:
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107

§ 110. Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following are not infringements of copyright .......

(3) performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work or of a dramatico-musical work of a religious nature, or display of a work, in the course of services at a place of worship or other religious assembly;

(4) performance of a nondramatic literary or musical work otherwise than in a transmission to the public, without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage and without payment of any fee or other compensation for the performance to any of its performers, promoters, or organizers, if —

(A) there is no direct or indirect admission charge; or

(B) the proceeds, after deducting the reasonable costs of producing the performance, are used exclusively for educational, religious, or charitable purposes and not for private financial gain, except where the copyright owner has served notice of objection to the performance under the following conditions:

[dolfan]

I think from a preaching standpoint and just, you know, pastoral integrity and all that, that exactly what you're describing is a good way to go.

My former pastor once preached a sermon that was the personal biographical account of another preacher --- and he preached the whole sermon as if it happened to him. Not only was it someone else, it was someone else at least semi-well known and who had not only preached that sermon, but had done so in one of America's largest churches and the sermon was on tape and had circulated for a year or more before he preached it as if it had happened to him. He knew my wife and I knew it, looked right at us while preaching it, and never once credited the source of the sermon which he ripped almost verbatim.

That's not the way to do it.